Do not neglect your brand’s customer service. Work hard towards creating a memorable customer service experience for everyone around you.
With the holidays around the corner, and a massive rise in cliental for retail stores, it’s important to maintain your customer service standards regardless of your industry.
Smile: Knowing that body language can either work with or against you, you want to make sure that you are consciously giving away the right cues.
You want people to be comfortable being around you and comfortable approaching you.
As an elite customer service representative, welcome help needed!
Some personalities aren’t the type to come up to you freely; they may be a bit shyer. Don’t make it harder for them. Customer Service representatives should always have a warm and inviting smile, no ifs, ands or buts!
When you can’t smile, you come off as unapproachable and stern.
For our live answering service, we train our team to smile, even if people cannot see it over the phone. They may not see it, but they can feel it.
Availability: We live an an era of many choices.
Competition is high, and clients’ tolerance is minimal.
If clients do not feel like they are getting the treatment they deserve, they will not stick around and wait for you to communicate with them.
Before you know it, they are at your competition’s front door.
It’s more than just retaining clients, it’s about retaining clients because you’ve provided a great experience.
Clients don’t like to necessarily wait around a few business days for a call back or for assistance.
They want to know that someone is available and avidly working towards a solution for them.
Be Considerate: Many clients call in between breaks and lunches, and many make the time to give you a ring. As you can imagine, it can be extremely frustrating to either not reach anyone or (more frustrating) to reach someone who isn’t equipped to help.
Clients do not like being tossed around between representatives, they don’t like being on long hold intervals and they don’t like repeating themselves.
Be considerate of their time and find ways to make their experience easier, more effective all within a timely manner.
Be a Go-Giver: Based on the book from Bob Burg and John David Mann, The Go-Giver, this impactful business idea has been adapted by many business owners who were close to shutting down their doors.
The concept of giving more in value than you give in payment is transformative.
Don’t help clients because you want to increase your revenue, help clients because you authentically want to make a difference in their life.
If you focus your energy on serving others and their needs, you by default will succeed in yours.
Customer service is an experience not a product or service.
Your Brand’s Customer Service: As unique as your product or service is, there’s always a competitor.
It’s not your products or service that will create brand loyalty or an increased client retention.
Your brand as a whole will stand out when you put more value on serving your target market rather than selling to them.
Here are a couple of components that add to the customer service puzzle.
- It’s the way you make them feel
- It’s the experience you provide
- It’s in the form of quick and easy responses
- It’s by complimenting and appreciating them
- It’s by letting them know that you care to help
- It’s by getting to know them
- It’s by making them feel special
- It’s by over delivering
Greet Them: One of the simplest ways to make someone feel welcomed is by acknowledging that they’re there.
A weak handshake usually starts conversations off on a bad foot. A weak handshake usually transmits weak character, weak decision making skills and weak confidence.
Patience: Be patient with the person you are interacting with.
Everyone communicates differently.
Some may have an accent that may require you to listen more attentively. Some may talk a bit slower. Maybe a bit faster. Some may move around a lot.
Be patient, don’t let frustration hit you and focus on what the client has to say.
Repeating information back to clients not only reaffirms the caller that you are listening to what they are saying, but it also ensure that you have the correct information.
You should always confirm phone numbers and the spelling of first and last names. We train our virtual receptionists to repeat the callers first name throughout a call and to always confirm everything.
What a client is calling in regards to is the heart of the conversation, so make sure to summarize it back to the caller as well.
Postitive Language: We place a huge emphasis on using positive language.
Our virtual receptionists know that psychologically speaking, using the word “no” releases stress-producing hormones and affects logic and reasoning.
For this reason, it’s important to start reshaping your vocabulary and substituting negative phrases for positive ones.
Depending on the word-choice you use, you can potentially sound rude, demanding or inattentive.
Expertise: Being an expert in your product/ service is vital.
The key to attaining new business is establishing enough trust for them to choose you over competitors.
When you know what you’re talking about and know exactly how you can help, you will have an unwavering conviction of your product/service, and they’ll recognize that.
