Think of a business that you go to that makes you feel happy every time you’re there. Chances are the products or services they provide are available at other businesses or online. So what do you suppose it is that draws you back? It’s the people who work there who provide you a consistently first-rate experience every time you come in. In a nut-shell, they make you feel good about yourself when you come in.
How great would it be if you could give that feeling to the customers you work with? Well – you can! And it all starts with your heartfelt desire to please, charm or otherwise enchant your clients. Here are some skills that you will need to have if you want to start creating a pattern of delighting your customers.
Know your products/services from top to bottom – If you want to provide the best customer experience possible, you’re going to need to know what you’re talking about. Make it a point to learn your products inside and out. Go ahead and eves-drop on that super knowledgeable co-worker who seems to have a terrific grasp on your company’s goods. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions and learn what you can to become an expert in your own right.
Be friendly – The first thing a customer should see is your wholehearted smile. Smiling is highly underrated; don’t forget to smile when you are on the phone too. It’s weird, but people can totally tell the difference. Don’t wait for customers to talk to you…it’s your job to greet them right away and find out what you can do for them.
Keep your feelings in check – Customer service can be an emotionally charged business, so it’s important that you handle every person (yep ALL of them, especially the difficult ones) with courtesy and esteem. Never let your own emotions overtake your desire to see a customer walk away happy. It may be helpful to keep in mind that EVERYONE deserves respect as a human being.
Keep your ears open and your mouth closed – Listening is one of the simplest yet most challenging abilities to have in your arsenal. It is so tempting to want to dazzle customers with your wealth of knowledge that you miss out on what a customer is trying to communicate to you. True listening involves hearing tone someone uses and the words they are saying, while paying attention to all the non-verbal clues they are giving you as well. While you are busy listening is not the time to be thinking of what to say next. Take a pause after they have finished speaking to do that.
Look alive! – There may be nothing worse than non-responsiveness to a customer who is looking for a little help. They are feeling all whipped up and are looking for you to provide a solution…and you look at them like you’re a dead fish. Really!?! It makes me mad just thinking about it. Take action when a customer brings something to your attention. If your company made a mistake, apologize. Now is your chance to play the hero and make things right. If you can’t personally do something to fix the problem don’t just brush the person off – find someone who can do something about it. And if you need to get back to the customer, make sure you do.
If you follow these steps and take a sincere interest in people you will be well on your way to providing a consistently great service experience that can make your customers feel special every time they see you. Seriously, how cool is that?