How to Write a Customer Relations Policy
The first thing a business needs is a good product. The second is effective advertising. And the third is customer loyalty. Building good customer relations breeds results: The same people will do business with you in the long-term. They'll recommend your business to others, and in doing so, they'll help it grow. Whether you own a small business or a major force in your market, a clear and well-written customer service policy gives you a competitive edge and can help you produce a healthy profit.
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Instructions
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Use plain language. The temptation in business writing is to use words that look impressive but mean little. Instead of saying your plan "is oriented toward the goal of long-term client retention," say "we want to make people happy doing business with us."
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Include a clear, uniform process for handling complaints. Require employees to take and process all customer complaints in the same way. Begin by acknowledging the customer's inconvenience and pledging to help in any way possible. Sample steps for processing the complaint include taking the customer's name and other personal information, taking down the nature of the complaint and then estimating a reasonable time for a response.
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Emphasize friendly and attentive personal service. Customer relations is about customer loyalty, and customers stick to businesses that take the time to care. A good customer-relations policy welcomes complaints and emphasizes cooperation between the client and representative.
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Encourage quick action that is convenient to the customer. Customers dislike filling out paperwork, mailing it and waiting for a response. Create a policy that resolves problems quickly--ideally on the first visit or in a single telephone call.
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Keep employees updated. Nothing flusters a customer more than dealing with an employee who is unfamiliar with the company. Train and quiz employees regularly on new advertisements and coupons as well as policies on warranties, returns and refunds.
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Require an even keel. Unsatisfied customers can become difficult and even insulting, despite an employee's best efforts. Include disciplinary measures for employees who treat customers disrespectfully or in an unprofessional way.
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Include rewards and bonuses for superior customer service. Customer relations requires good people skills--namely, tact and patience. Those qualities can be difficult to find, so when you find employees who possess them, treat them well. A common complaint among customer-service employees is "I don't get paid enough to deal with this." Pay them enough to deal with it.
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