How to provide a better service to your customers

You are nothing without your customers. For this reason, you need to do everything you can to make sure that you provide them with a fantastic service.

This is easier said than done, but there are a few simple tips that you can follow to make sure that you provide a better service to your customers.

Know your service

If you want to provide your customers with a high level of service then you need to know what you are selling inside and out. You also need to make sure that your staff know your service too because they will be the ones who are answering all of the questions. If you don’t feel as though your staff know your service well then you may need to implement a higher level of training. It also helps to run through some of the most common questions that your customers are going to ask as well so that they can always be prepared. If your staff aren’t able to answer a question that a customer has then this is a reflection of your entire company and it can also make you look very unprofessional.

Always be friendly

Customer service always starts out with a smile. When you are in a face-to-face situation, it helps to start by greeting your customer. A smile can easily come through in your voice as well, so if you are on the phone then try and make sure that you practice smiling when you are speaking with your customers. This may take some practice, but your customers will easily notice the difference and it also makes you appear more friendly too. To make things easier, invest in a virtual telephone answering service.

Say thank you

Gratitude really is memorable. It can help to remind your customers why they came to your store in the first place and it can also help to remind them of your company. It doesn’t matter what type of business you have either because saying thank you after every transaction shows that you care about your customers and it also helps to show that you appreciate them stopping by.

Train your staff

It’s so important that you work with all of your employees, and not just your customer service representatives. You need to understand the way that they talk to your customers and how they come across as well. Again, if you feel as though the other members of your team are lacking in terms of customer service, then don’t be afraid to give them some training. Sure, they might not be interacting with your customers every single day but when they do, they will still be remembered for the service that they gave.

Always be respectful

Customer service often involves some level of emotion. You need to respect your customers and you have to make sure that your team do the same. Never let your emotions take over, and don’t get angry at your customers either. Sometimes you may get a customer who is just hard to please, or you may even get someone who is rude to your customer service representatives. If this happens then stay professional and always be respectful. You never know, they may still go away with a positive impression of your company and this is crucial if you want to succeed.

Listen

Listening is crucial when you work in customer service. Listening means actually taking in what your customers have to say, as well as watching their body language to see what they are trying to communicate non-verbally. Try and watch out for any signs that could indicate that they are not happy, and try and rectify this accordingly. So many people try and deal with every customer they have in the same way. They go into auto-pilot and they don’t try and work with them to make sure that they are truly happy with the outcome. Don’t be one of those people, and treat every single customer like they are an individual.

Always be responsive

If your customer is left waiting for a response, then this could be a bad reflection on your company. You should never leave your customer waiting, especially if they have an issue that is waiting to be resolved. You need to respond quickly so that you give them the service that they need, and you also need to make sure that you are there for them as much as possible. By doing this, you can then begin to experience more success as a company.