Cardinal Rules for Customer Service
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that customer service representatives held about 2.3 million jobs in 2008. To improve customer service, build customer loyalty, and thereby expand the bottom line, it's important to adhere to the cardinal rules for customer service.
Other People Are Reading
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Empathy
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According to Business Week's March 2007 article, "Customer Service Champs," Southwest airlines recognizes that the entire organizational culture must reflect one goal: To put customers' needs first. And J.D. Power and Associates reports that helping employees to understand what it feels like to be a customer is one of the most powerful secrets of world-class service.
Simple Acts
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According to J.D. Power and Associates in their April 2010 report on retail banks, performing simple service acts like greeting customers, offering assistance, and thanking customers for their business might increase overall customer satisfaction "by nearly 50 index points, yet less than 60 percent of customers report experiencing" these simple acts of service.
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Meet Your Customers' Needs
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The All Business website article on customer service says that it costs six times more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an existing customer. Building loyalty through meeting customer needs means understanding who your customers are, what products or services interest them, and what keeps them coming back.
Leave Your Customer Satisfied
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If you have followed these cardinal rules for customer service and your customer still has a complaint, address the complaint earnestly. Practice active listening with each customer to ensure she is satisfied with the outcome.
Active listening consists of focusing entirely on what your customer is communicating. This might be different than what he verbalizes. Repeat to your customer what you believe his dissatisfaction to be. Ask questions to ensure that you fully comprehend the situation. Don't interrupt. Hold questions or comments until a natural pause in the conversation. Be sure that your customer has completed her statement of issues. Respect your customer. When the time is appropriate, apologize for your customer's experience. Address each of his concerns fully and honestly. Ask what you can do to remedy the situation. If possible, comply with your customer's response. In fact, to be a model of customer service and build loyalty, institute a company policy to do more than the customer expects.
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References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Customer Service Representatives
- Business Week: "Customer Service Champs;" March 2007
- J.D. Power and Associates: "Customer Loyalty and Brand Image Decline among Retail Banking Customers For a Fourth Consecutive Year;" April 2010
- All Business: "Ten Rules for Great Customer Service"
Resources
- Photo Credit customer service image by Kurhan from Fotolia.com
