Four Simple ways to improve your customer service

When you identify the customers you want to attract, gain an understanding of what drives them and what they want from your business.  This will make it easier to look at ways you can assist them and provide excellent customer service.  This is often overlooked, yet it remains one of the most important aspects regardless of the type of business you are in.

Customers who receive individual attention when they have a problem are more likely to return and they are also more likely to tell their friends and family about you.  This is also an excellent way to set your business apart from that of your competitors, especially when you operate in a field where the product you offer doesn’t differ from theirs.  People are always happy to pay a bit more when they receive top quality service, so make sure you harness the power of customer service to drive your business success.

If your company’s customer service isn’t as good as your customers expect it to be, why not improve it?  The following 4 tips are designed to help you do just that.

Hire friendly people

Good customer service requires a good attitude and hiring friendly people is the best way to ensure that customers return to your business.  Of course, good employees are more than friendly; they’re patient and helpful even with the most difficult customers.  If this already describes your employees, then the next two tips will help you take your customer service to the next level.

Empower your employees

No matter how friendly your employees are, they can’t improve your customer service if they lack the authority to help customers.  Nobody wants to have to come back later in the week to speak to a manager.  Empowering your employees to make decisions on the spot will keep your customers happy and you won’t run the risk of losing them.

Ask for feedback

Some customers never complain, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have concerns.  To learn about customers’ likes and dislikes, smart businesses use surveys.  If your customers seem uninterested in participating, try offering them an incentive as a reward.  Whether on paper or online, surveys can take a lot of the guesswork out of customer service.

Going the extra mile

Customer service can never be too good.  Even if your customers say they like the way you do business, there’s always room for improvement.  Try to put yourself in your customers’ shoes and think through every element of their dealings with you and possible ways of improving things.

For example, say you’re at a restaurant waiting to be seated and the queue is long.  You want to leave but the kids are desperate to stay so you wait.  Eventually the kids become fidgety, moaning about how hungry they are.  A waitress comes along with a tray of hot cheesy bread and offers it to everyone waiting.  It doesn’t cost the restaurant much, it keeps everyone happy while they wait, you have an enjoyable time and tell your family and friends all about it.  To sum up, a potentially negative experience is avoided by good customer service.

Consider how you can offer something similar to your customers – for example, complimentary refreshments and a comfortable place to sit.  Do your customers visit your business with children?  If so, you could provide activities to occupy them while the adults talk.

Don’t underestimate the power of good customer service – it can make or break your business, so take a few minutes to think about how you can make dealing with your customers a more enjoyable and easier process.