What you can do
The biggest error you can make is getting too caught up in cutting
costs and other internal workings to see your business from the customer’s point of view. Customer service is what keeps the lifeblood
of your business — the customers — coming back. Even when
inevitable mistakes are made, customers return if the error is handled properly.
“Keep in mind that the customer is the priority,” says Sue Park,
vice president of customer service, The Home Depot Inc. “They put
the money in the register.”
Another mistake is investing money in loyalty programs focusing
on drawing in new customers, while losing focus on appeasing your
current customers. If you don’t ask customers about their experience with your business, they’ll likely not tell you — but they will go
home and tell others. If you stay flexible and listen to what they say
by acting on their feedback, you can best design a customer service
program that works for you.
What many companies don’t understand is that good customer
service is rare. If you already have brand recognition, you can further
your competitive advantage by listening to customers’ concerns and
acting on them. You need to define what good customer service
means to your specific set of customers before you can best meet
their expectations. This can be achieved by polling them in a variety
of ways, including comment cards, e-mail or an online form.
Even with well-trained employees and a list of customer recommendations, you still need your managers to be an integral part of
your program. They should point out positive behavior and not just
the negatives. Successes should be noted to encourage employees to
do more than the bare minimum, and negative incidents should be
handled immediately instead of waiting for an evaluation.
“Employees may repeat a behavior they’re not aware is undesirable,” says Liz Tahir, an international marketing consultant and
speaker. “Having the proper communication with employees is
essential. If you treat them well on a regular
basis, they won’t react negatively when a
manager points out an area that needs
improvement.
“Employees treat customers the way you
treat them. Ask yourself if you greet
employees enthusiastically, interact politely
and try to accommodate them in their
requests.”
Making sure employees have the correct
set of tools to perform their jobs is another
important step in ensuring good customer
service. Proper training and empowering
employees to handle customer’s concerns
or problems will build employee confidence
while expediting the customer’s requests.
“Always putting yourself in the customer’s shoes when determining how to
best resolve issues or respond to a request
is the best way to resolve issues,” Tahir
says. “All of the great companies have
incorporated customer service in their
core business philosophy, helping to brand
their business as one known for great customer service.”
