Good customer service is one of the most important factors governing business. The quality of customer service is the determinant of the success of a business.
Customer service is an array of activities that are intended to enhance customer satisfaction. When a business is associated with a service rather than a product, customer service is of utmost importance. That is, in a service industry, client service is at the highest priority.
Customer service can be provided by a person or may be provided by means of carefully-planned self-service. In recent years, industries have started offering their customers with feedback loops, by way of which the company can obtain an immediate feedback about their services.
Attractive offers, and creative product promotions can draw in customers for a business, but for the business to retain the customers and achieve customer return, only a good customer service can help.
Good customer service is about building healthy customer relationships. It is about earning trust from the customers and catering to their needs and expectations to ensure customer return. Actions matter more than words. It is a company's duty to act upon its words and keep the promises it has made to its customers.
Listen to Your Customers
Listening skills are a vital component of good customer service practices. Listening to your customers includes, listening to their requirements, to their expectations and to their complaints. It is important to listen to the customer needs and to be attentive to their changing requirements.
Most importantly, trust your customers. Listen to them with concern and believe in what they say. Underestimating the words of your customers will lead the business nowhere, as, distrust in the customers shall leave them dissatisfied and no business can even imagine to retain dissatisfied customers.
After offering services to them, it is also important for the industry to heed to their complaints, if any, and find immediate solutions to them.
Make Polite Suggestions
It is important for any business to remember that its customers are its valuable assets. Hurting the customers, being rude to them or disrespecting their opinions can lead to failure in business.
Raymond Chen of Microsoft has a story about a customer who complains that his keyboard is not working. The way the customer service executives resolved his complaint stands as a fine example of good customer service practice of politeness.
The customer, who complains of his keyboard not working, probably has not plugged it in. But telling him that, is sure to annoy him. So the best way to answer his complaint is to tell him to unplug the keyboard, blow the dust off and plug it again!
Sometimes you have to take the blame and avoid pointing out your customers' mistakes. It is advisable to take complete responsibility of a fault, if any, and take an action to mend it.
Make Promises that you will Keep
Making big promises and keeping only a few of them is not a good customer practice. Keeping the promises made to your customers is an example of your reliability. To build trust in the minds of your customers, you need to stand by what you say.
Moreover, make only those promises that can be kept. Do not make your customers picture the 'impossibles' and then dishearten them by not following what you had assured. False promises break hearts and customers with broken hearts never return.
Take an Extra Effort
It is not advisable to only look at money. The approach to only make money while turning a deaf ear to your customers can prove dangerous to the success of your business. Taking a step or two forward in caring for your customers is bound to build respect in their minds.
Clients who respect the ideologies of your business are sure to remain with you for long. A small extra step may not be profitable but rest assured that it would result in a long-term relationship with your customers. Extra efforts benefit business by pleasing the customers.
Build an Efficient Customer Service Team
For a business to achieve good customer service, it is important for the organization to build and maintain an effective customer care unit. An efficient client service team can fetch the business good results in terms of their customers.
A well-trained and well-motivated client service team can fetch good customers and succeed in retaining them for long. Train the customer service executives to be polite and courteous with the customers. Train them to be quick and alert towards customer complaints and motivate them to continue the good work.
Knowing your customers and giving them due regard remain being the key principles of good customer service.