How to Provide Valuable Customer Service
Although conducting efforts to please customers is a process, the art of customer service can be simplified if you understand people. If you make them feel important and prioritized and ensure their needs are met, they will likely have a positive experience. Read on for more specifics on providing valuable customer service and going the extra mile.
Remain Attentive And Objective
If a customer comes to your business and voices a request or concern, it is your job to listen to what they have to say with attentiveness and undivided attention.
You want to represent your company as engaged with the customer’s wants and needs, as this makes customers feel valued. When listening to a customer, maintain eye contact. Keep your responses cordial and timely if you are operating from a digital workplace.
Do your best not to showcase opposition, judgment, or anything other than compliance and objectivity towards their requests, questions, concerns, etc. Just try to be helpful, and your customers will likely feel validated, helping your company build customer retention over time.
Ask If There Is More You Can Do
Sometimes, the exchange between providers and customers can feel forced. Customers do not want to seem too demanding and because of this, they may accidentally forget to voice some of what they need your assistance with.
To prevent these instances, you can ask the customers if there is anything else you can do for them. This gives the customer a chance to decide whether or not they have all they need. By giving them a chance to slow down, you provide better customer service by addressing their needs.
Encourage Customer Feedback
By asking customers to complete feedback forms and surveys on their experience, you can interpret their feedback and make changes to improve the customer experience at your workplace.
Establish official methods of gathering feedback and reviewing this information with your team so you can stay on track of the feedback regularly.
Have ways for customers to stay anonymous so they feel more comfortable giving feedback. By staying on top of any needed changes, you can better the overall customer service experience without much delay.
Go The Extra Mile
If you cannot meet customer needs, it is your job to go the extra mile and show the customer that you are doing all you can to help them. If an item they want is not at your store but is at another location, connect them with that store’s information so they can get what they need.
Call in and see if the products or services they are talking about are available at other stores in the area. Do what you can to show that you are putting in the effort to meet customer needs. They will likely appreciate your efforts whether you find what they need or not.
Have A Friendly Demeanor
You always want to do what you can to maintain company loyalty by putting your customers first and shaping their experience positively. Just as nobody likes to see a doctor with a poor bedside manner, the same is true with employees.
Remain friendly and helpful and do not showcase any personal dislike of a customer or what they are asking about. Your customers will be more comfortable and more likely to ask for future assistance by staying friendly and approachable.
The Bottom Line: Treat Customers Like People
Providing valuable customer service is about remembering that customers are people. Treat people the way you want to be treated, both as customers and people. Respect customer values and interests and showcase helpfulness whenever you can.
