10 Steps to Excellent Customer Service

We’ve been hearing for years that the United States is becoming a service economy. If that’s true, and our success (or failure) hinges on the way we deliver customer service, why are so many companies so bad at it? You see it in so many companies that deliver services that it no longer is surprising when it happens. We’ve become so used to it that it doesn’t even faze us any more.

What that means for company owners and managers is, if you can deliver great customer service, you will build a huge competitive advantage over your competitors. Customers want to feel like they matter. They understand that they’re important to your business, and they want to feel like you understand that, too.
Great customer service isn’t hard, but it does take some effort. By becoming strong in each of the 10 steps to great customer service, you’ll build a customer base that will carry your business to success.

1. Never forget how important the customer is.

One thing that many businesses seem to forget is how important the customer is to their success. They act like their product or service is so great that they can neglect their customers and still succeed. While they may be able to get away with this in the short run, in the long run their business will suffer.

Without customers, you have no business. It’s your customers that pay the bills. It’s your customers that pay your salary. Your customers know that, and as soon as someone comes along that is willing to treat them like they feel they deserve to be treated, they change their allegiances.

2. Let the customer know they are important

This really goes hand in hand with the first step. It is very important to know the customer is important, but the point is lost if the customers don’t know that you know. People like to feel appreciated. It’s human nature. Let your customers know you appreciate them. Let them know that they are the most important thing in your business. It doesn’t mean you have to throw a grand party, but find some way to show your appreciation.

3. Listen

This one thing is so simple, but so often missed by many people today. Listen to what your customer is saying, or not saying. The tendency of too many people is to feel like they have to defend themselves. As soon as they hear what they think the problem is, they start to plan a response, without listening to all the customer has to say. Unfortunately, this typically leads to frustration on the customers part, and many times makes an easy solution more difficult.

Sometimes all the customer wants is to have someone listen to them. Listen and be sympathetic to their point of view, and many times they will walk away content with their experience, and will return to do business with you again.

4. Learn the power of saying “Yes”

Sometimes the only way to make the customer happy is to say, “Yes, I can do that.” Sometimes that may mean returning the customers money, or replacing an item. Word of mouth is a powerful thing. If your customers walk away telling their friends and neighbors about their experience, wouldn’t it be better for it to be a good experience. Remember, It’s less expensive to keep a customer than to attract a new customer. Sometimes the customers satisfaction is more important than worrying about who’s right or wrong.

5. Learn the power of saying “I’m Sorry”

Two of the most powerful words in the English language are “I’m sorry”. When spoken with sincerity, these two words can defuse a lot of situations. Even if you don’t believe you were in the wrong, you can still be sorry that the customer had a bad experience. Tell them, and sound like you mean it.

6. Anticipate what the customer wants

Do you really want to make your customer feel appreciated? Fix the problem before they complain about it. Don’t look the other way and hope the customer doesn’t notice. If you see a problem fix it. One example would be a restaurant manager giving free desserts to a table because the meal took too long, or for a cashier at a store noticing a problem with a product, and replacing it before the customer leaves the store. By being proactive, you avoid a lot of bad feelings with the customer, and they will rave about the service they received.

7. Exceed the customers expectations

Going the extra step will really build your reputation for great customer service. If the customer wants something that you don’t carry, see if it’s possible to order it in for them. If your store is out of stock, find a store that carries the item they’re looking for. Some businesses build a reputation for doing more than is expected. Look for ways in your business that you can carry customer service further than you currently are.

8. If you say it, do it

If you tell the customer you are going to fix a problem, do it quickly. It will just add to the customer’s frustration if they have to repeatedly deal with a problem that you said would be fixed.. Don’t make empty promises to your customers. Don’t promise to change something you have no intention of changing. Too often employees or managers will say whatever it takes to get the customer out the door. That isn’t customer service, that’s only putting the problem off until another day. Customer service means just what the name says; serving the customer. Be true to your word.

9. Build a customer service culture

If you are the only person in your organization that understands the importance of customer service, then the customers will not be satisfied. A customer service culture runs from the top of the organization chart all the way down to the newly hire part-time floor sweeper. From the first day of employment, your employees need to be taught not only how to deliver excellent customer service, but also why it’s so important. You need to empower your employees to be able to fix problems before they reach you.

You also need to let your employees know that poor customer service will not be tolerated. Despite what you say or teach, f you’re not willing to enforce your policies, your employees will end up doing as they please, and your business will suffer the consequences.

10. You can’t fix every problem

Some situations will require that you and your customer part ways. One truth in customer service is that some customers aren’t really interested in being satisfied. Some people are merely looking for a freebie. Some are looking for an argument. Or it may be that the customer will never be happy with the way your business operates.

You try to do what you can to keep your customers satisfied, but sometimes the only solution is to lose a customer. Realize that you can’t please everyone all of the time. If you make changes to try to keep every customer happy, you will spend all of your time making changes. Change one thing to please Customer A, and Customer B will be unhappy with the changes. It never stops. Sometimes saying goodbye to one customer makes it easier to provide service to the remaining customers.

It may seem like a no-brainer to say that your customers are important to the survival of your business, but with so many business failing in this area, it may be a much needed reminder. Listen to your customers, make them feel appreciated, and you’ll build a successful business through excellent customer service.