Customer service never ends.
From the first inquiry, to finalizing the sale, to the end of the warranty and beyond, there are many times during the customer lifecycle when he or she will be interacting with a representative from your business, and it’s important that each experience is a positive one. Sometimes this will be more difficult than others, but the key to stellar customer service lies in having a plan to deal with any situation that arises. This means training.
In addition to ensuring that your customer service reps (CSRs) are familiar with your products and policies, it is also important to train them in phone etiquette, and to give them guidelines for speaking with customers who aren’t in the best mood. This doesn’t mean simply providing them with a script, however.
If you can give your CSRs the tools they need to cultivate authentic relationships with clients and customers, your business will begin to experience increased loyalty and referrals, resulting in overall improvement to your bottom line. An easy and effective way to get your team started with relationship building is by teaching them Dale Carnegie’s Secrets of Success. Use the first nine as stepping stones towards creating and maintaining solid customer relationships.
- Don’t criticize, condemn, or complain.
- Give honest, sincere appreciation.
- Arouse in the other person an eager want.
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile.
- Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
- Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.
To learn more about how you and your team can provide top-quality customer service, download our free ebook.