When running a successful business, good customer service should be a priority. A satisfied customer is important to the day-to-day running of a small brick and mortar business. Nowadays, when something goes wrong, the whole world could end up meeting you through social media. The way you handle a dissatisfied customer says everything about you and your business. Maintaining a relationship with your customers is necessary to retain them. Customer support is necessary, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are some simple things you can do to improve customer satisfaction.
Always be nice
One of the rules of customer service is to put aside personal problems and smile. You must appear approachable and friendly, let your attitude reflect this. This applies as long as you are not there in person. Get someone who you think will put on a smile and serve your customers with care in your absence. Just because a customer can’t see you doesn’t mean they won’t pick up on your vibe. If you’re nice and smiling, your customers will notice, even over the phone. It’s easy to give up your positive attitude when you’re exhausted from handling complaints all day. It is vital that you remind yourself and your workers to be nice. You need your customers to leave with a positive feeling, without feeling that you don’t treasure them or that they are irritating you. It may not be easy for most people to smile all day. However, once you get into the habit, you will find that the act of smiling will put you in a better mood.
Listen, listen and always, listen
Pay attention when a client is talking about a difficulty they may have. Think how much you dislike repeating yourself, your client is no different. Be sure to respond when appropriate, but don’t interrupt. Interrupting shows that you are not paying attention. This may sound simple, but it is not what many people do. The natural instinct would be to jump in with a solution anytime it occurs to you. But you may not fully understand the problem. If you wait and listen to the problem, you will better understand where your customer is. Then they will see that they have your full attention.
Respond to complaints
If something is wrong, take responsibility, even if you know it is not your mistake. Customer service is an area where you should always be in a position to admit when you were wrong. Haven’t you heard this popular saying that “the customer is always right”? By taking charge of the situation, the client knows that his complaint has been heard. A new method that you may need to address complaints is social media. Many companies are often curious about how to handle public complaints. The answer is usually to reply and see if you can find a way to help fix this customer’s problem. Ignoring a complaint seems like negligent customer service. Deleting it will appear dishonest and can anger customers. An excellent response to any complaint is to express your regret and ask how you can resolve it for them.
You need to go further
To have more than good customer service, you will need to separate yourself from others. Get to know your customers. Provide something unique that they will associate with your business. I could thank you for coming to shop with us with a thank you note. Offer a gift to the customer. Do anything you think can set you apart from the competition – try some of these proven customer service tips. Show your customers gratitude for serving you. These are the types of gestures that customers will remember and value. They may seem small to you, but that’s the point. A small gesture can go a long way in building and maintaining relationships.
