I have noticed in my daily routine how great customer service makes me feel like I want to keep doing business with a company. The reverse is also true: rude, impatient or uninformed employees can turn my business away. Customer service is defined as “a function of how well an organization meets the needs of its customers.” The needs vary, of course, from a question, a complaint, seeking information or how to terminate a business account. In my customer service workshop, I discuss that the old “the customer is always right” may not fit anymore, but a revised “I am here to serve the customer and meet their needs. I am here to serve them, not to win or be right.” As we know, customers too can be downright rude also! The basics of good customer service include being trained well for the position and company, developing good listening skills and having a positive attitude. The most difficult part in all jobs is when you get difficult customers. That can include angry, entitled and even abusive customers. How does a company or employee deal with that?
Start with an effective greeting to engage the customer and follow with listening to what they are asking for specifically. Underneath the anger or complaint is a need they want resolved. What is it? Can you help to resolve it or do you need to pass it on? Top of the list of customer complaints is being passed on or put on hold, so a company script and follow up in how to handle that is required. I have a compiled list of trigger phrases to avoid (“why didn’t you..?”, “I can’t do anything about that…”, “that isn’t my job/area”). On the flip side is phrases to use to help resolve the problem (“Let’s see what we can do about that”, “what I can or can’t do is…”, “someone who can help you is…”). Learning how to set boundaries and drawing the line with aggressive customers must be a part of a customer service protocol. If an organization creates a caring customer service culture (which means helping both the customer AND the customer service representative), that will flow through to a positive experience and thereby better business. Easy to say-hard to do. Just today in my daily round, there are two businesses I will keep going to, and one I will not. It seems to me that training and leading with good customer service within and organization internally and outside externally will be reflected from the top down.