What is Customer Service? – Creating Long Term Clients. I can’t state enough how important customer service is to your business. This customer-focused approach should permeate everything that everyone in your company does! Consider the difference that outstanding service makes to you when you are a customer. Think of a recent time where you called a company help line but you didn’t receive the help you had expected. Think of those things that the person said on the other end of the line that almost immediately led you to lose trust in the company. Well, reverse this role and remember how you wanted to be treated, so that you can treat your client the same way.
7 Things Not to Do:
1. Allow Interruptions
Stay focused on the call. Don’t let other calls or other people around you interrupt the call. It’s important to stay focused.
2. Make up Answers
Don’t be afraid of not having the answers on the spot. If you don’t have the answer, don’t make it up. Even little white lies will come back to haunt you. Always tell the client you’ll get back to them — don’t guess.
3. Act Like you Know More than the Client
This will cause you to interrupt or dismiss or even resolve the call before you have completely heard the issue. Wait until you have heard the issue in its entirety before you talk. This will allow the client to get it off of their chest and will clear the path for you to provide the solution.
4. Interrupt a Client
Unless the client is completely out of control (never take abuse from a client), stay focused and write down your interpretation of the problem. Don’t internalize the complaint; keep it business related.
5. Keep Control
A client may hit your “hot buttons,” but don’t let them push you out of control. Any time you lose control, you lose. Remember, this is a business. Your reaction must be of the highest caliber of professionalism. If it’s not, you lose in a big way — not only the client, but your trust and credibility. These are not easy things to get back.
6. Pseudo-Listen
If you’re not listening with all your senses, then you’re not listening. Trust me, the client can tell if you’re slumped in your chair or thinking about something else or typing an email to a friend while they are on the phone. The client is very intuitive, just like you. Focus.
7. Assume Something Can’t Be Done
Always take the extra time to think outside the box. If an issue has come up once, it will probably come up again. So come up with a new solution, and make sure to document your solution so people who are new to your company will know how to handle the situation in the future.
