Delighting customers has stopped being about what you give them but rather, how you give them what they want. Customer experience is what’s driving sales now. In the modern world, people want the best, they want it now, and they seemingly can’t stand mistakes. That demands a lot from you and might seem like a daunting task, but here are customer service tips that will make all the difference for your business.
- Service is Secondary, Treat the Customers Like Royalty
It might seem strange and even a little weird, but people like being treated like royalty. They want to know that you are not chasing sales. They want to hear the empathy in your voice, the transparency in your process, the genuine effort to resolve their issues, and personalization of the interaction between your business and their needs.
If you take things personally, you will be seen as an extension of the company. When customers are not happy, they can become quite mean. Usually, they are not attacking you; they are just responding to what is happening.
Treat them like a princess throwing a tantrum. You can’t hit her, but you can do something to make her calm.
- Technology Should Be a Part of Your Business
Good customer support is better in this age when you have the technology to aid you, but with a human touch. No one wants to talk to a bot. It does not take long for anyone texting a bot to realize that they have hit a wall.
There are tools and software that can make this easier for you to do. Think about live-chats, co-browsing, screen sharing, video conferencing, and instant texts.
With technologies like these, you will find it much easier to not only accelerate the process but also seem transparent and helpful in a way that most businesses are not. The customer should not be sitting on the other end of their screen, waiting for a reply.
They want answers, and you can give those answers right now.
- Communicate Like a Person
Have you ever seen emails that use words like “your support ticket is #346879579? Include it in all future correspondence…blah blah blah.” It sounds like the customer is being reduced to a number. People do not like that.
Try to infuse some personable and casual air into the conversation. Do not go too casual because you don’t know them like that. There is a line; it is not that fine; you can straddle it quite easily.
Thank them, use simple words, and make your language as friendly as possible.
- Empathy, Patience, and Consistency
Customers come in all forms. You have the chatty ones, the angry kind, and others who just want to take their stress out on you. You have to be prepared to empathize with each of them and handle them in the same way, with patience, all the time.
If the customer feels understood, they will deflate and even be willing to see things from your side. It is easier to walk a customer to a solution that works for both of you when they are calm.
Practice this consistently and become as invulnerable as stone while being empathetic.
- Do Not Be Vague
Picture this: a customer buys something, thinking that it is 25% off when actually, they are getting 25% more of the product. They get their product, and now they’re mad. Why? Because you were not clear about what they were getting.
If you are vague, you will frustrate people, and when they get frustrated, they will come back very mad at you. Stay positive, use cheerful language, and never end the conversation without making sure that the customer is satisfied.
In case someone misunderstands something, even when it is simple, and they are mad at you, make them understand.
- Smile
A smiling face is always a great way to make customers feel welcomed. When you approach a customer, who is within 10 feet, let the smile loose and offer assistance. Walmart has been doing this for years, with its sales executives’ team, and it has won them awards in the industry.
Never underestimate what a warm, friendly, and welcoming face can do for business.
- A Positive Attitude Is Infectious
There is no other substitute for maintaining a positive attitude within the company. It helps avoid conflict, helps weather against the storm of angry customers, and keeps people working on an even keel to make everything smoother.
Apple has a specific employee guideline that has a significant section on how integral attitude is, to excellent customer service.
- Make a Lasting Impression
Not only will this ensure they come back to you for your products, but for the way that you treated them the first time they ever tried your business. If you do not take care of the customers you get, someone else will get them.
Do not get complacent, and do not get bored. Make that great impression again and again until you have honed it to a fine point. Let the customer leave with a smile on their face. Be the reason their day just got better and watch them come back to you for more.
- If You Have to Correct Customers, Do It Right
Here’s one thing you may not have realized, but customers do not like getting corrected. The customer is always right, they say but, you and I both know that they’re human and that saying is not technically accurate.
However, do not communicate to the customer that he/she is wrong. That will not win you any favors. Start with showing you understand, say you are happy you help, be educative instead of argumentative and then be sorry for the fact that they got wrong information.
Finally, make it clear that there is correct information, and you would be more than happy to avail it to them. Keep the sales alive as you do this.
- Apologize for Inconveniences
It does not matter what happened or what role your business played in the inconvenient situation. What you do is apologize to the customer and say you are sorry for the inconvenience. This is a rule straight from the Customer Support basics.
Delays, products not working, credit card not working; all these are inconveniences attributed to you. If the customer is upset, apologize for it. It softens the hearts of even the meanest people. Some will fire back and be condescending but, maintain that humble profile.
- Listen More and Talk Less
Customers do not reach out so you can lecture them. They want to say their piece, and they want you to hear them more than anything. It does not matter what tone they take with you or how irate they sound.
If you do not interrupt them, they will say what they want to say and that right there is half the battle done. When they pause and allow you to counter, that is when you speak. If you keep your ears open, you might learn something about people.
If you never listen, you will have a much harder time solving the issue.
- Incentives and Rewards Work
Loyalty cards and memberships to the regulars is a common thing. With these rewards and incentives, you will profoundly change the way a customer sees your business. If you want happy shoppers, reward them.
Make them feel like they are part of the family. The discounts should be sent to loyal customers first (use emails, texts, or any other method you can think of that works for you). If they feel like you think of them first when you have something great, they will stick with you.
If you would like some ideas on how to do this, take a good look at Amazon’s Prime membership. Make them feel proud to be doing business with you.
- Avoid Using ‘NO’ as the Final Answer
The customer service agent speaks on behalf of the business. They are the mouth of the business. When they say ‘NO’, it’s like the business is saying ‘NO,’ and that word triggers people.
You can start a situation with ‘I do not know’ or even ‘no,’ but you should always end them with a final answer that is positive. Give alternatives if something they wanted is not available. Find viable options.
Always resolve, but never with a ‘NO.’
- Solve Problems on The First Try
When a customer walks in or calls in or texts, they expect that you will have solutions immediately. Only 20% of businesses can solve the issues in the first attempt. Redirecting their calls through other options or having them call back again, is simply not going to work in your favor.
So not bounce them around. Invest the time and resources needed to make sure that your team always has answers when they are required and that they can solve problems on the first try.
- Train Your Customer Support Staff To Believe In Your Products
If they can believe in the products, they can be very effective at keeping sales alive when there are problems or when they have to pitch something to a potential customer. Clueless customer support staff are a nightmare to a customer who needs solutions.
Proper training can take care of this little problem for you. Before the customer service agents can be expected to deal with the customers, they first have to know the products and believe in them.
- Personalization Wins Customers
When you address people by name or in a friendly way, you project a human image to the business. Do not be a cold and faceless business that uses prompts to communicate. The best way to get personal is through the use of membership plans and email lists.
Avoid sending people generic messages that sound like the computer wrote them. They need to hear the voice of the business; it needs to be human, and it needs to be friendly.
Personalized emails alone have 29% higher open rates, 41% higher click rates, and they deliver six times more transaction rates.
- Thick Skin is a Must
People will come at you, sometimes for no reason other than to be antagonizing. That is when your thick skin will come in handy. Swallow your pride, accept blame and negative feedback, do not go on the defensive, and work to resolve the issue.
That is your goal, always. If they become too unreasonable even after you have done all you can to help them, then you can level with them and let them know you are doing your best.