Whether you are a new or established company, you should always be striving to improve your levels of customer service. Businesses who offer their customers excellent customer service will stand out, stay ahead of competitors and will enjoy a loyal customer base. These are some of the key elements of excellent customer service:
1. Patience
Whether you are dealing with distressed customers or perhaps customers who are letting out their anger, it is important not to fold under the pressure. It can be challenging to deal with a difficult call from a customer, and even more demanding if it’s a face to face exchange. However, being patient is an important way to deal with this kind of situation. If you take the time to listen to your customer (even if it is a complaint!) and try your very best to offer a solution, they will be much less tense than they were at the start of the call. As a result, they will feel like you have offered them a great service and they will be much more likely to use your services again.
2. Engage
Show an interest in your customers by engaging with them. This doesn’t just mean talking, but really listening to what they’re saying. The ability to engage and build a rapport is a great ingredient for future business.
3. Knowledge
Knowledge is key, as they say, and there is nothing worse than phoning a company to discuss a product or service and they don’t have any knowledge about it. If you want to ensure you offer your customers a great service, provide your employees with in-depth training. It may seem like a huge expense, but it will pay off in the future.
4. Honesty
Your employees won’t know the answer to every single query they get – but they can still deliver excellent service, as long as they are honest. It is much better to be honest and call the customer back with an answer later, than making up an answer, in the hope it’s correct! Train your employees as much as possible, but also encourage them to be honest.
5. Respect
It is important to respect what customers say, even if you don’t particularly agree with them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and there is no need to disrespect someone because their opinion is different to yours.
If you want to expand your business or need extra back up for your customer service, why not try outsourcing this? At Frontline, our customer service agents are fully trained and know how to deliver the best possible quality of service. Get in touch to find out more today!