Customer service experience can either be pleasant or unpleasant. Everyone loves a pleasant experience and despises unpleasant ones wherever and whenever we purchase a product or acquire a service.
Customers’ today are no longer that timid and simple. Customers are getting more savvy and knowledgeable in their needs and wants. To win you need to be to create “wow” factor in every part of your Company’s supply chain. Your customer must be made to feel like he is standing on the edge of Grand Canyon face and looking down one mile into it’s deep enormity. The entire supply chain has got to be modified to deliver the “wow” factor in all aspects of product/service delivery. Want to know more about creating the WOW factor in customer service, read on….
“Pick Up My call within 3 rings”
Not picking up call or responding to an email in person is the worst treatment you can give to your customer. A quick check with the phone system of most banks and airlines today will reveal that, as we now need to navigate through a maze of options from languages to types of services that seem to grow as the Company grows in size before we get a chance to talk to live person.
Half the time, we will be disappointed knowing that despite holding on for what seem like an eternity you still may not be able to get the answer you want worst may not get a chance to talk to a live person. Invest in call forwarding or an answering service. Appoint competent staff if you need to. But make sure that someone is picking up the phone when someone calls your business.
“Deliver on your promise”
Creative marketing means more creative promises to entice customers to part with their hard earned moneys. Nothing can be worse than a broken promise. This will guarantee a lasting unpleasant experience for your customer. Do not over promise unless you are sure you can keep them. Be quick to apologize or offer alternatives should you fail to deliver due to circumstances beyond your control.
“Listen first, talk later”
Despite the obvious we tend to overuse our mouth than our ears to listen. Even in listening, we tend to practice “selective” listening to only hear what we want to hear and shut off the rest as merely noise.
Imagine how your customer would feel after talking none stop to convey his frustrations or needs only to find out later that you weren’t listening? Let your customer talk and show empathy that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve his problem or offering an alternative that work for him.
“Welcome feedback”
By feedback I mean any form of verbal, expressed or implied feedback be it negative in the form of a complaint or positive in the form of a compliment. None of us like negative feedback and many of us have developed a defensive stand against such feedback. We are good in categorizing such negative feedback as “isolated” case and hence we need not worry so much about it. We must recognize that only good customer who is genuinely concerned about your product/service bother to give feedback. Instead of just ignoring it pays to take heed to show sincere actions to correct and do more. Successful organizations know how to leverage on such feedback to gain more sales from existing customers.
“Do more than what it takes”
I was at a petrol station one day to fill up my petrol tank. To my disappointment the petrol attendant overfilled and as a result some petrol poured out of my fuel cap. Instead of just wiping off the stained caused by the spilled over, the petrol attendant offered to wash my entire car complete with vacuum service for FREE.
I was naturally impressed and now will always make it a point to visit the same petrol station knowing every well that their petrol attendants are well trained and empowered to do more than what I expect of a petrol station.
Author Bio: Phillip Koheh - I am highly driven customer service practitioner who simply love to talk about what good customer service is all about and how organizations ought to do to ensure all their customers receive a fair treatment for their patronage. For more information about providing superior customer service, visit www.whatisgoodcustomerservice.com.
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