What Is the Meaning of Exceptional Customer Service?

While the definition of exceptional service may be elusive, everyone can recognize poor service. It is usually characterized by a representative who does not understand what the customer intends to accomplish. Taking the correct steps to arrive at the best solution to a customer's concern is a skill that takes much training in order to be exceptional.

Definition

Beldingskills.com, an organization that teaches customer service techniques, describes excellent service as "the process of consistently communicating to every customer-whether it is an internal customer or external customer-that they are valued, and that their satisfaction is paramount to your organization."

Listening

The first step to providing excellent service lies in understanding what the customer needs. This requires active listening. Active listening is a learned skill that may involve taking notes, or asking questions to clarify your understanding of the customer's needs. This process of asking questions and clarifying also helps to identify needs that the customer may not even be aware they have.

Action

Once the customer's need is clear, it's time to meet that need. This could take the form of taking action on the account, providing education, or helping the customer understand what they need to do next. Exploring all possible alternatives before suggesting the most appropriate one is essential to providing exceptional customer service.

References

• Belding: World-Class Customer Service Consulting & Training

Resources

• Proven Training Solutions: Delivering World Class Customer Service