How To Win at Customer Service – and Protect your Reputation
Have you ever dealt with someone in customer service – be it a restaurant server, a representative over the phone, or at a retail store – and thought, “That person should not be in customer service.” You leave the experience feeling annoyed, disappointed or, at best, complacent and silently vowing to yourself never to waste your money and time on that company or establishment ever again.
Excellent customer service and maintaining good relationships is the golden rule in business. This is true for anyone in a customer service role, a brand manager position or an entrepreneur in professional services. Yet, small business owners sometimes fall into one of two traps.
Trap number one
They believe that what they offer is so amazing that they are above prioritizing client relations. News flash: Every service is replaceable, and if your clients have to deal with a poor attitude, ghosting, constant tardiness, excuses and missed deadlines, they will eventually look elsewhere. Because why wouldn’t they give their hard-earned money to a similar service provider who is reliable, pleasant to communicate with and doesn’t waste their time? It’s a no brainer.
Trap number two
They are too busy with deep work, managing the operations and higher-level planning. They believe their customers will understand they have other priorities and a lot to juggle, and they’ll get the deliverables eventually. The harsh truth: Your customers don’t care. Your customers have their own deadlines and obligations and if you can’t deliver, they’ll look elsewhere for a company they can depend on consistently. No one likes to wait.
The outcome of falling in these two traps isn’t only the potential of losing customers but also of developing a tarnished reputation. And in this digitally connected world where reputation is everything, having poor customer service is a dicey game.
Make customer service a priority by implementing these key skills in your business.
Communicate authentically
Be authentic and communicate to your customers exactly what you mean and what they can realistically expect from you. Overselling and under-delivering may get the sale, but it won’t keep your customers or prevent them from sharing their disappointment with others.
Of course, sometimes the unexpected happens that’s beyond control. This is where clear, respectful communication is even more important. Handle the situation with immediacy, sensitivity and take ownership of the issue – which may mean not getting defensive or making excuses, but simply coming up with a solution to make things right.
Show your dependability
You can be the nicest person in the world, but if you’re not dependable in business, your efforts will suffer. Along with communicating authentically, it’s critical to then follow through with what you promised. Show that the customer is top of mind by providing updates about the project or service as needed. Strengthen your time management in all your communication – your customers will appreciate you starting and ending their meetings as scheduled because it shows respect for their time, your own time and builds trust.
Improve your interactions
No one enjoys a Lacklustre Lucy or Leo, or worse, a Negative Ned or Nancy. Understand that part of the service you’re offering is providing a comfortable, helpful experience from start to finish. This means that your tone of voice, attitude, patience, active listening, showing up on time, and prompt replies all matter.
Take it a step further and get personal. Your customers are people who you want to build relationships with. Make it a priority to get to know them, their interests and who they are outside of their work.
Customer service comes easily for some and not for others. If you fall into the latter camp, it might be best to leave the task of customer service to an expert, like a Virtual Executive Assistant who not only has the expertise of client management but also can help free up your time so you can focus on other important business tasks.
