Excellent customer service has the potential to create loyal customers that will stay with your business for life. When they need a specific product or a service in the future, they will think of using your business without hesitation. Moreover, they will likely refer your business to colleagues, family and friends, bringing your business more and more potential buyers. That’s why you need to provide excellent customer support, which can create an amazing customer experience. The following are some simple tips that can be used to deliver an amazing experience to your customers.
First, it is important that your customer service agents have a good knowledge about the product or service that you offer and this is achieved by providing great training to your agents. Taking the time to teach your agents about your products or services will allow them to speak confidently to your customers and know how to answer their questions and solve any problems your customers may have. Regardless of what you are selling, it is important that your customer service agents really know your product and how it can meet the needs of your customers. A staff that has been well-trained in the products or services offered by their company is one of the most essential qualities for being able to offer a great customer experience.
In addition to training in product knowledge, training in the area of service is equally important. Product knowledge is great but so is a pleasant agent who knows how to field questions, handle complaints and solve problems in a timely manner. This involves listening to the customer……really listening! Listening allows you to not only hear what is being said, but what is NOT being said. For example, in a face to face interaction, body language can communicate volumes, however, over the phone, agents need to be trained to listen for tone of voice and other non-verbal queues that can communicate frustration or anger. It is important that agents know how to quickly diffuse this in a customer by reassuring them that they understand and will do everything to handle their issue quickly. If an agent encounters a problem that may take a bit of time to solve, it is very important that they communicate this to the customer and give them an idea as to how long it may take to find their answer. This may even involve the agent having to call the customer back, but a little “wait” time, beats poor customer service EVERY time!
Additionally, agents should be trained in expressing gratitude to their customers. Let’s face it, we live in a world where there are many options available for just about any product or service, so when a customer chooses YOUR business over another, it’s important to acknowledge that and be thankful for their business. Plus, if you have agents who are well trained in product knowledge AND service, you give customers a reason to come back to you every time!
Finally, another important aspect of providing great customer service is Feedback! Yes, FEEDBACK, because this helps you know where you’re doing great as well as where you can make some improvements. Feedback is a powerful tool when it comes to knowing what your customer wants and then implementing that. Getting proper feedback can be a challenge, but if it’s a quick and easy process for your customers, you are more likely to get the information you need. It may take a bit of time and effort to know what process works best for your customers, but once you’ve identified it, you will have a steady flow of helpful information that will provide the recipe you will need for great customer service every time.
