Customer Service Tips To Remember

CUSTOMER SERVICE TIPS TO REMEMBER ALWAYS
No matter how great you think your product is or how talented you think your team is what your customers are most likely to remember is the direct contact they have with your company.
In an industry saturated with competitors selling similar products customer service approach could serve as the most powerful; competitive differentiator.
KIND WORDS ARE WORTH MUCH AND COST LITTLE. THIS CREATES OPPORTUNITY: WHEN YOU CANT OUT-SPEND THE COMPETITION THE SOLUTION IS TO OUT –SUPPORT THEM.WHEN CUSTOMER SERVICE IS GIVEN CREDENCE IT DESERVES, ONLY THEN DO COMPANIES GET TO SEE WHAT “WORD OF MOUTH” IS ALL ABOUT.
In this post we would like to share our best tips with you, so you can use them to give your own support team a crash course in awesome customer service.

1. PRACTICE CLEAR COMMUNICATION WITH CUSTOMERS
   Excellence in anything increases your potential in everything. Clarity in communication is paramount because it affects everything you do. You should understand that tone affects communication, common mistakes often made are using passive-aggressive language (“whatever…, actually…”) or confusing customers with slangs, colloquial or technical jargons.
   i. e : Which one of the following statements do you think is more appropriate?
   • You are being transferred. Your call is important to us.
   • Hey Ken, I’m going to introduce you to our customer service advisor who will be able to answer your questions appropriately!
   To be precise it is easy to note that the first statement is one with a moral content that people are sick of hearing, while the other statement explains to customers why the transfer is to their benefit. In effective communication wording makes all the difference.
2. PRACTICE EMPATHY PATIENCE AND CONSISTENCY
   Some of your customers will be full of questions, some for chit-chat, while some are mad and angry about something. You must be prepared to empathize customers and handle all of them and provide the same level of service every time to your credence.
3. SHOW YOUR CUSTOMERYOUR WORK ETHIC
   Customers appreciate a ‘rep’ who does not pass the buck and sticks with them until their problem is solved. However, you cannot afford to spend too much time handling one customer while others are waiting, you have to be witty, sharp and quick in resolving issues, you also need to stay focused on your goals to achieve the right balance.
4. UNDERSTAND THAT GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE IS A CONTINOUS LEARNING PROCESS
   Every customer is unique and every support situation is different. In other to handle surprises, sense a customer’s mood, address new challenges accordingly, you have to be willing to keep learning. Strive to have a deep understanding of your customers challenge and continue to search for better ways to address them.
5. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCE
   A negative customer experience at any point in the customer lifecycle can destroy your relationship. Pay critical attention to key points such as customer trial periods, customer sign-ups, customer on-boarding etc. make sure you have a full view of your customer experience, or you risk breakdowns in service that will hurt business. If you discover a lapse in service, make sure to bring it up with your management team so it can be fixed.
6. PRACTICE ACTIVE LISTENING
   When you use active listening, your customers feel heard. Make sure your customers know you understand them by clarifying and rephrasing what they say. The key is to empathize with them and reflect their feelings by saying things like, “That is a problem and I understand what you are saying” or “I’m sorry, I can see why that is upsetting”.
7. ALWAYS USE POSITIVE LANGUAGE
   Positive language is a great way to avoid accidental conflicts arising from miscommunication, while the change is subtle the effects are drastic.
   Say one of your products is unavailable or back-ordered for a month and you need to relay this information to a customer immediately. Consider the following responses:
   Negative Language: “I can’t get you that product until next month. It is back-ordered and unavailable”
   Positive Language: “That product will be available next month. I can place the order for you right now and make sure that it is sent to you as soon as it reaches our warehouse”
   Redirecting the conversation from negative to positive places focus on the proposed solution. When the outcome takes center stage, it reduces the odds that customers will be upset.
8. GIVE CREDENCE TO CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS
   Harsh words are not always indicative of insight, and complaining customers are not always a sign that something is wrong. Be that as it may, sometimes great feedback is buried within the complaints or harsh criticisms so give credence to every message of complaints from customers.
   To stay consistent in tone and process, use the CARP method:

Control the situation
Acknowledge the dilemma
Refocus the conversation
Problem-solved, so the customer is happy

Receiving the same complaint repeatedly is the beginning of a narrative. This should not dictate what to do next, but it will begin to reveal what requires attention.

9. KNOW HOW TO CLOSE A CONVERSATION
   The ability to close improves every single interaction. This is not closing a sale, it is closing the conversation with a customer.
   Leaving an issue unresolved creates unnecessary problems. Data suggests as little as 4% of dissatisfied customers will ever speak up. Not everyone will communicate what is bothering them often because you have not communicated that you care.
   Your willingness to correctly close a conversation shows the customer three important things:
   • You care about getting it right
   • You are willing to keep it going until you get it right
   • The customer is the one who determines what “Right” is
   “Is there anything else I can do for you today? I’ll be happy to help” Always look for small opportunities like this.
   Make sure you and your team always get to a place where, “Yes, I’m good to go” rings loud and clear.
10. KEEP STANDARDS HIGHAND RESPONSE TIME LOW
    Saved items are valuable to a support department because the whole team builds on them. Set guidelines for identifying common questions and when a saved reply can and should be created.
    Keep it simple, since basic, common questions are where your keystrokes go, start by addressing them with scalable templates.
    The more you add, the more useful your saved reply collection becomes.