Key Factors of Customer Service
Great customer service is the lifeblood of any company. Without customers, you can't survive in business, and to get and keep customers, you must treat them well. Happy customers will in turn create more customers for you, as they spread the word about your excellent product or service.
Other People Are Reading
-
Meet and Exceed Expectations
-
In order to give the best customer service experience, your company has to deliver an outstanding product, make it easy to find and understand, and get it out to your customer in the fastest time. If you make a promise you must be sure you can keep it. Reliability is key to repeat sales.
Be Available
-
You can have the best customer service setup in the world, but if your customers can’t get hold of you, it won’t do you any good at all. You must ensure that your customer service is available through as many channels as possible – phone, in person, by email and above all, on the web. The online model of customer service provides what Kevin Laracey, the CEO of edocs calls “convenience, completeness and control”. It allows customers to complete routine tasks such as account management themselves, to their own specifications.
-
Return the Call
-
If there’s an issue that can’t be solved with the click of a mouse, there’s nothing more frustrating than having no live person to talk to. Your company must ensure that customers are not left in endless phone queues if they really need a human touch. 24-hour availability is the gold standard, but even if you’re a small business you can ensure satisfaction if you call your customer back first thing during business hours.
Fix the Problem
-
Every company and every product falls short of perfection now and again. You can ensure customer loyalty in a tricky situation by fixing the problem, promptly and pleasantly. The key is to listen to your customer, and satisfy exactly what they say is wrong, not to dictate to them in any way. The way you perform in a complaint situation is one of the biggest factors dictating your word-of-mouth. Michael Greenberg of Loyalty Lab says customers who are properly taken care of will reward you by selling you to their friends and associates.
Everyone is in Customer Service
-
If you’re big enough to have a dedicated customer service division you have a built-in advantage, but the real secret is to create a culture in your company that turns everyone into a customer service rep. Every employee should regard himself as representing the face of the brand, and should strive to give of his best whenever he comes into contact with a customer, whether it’s part of his job description or not.
-
References
- Photo Credit customer service image by Kurhan from Fotolia.com
