Providing Good Customer Service
Commitment to quality service. Everyone in the company needs to be onboard to create positive experiences for the customer. This may be just one person or many. Interestingly the positive experiences created by some employees can more easily be replaced by the negative of one, therefore it takes everyone.
Know your business. Know what your mission in and what your capabilities are and are not. Be clear in your policies and procedures. Then be able to articulate clearly this knowledge to your customers to win trust and confidence. Try to anticipate any questions they might have so that you can answer them clearly and confidently.
Always be considerate, respectful and helpful. Often the most remembered detail of a business transaction is how the customer felt. Using conciliatory words and phrases such as please, thanks, sorry, you’re welcome and it has been a pleasure, will demonstrate your dedication to courtesy. To be disrespectful and argumentative will almost always drive away a customer forever.
If you make an agreement or a promise, keep it. Only make promises that you know you can keep and do everything in your power to keep them. If you fail to keep your promise, apologize and don’t make excuses. I would suggest offering some kind of compensation in the form of discount or bonus and then correct it immediately. If you become known as unreliable or untruthful you will soon not have any customers to serve.
Treat Employees This one may surprise you. Thank them and find ways to let them know how important they are. Treat your employees with respect and they will more likely have a higher regard for customers.
Following these simple suggestions will not only help you grow your business and retain your customers but insure the next sale to that customer.
Reprinted from Internettruckstop.com Nov/Dec 2008
