It’s the key to customer satisfaction. The pin which underlines successful businesses everywhere, from the one-man bands to the multi-million dollar global outfits. Without it, your business has - and is - no business at all.
We’re talking about Customer Service.
You’ve heard the age-old clichés: “Customer is King”, “The customer is always right”, right? You may well have heard them used by a few customers over the years! And while you might feel at times they need a slight – how to put it – adjustment(!), you have to appreciate how vital a role customer service plays within your business – whatever that business might be - from restauranteur to water provider to purveyor of wheelbarrows! No matter what you’re selling or service you’re providing, in whatever sector, keeping your customer’s content through delivering a great experience is your number one aim.
Why? For starters, top-notch Customer Service is key to customer retention; and, as most business owners will tell you, they would much prefer to retain an existing customer than go in search of a new one, which takes up valuable time, effort and cash! Retention alone is why many business owners place the customer experience at the heart of everything they do. And if you think our current day online transactional world means we can focus less on Customer Service than before, then think again. In fact, the reduction of human interaction between buyer and seller makes it more important than ever for companies to show they have a caring side - even from behind a computer screen.
So, how do you ensure a great customer experience? It all starts with your staff and having the most suited forward-facing facets on the front-line of your business. Here’s why!
Best ‘Face’ First
The receptionist who manages the front desk at company HQ; a concierge representative in a hotel; or a member of the waiting on staff in a restaurant. Whoever it is your customer sees first on interacting with you forms the face of your organisation and it is absolutely paramount the correct face or faces are placed here. We don’t mean how people look – although depending on your offering, you may have a dress code or even a uniform for your customer-facing staff – but their manner; a positive attitude, cheerful disposition and welcoming presence. The type of soul someone would call a ‘people person’, completely at ease around others and with a genuine will to help. First impressions last and you want to ensure your employees are giving away the right one from the get-go!
Telephonies!
We’ve all been there. Making that call for assistance to one of the many services companies we rely upon in our daily lives – the gas or electric provider, the broadband company, the grocery delivery – and the rep we speak with on the phone couldn’t sound any less enthused if they were being paid to… Whether yours is a 500-strong inbound call centre or just a single phone line into your company, your team of operatives needs more than the skills necessary to handle telephone enquiries: at a minimum, they need to sound happy to be there! Appearing like they care – through the language chosen and upbeat tone of voice – can make a huge difference to the interaction to follow, which in turn can be the single reason for a customer or potential one to become a customer for life.
Internal Investment
Sure, we’d all love to recruit our Customer Service agents directly from the university of CS excellence and see our satisfaction rates immediately sky-rocket. More than likely, while some of our employees will find dealing with people completely natural and know exactly how to handle customers with minimum intervention, others will need some assistance with tips on best practice. Just as with all facets of your business, training is key to your ongoing success and this is exactly the same for your customer-facing employees who need regular reminders on the what to dos (and what NOT to dos!) when it comes to your customers.
Brand and Culture
Customers are often seen as someone who exists outside of our business perimeter fence. When we’re talking customer care it’s important not to overlook the type you find much closer to home: the internal customer. That’s right, your employees are customers too and should be treated with the same care and attention you expect them to show anyone looking from the outside in – some would say with more care and attention than your external customers! Remember that thing called retention we talked about? Keeping your employees satisfied means they are more likely to remain loyal and work harder for you. Equally, by showing your staff you care – providing a safe environment in which they can work, with fair compensation and benefits, and a set of values they believe in – you create a vibrant culture they feel proud to be a part of, which has an impact on their positivity and attitude toward dealing with your customers. Which means everyone wins!
Next time you’re looking for a genuine Customer Service star, don’t forget to speak with the team at 121 for help!