The economists and their Magic 8 Balls are still not sure which direction the economy is really headed, but everyone seems to agree that we may be months, if not years, away from another boom cycle. That means that finding and keeping good customers is now more important than ever. So, let me remind you one more time that the ROI on working hard to keep good customers is much better than the ROI on prospecting, cold calling, and working through an agonizing sales cycle to win new customers. Of course, you need new customers, too, but the expense of having to replace good customers that were lost to poor customer service can be devastating.
Do yourself and your company a favor and focus on the following customer service principles during this continuing period of uncertainty. I am certain that your bottom line will be better off if you do.
Serving the customer is what it is all about. It seems that in recent years customer service has become a vehicle for pacifying customers as fast as possible so they will go away and leave you alone. It is rare indeed that I talk with a CSR these days who sounds really pleased to be talking to me, or is genuinely concerned about my situation. CSRs need to remember that the customer is the reason we are in business, the reason our rent gets paid and our electricity stays on. We should be thrilled when the customer calls us, and we should regard them and their needs as our highest priority, because they are.
Practice active listening. Don’t be quick to make assumptions and jump in with the company line. Listen carefully to everything the customer has to say, even if you have heard it all before. Ask friendly, helpful questions that show you are concerned, and then let the customer finish answering before making any recommendations. The customer must be sure he has been heard. If he thinks he is getting the brush-off, he is likely to brush off your company.
Zero in on the customer’s needs. The chances are very good that the customer isn’t interested in your product because it was green, or because it is smaller than a bread box, or because it has a cool name. Customers aren’t really buying products because they love products; customers are really buying outcomes, because they are trying to meet a need in their life or for their business. If they are calling you, the chances are good that something isn’t working right and now their need is not getting met. Make sure you understand exactly what their true need is, and then do everything you can to help them get it met.
Let the customer know how glad you are to be doing business with them. I can’t tell you how much it bothers me to call customer service and get a deadpan, rote response from the voice on the other end of the line. If it is obvious to me that a CSR is just giving a scripted response because someone told them to do it, it leaves me cold. If I am interacting face to face with customer service associate and there is no smile or welcoming vibe, I start looking for the door. These days people can do business just about anywhere they want to. You better make sure that your customers know how much you appreciate the fact that they chose you. But it better not sound scripted; it better be sincere.
Accentuate the positive. Customers don’t like to be told NO. I don’t like to be told NO, and neither do you. These days, everybody in your organization better be bending over backwards to find ways to say YES to customers if you possibly can. Maybe you can’t say yes to their initial request, but find something you can say yes to and put as much positive spin on it as you can. Say yes to something that will make it worth it for the customer to continue to do business with you.
Customer service means always being willing to say you are sorry. Sometimes the problem is your organization’s fault; sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it is the customer’s fault, or the problem is the result of a misunderstanding on the part of the customer. It really doesn’t matter whose fault it is, it is always in your best interest to apologize for any inconvenience or distress the customer has experienced. The customer will always appreciate the fact that you are empathetic and take it as a sign that you understand how they are feeling. When you do finally determine the best solution, the customer will be more accepting of it because you took the time to understand their pain instead of getting defensive.
Add extra value, even if you don’t have to. Never forget that your customers can always go someplace else and probably get the same product or service for about the same price; probably even less. I am not suggesting that this means you should cut your prices. However, if there is anything you can add to the transaction – extra time to the warranty, free upgrade to the next level of service, reduced renewal fees – something that will help the customer feel like they are getting a great deal, do it. Nothing keeps a customer coming back like believing they are getting more value from you than they can find anywhere else.
How are we doing? Find a way to make it fast and painless for the customer to give you feedback on their interactions with you. This is not a time to be shy or thin-skinned. If you are doing something right and customers like it, you want to know so you can keep doing more of it. And, of course, if you are doing something wrong and it has the potential to drive customers away, you must find out ASAP, because these days you can’t afford to lose even one good customer if there is any way to prevent it.
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Customer Service Tip - Five Needs You Must Meet
It would be easy to assume that when a customer contacts your refund and return shipping hotline, she has a need to return something and get her money back. That is not exactly true. You can actually meet that need and still lose her as a repeat customer if you don’t meet four other needs she has that are even more important than the one she called about. These needs are simple and easy for you to understand. They are:
? The need to feel understood.
? The need to feel welcome
? The need to feel important
? The need for comfort
Don’t forget that anytime you interact with a customer, they have five needs, not just one. Meet all five, and you have made a friend for life.
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