Thoughts, Ideas and Resources

In any business where you have to deal directly with customers, it's vital that you know how to provide great customer service. People stop patronizing businesses every day because of bad customer service experiences. You want to make sure you never give your customers an excuse to leave you. If you set the bar above and beyond what would normally be required, you can make a difference that reflects back on your business in a positive way. Here are just a few tips on how you can make customers feel like royalty every time they do business with you.

 1. Make Sure They Get Their Answers

Too often, customers asking for help find that they're passed back and forth between various departments without actually getting answers to their problems. Whenever you do need to send someone to another department, send a follow-up email or call the customer to make sure their issue actually got resolved. Even if they did find their answer and no longer need your help, that little gesture can go a long way toward customer service improvement.

 2. Listen to Them

 You may hear the same problem hundreds of times a day, but if you interrupt a customer to explain what you think is the answer, you not only make them feel devalued, but you could be missing out on vital information. It's worth a little extra time to truly listen to the customer before you jump straight to the solution.

 3. Build a Relationship

 While it may seem silly to think in terms of building a relationship for someone you may never see or hear from again, it can actually be very helpful. For one thing, you represent the company. If each representative makes the customer feel like they want to get to know them, customers are going to feel like they have a good relationship with the company overall. It can also make solving their problems much easier, as it relaxes them and puts you both in a friendly mood. As you help them, use their name a lot and latch onto any common ground to make them feel like you're connecting with them.