When you grow and develop your business it’s easy to lose sight of your current customers in an attempt to gain new ones. But doing so would be a monumental mistake – current customers got you to where you are today and are the source of repeat business in the future.
So, how do you keep current customers satisfied and coming back for more? It’s pretty simple, delivering superior customer service when problems arise is a surefire way to maintain good connections with your clientele now and in the future.
If you feel your customer service is lacking, or could use some improvement, look no further. Here are three smart tips for developing superior customer service.
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Hire a ‘people person’.
Since superior customer service starts with the quality of your team, you should begin your overhaul at the onset – the hiring process. Your interview and screening process must filter out individuals that don’t work well with others. While easier said than done, there are a host of good behavioral interview questions that can help with the process.
Additionally, always reference check to determine how they performed. Remember, as an agent of your business you want employees to reflect well on the quality and excellence of the product or service you’re providing.
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Enhance your current customer experience.
Establish key principles during employee training. Above all, the ability to relate to the customer is the most important skill in customer service. Dan Rosenberg, Director of Marketing at Cash for Cars agrees and says that relating to customers can sometimes be difficult, but once established it’s a very valuable asset for your company.
When addressing an issue or concern begin by finding common-ground and shared interests. Having a mutual understanding will ensure the troubleshooting process goes smoothly. It’s a lot harder to blow up on someone you relate to after-all!
Next, when the customer is expressing concern practice active listening. This involves rephrasing what the customer has said to: a) clarify and b) show you’re truly listening. If your customer service staff makes mistakes along the way stress the importance of admitting when wrong. Not only does this build trust with customers, but it allows the agent to regain control of the situation.
Lastly, make sure representatives follow up with customers. This important step allows you to gauge their customer service experience and determine where you can improve.
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Create incentive for employees.
Providing excellent customer service is an ongoing process; if your employees lose their enthusiasm for it, your bottom-line will suffer. While there are many ways to continually engage employees, consider offering performance incentives. Ultimately, continue to communicate to the general public that customer service is of the utmost significance to your company and to your employees.
This article has been edited and condensed.
Jacob Baadsgaard is the CEO of Disruptive Advertising. He is a passionate digital marketer and entrepreneur with 7 years of enterprise digital marketing experience. He personally managed over 40 million dollars in annual marketing budget and consulted many of the Inc. 100 companies while at Adobe, including groups like: GE, John Deere, Citibank and Home Depot. Connect with @DisruptiveAds on Twitter.
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