You probably couldn’t find one business owner who would tell you that good customer services doesn’t matter. And yet, there are whole industries that are known for being terrible at it! The truth is, the experience people have with your business will absolutely make it or break it. So if you’re not sure whether or not your customer service is up to scratch, check out these four pillars of great customer service:
Make it a clear priority
It’s incredibly easy to let customer service become a “nice to have” for your business, when in fact it’s incredibly valuable. After all, happier customers tend to be more loyal customers, and good customer service can do much more to build a relationship with a client than any advert ever could.
Care for your employees, and they’ll return the favour
Some businesses treat their employees pretty badly … and then expect them to turn around and be really pleasant and engaging with customers. While we know you’re better than that, do make sure that you do whatever you can to make sure that your employees are happy, because they’ll pass that on to customers.
And while you’re at it, make sure that your employees know that customer service is everyone’s responsibility — any interaction they have with a customer is a chance for them to build a relationship, so everyone, back end and front end, needs to be on board with that.
Be human
There’s nothing more frustrating as a customer than getting helped by someone who’s clearly just reading a script, or who’s so bound by policy that they couldn’t help you, even if they wanted to. Bringing some humanity into the interaction can make a huge impact, so make sure that your employees know that it’s OK to talk like a person instead of a manual.
Go where the customers are
If you find that you aren’t getting a lot of feedback from your customers via one channel, don’t assume that everything’s OK — you might just not be looking in the right place. For instance, your customer forum might be silent … but Twitter could be blowing up with complaints that you’re missing.
And of course, when you do come across feedback, good or bad, make sure that you address it quickly. If you handle it right, you can often turn a really bad experience for your customer into a great one.
What are your non-negotiables for customer service? Tell us in the comments below!
