Having a strong customer base is just as important to a company as strong leadership, engaged employees, and a good product.
To help you develop one, this article offers several tips on customer service.
Tip 1: Hire the Right People
Like virtually every part of business, providing good customer service starts with hiring the right people. Key traits to look for in people who will be working with customers include empathy, strong communication skills, flexibility, and the work ethic necessary to solve a customer’s problem in a satisfactory manner. Look for these traits throughout the hiring process and especially during any interviews.
Tip 2: Personalize Interactions
To the extent possible, personalizing customer service interactions can go a long way toward keeping customers on your side. For example, one Forbes.com contributor cited a company greeting people by name on phone calls as a huge selling point. Because of her consistently positive, personalized interactions with that company, she has never considered going to a competitor.
Tip 3: Use Marketing to Make Customers Feel Special
Marketing efforts don’t have to feel forced, cold, or impersonal. In your marketing communications, try using warm, inviting language. Again, personalize the message to the extent possible by using customers’ names. When it comes to email communication, setting up different email messages for different groups can also go a long way. For example, longtime customers might respond more favorably to a certain message than potential customers who have yet to make a purchase.
Tip 4: Reframe Problems as Opportunities
Customer service should never be adversarial. Put another way, if a customer calls up with a problem, you and your employees should view that as a chance to improve a relationship rather than someone to be gotten off the phone as quickly as possible. View such calls as opportunities—not problems.
Want more tips on enticing customers? Check out 5 Star Funding Group’s other blog posts.
