I thought we’d take a few minutes today to go over a few more tips designed to make your customer service relationships even stronger. Remember, great customer service should start from the first moment you make contact with a client or prospect.
Or, in reality, learning how to stray from company policy. Let’s say, for example, that the widget you sold Mrs. X broke 2 days after her warranty expired. She’s been a long time customer but your company policy is to never replace widgets after the warranty expires. Would you rather replace Mrs. X’s widget one time or lose her business for the rest of your existence?
If your company made a mistake, own up to it and make a correction. Customers are able to better identify with organisations that can accept responsibility for their shortcomings rather than make excuses for them.
Responsibility and blame really go hand in hand. If you sell computer products – printers, for example- and a customer is having problems installing the drivers what will you do? Will you blame the computer operating system or will you do the research necessary to help your client make the printer work?
There’s an old story about a guy returning a tire to Nordstroms, a popular high-end department chain in the US. The elderly gentleman insisted he had purchased the tire at Nordstroms but there was one problem – Nordstroms doesn’t sell tires. At all. Anywhere. They’re customer service policy, however, is that the customer is always right and they did accept the return of the tire. Weird instances like this shouldn’t send you into a panic. Just because you take back one tire doesn’t mean everyone in the county is going to try to do the same. They’ll likely laugh it off (and you migth consider rephrasing your customer service policies).
The easiest way to make your customers happy is to “underpromise and over deliver.” If you’re constantly giving customers the best service possible even though they expected less they’ll always be happy. Try to incorporate a few of these ideas into your customer service training plans. The more skills your customer service representatives develop the happier your clients will be. Thanks again, Sean Sean McPheat Managing Director
Updated on: 24 July, 2009
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