How to Design an Effective Customer Service Strategy

Employees fill a key role in customer service operations.

Business owners often place the highest priority on their customer service strategies. Most businesses exist to fill a consumer need, and the consumer's satisfaction with the product or services offered outweighs many other considerations. Effective customer service strategies make a customer feel confident in the business and increase their likelihood of returning for additional goods or services. Even businesses with few repeat customers, such as law firms or wedding planners, benefit from word-of-mouth advertising generated by pleased clients.

Instructions

1. Train employees to acknowledge customers or clients as soon as possible. Greeting visitors through the door and promptly answering phone calls goes a long way towards establishing the initial contact and building a positive relationship for the business.

2. Enable staff to provide quick responses to customer questions and requests. Employees should know their product or services inside and out and easily answer customer inquiries. Special requests or difficult questions should still garner a response within a reasonable amount of time, determined by the type of business and request made. Knowledge bases and lists of frequently asked questions may assist, as well.

3. Communicate regularly with repeat customers. Offer a newsletter, regular flyers or even follow-up telephone calls for regular clients. These keep the business at the front of the customers' minds and allow the company to easily garner feedback on their goods and services or communicate new offerings.

4. Evaluate customer service on a regular basis. The design and implementation of a customer service strategy continues long after its initial creation. Follow-up emails, telephone calls or other points of contact provide important information that can then filter back into the strategy design to identify and correct problem areas.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not become overzealous in requesting feedback. Many customer service strategies fail because the company contacts a valued customer too often, creating annoyance instead of stronger relationships.

References

• "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change"; Stephen R. Covey; September 1990
• U.S. Small Business Administration: Market and Price Customer Service
• "City of Atlanta": Customer Service Strategy Final Report; April 2003
• "Maine IS Technology": Customer Service Strategies; Hal Klein, Ph. D.; August 2009
• Michigan State University: Customer Service

Resources

• U.S. Small Business Administration