Customer service is arguably the most important factor in a business?s success. Even with the best products and the greatest services offered, most customers will not return to a business that has poor customer service. On the other hand, they may give a business with poor product, but great customer service another chance to make it right. Great customer service involves a lot of factors. Overall, customers want to feel appreciated and like their money and business is important. There are a few ways that customers can increase their customer service skills.
Always request feedback from the customer. Most customers will not provide feedback unless they have a really terrible experience. Although these moments of feedback can be helpful in determining weak parts of the business, they do not tell the business owner what is right with the business. They may change the positive parts of the business, in an attempt to correct the problems.
Customers who did receive a negative experience are also more likely to give the business another chance if their poor experience is acknowledged. Additionally, the more satisfied the customer is, the more they are likely to spend with the business. In fact, two thirds of consumers would be willing to spend more with a particular company, 13% more, on average, following an excellent customer service experience.
Greet each customer with a smile and a greeting. Many larger companies have learned that this is a positive way to greet each and every customer. Customers who are greeted upon entering a store or business are more likely to spend money there. The initial greeting allows them to ask any questions or to be navigated to a specific area of the store, without having to look for employee assistance. Additionally, customers should also be greeted upon exiting the store. The customer should always be asked how their service or experience was, and what could have been done to improve upon it.
Always be available to your customers. This one applies more to online businesses or smaller companies. When customers have questions about a product or a service, they expect to be able to reach the business. If they have any difficulty with ordering or with an item, they also expect to be able to reach the company. It can be difficult for smaller businesses to always be available to their customers, and many would benefit from a specialty answering service. A specialty answering service is available to those customers when the business owner cannot be.
Some specialty answering services even provide around the clock after hours answering services. The business owner can handle the customer calls and questions during hours that work for them, then leave the after hours calls to a 24 hour answering service. The number one thing customers are looking for when they call contact centers is to have their problems resolved quickly. A high rate of 80% of people will hang up on a business if they hear a voicemail, thus losing them that sale. An after hours phone service can save those sales that would otherwise be lost.
Listen to customer?s concerns. When a customer expresses a concern, they are stating that they want to purchase the product or service, but that they need questions answered first. Again, if the business is unreachable, they are unable to ease these concerns of a potential customer. A specialty answering service or after hour answering service can answer these questions and ease any concerns of the customer.
A business without exceptional customer service is likely to fail. Customers will simply not continue spending money, when they do not feel that their business is wanted or needed. After hours call service companies can make the customer feel like their questions and concerns are important. They can save sales of people who would choose to go to other businesses. They are a great option for smaller businesses with less employees, who simply cannot be available at all hours of the day and night.
