Want to know how to keep your staff motivated? Follow these 7 golden rules and you will have your staff encouraged to provide good customer service.

1. Communication.

Ensure employees are kept up to date on what your business goals and plans are. Employees want to feel secure and know they are working in a safe financially secure workplace.

Inform staff members the reason why any changes need to be made and how staff can contribute to those plans. Regularly meet either individually with your staff or as a group to discuss any concerns openly, such as why sales have dropped off.

Most employees like to feel they are part of the team and can contribute so you may get some good ideas and solutions to deal with whatever the problem your business is going through.

2. Resources.

Streamline existing systems and processes that are not working so that employees output and time can be used more efficiently. Ensure essential resources are used productively to avoid wastage.

Replace old tired and defective furniture and seating in front of house areas that are used by customers with comfortable modern furniture and buy some green leafy plants in nice containers. It won’t cost a lot to spruce your premises up (if required that is) to project a snappy comfortable environment for your customers to experience and enjoy while they are visiting your premises.

Remember first impressions count.

3. Health and Safety.

Ensure your business has an effective workplace Health and Safety Policy. This will help to identify your staff with stress and other health related problems. Such plans provide managers or affected staff members with an intervention and education plan on how to cope with any workplace health issue that may arise.

Be understanding and encourage staff to discuss with you any health issue they may have in confidence so a rehabilitation plan can be put in place if necessary.

4. Managing Staff Insecurity.

In situations where redundancies may occur keep affected staff informed of what’s happening and provide options. For example, look for those staff members who may have transferable skills and whether they can be transferred to another department. Again it’s very important not to keep employees in the dark if the business is showing signs of failure.

Staff will appreciate honesty and know that recessions and the down turn in customer spending is not your fault so you will be surprised how much they will respect you for being upfront, truthful and not waiting until your business falls over.

5. Positive outlook.

If you are a manager or employer it is important for you to remain focused and positive in order to keep team spirit and morale high during difficult times. If your staff notice you are stressed and not putting in any effort to drive business sales or improve service to customers, then they will likewise display a negative outlook which could harm sales and drive customers away to other businesses willing to provide the service they require.

6. Targets.

Focus on developing and improving any poor customer service habits that may have crept in by ensuring your staff training programs are up to date and relevant to the current market. Performance expectations should be realistic and staff members recognized for their contributions.

Remember the golden rule that if you are loyal and supportive of your staff they will in time of a crisis support you and go the extra mile when necessary.

7. Workloads.

Be considerate to your staff by ensuring they are given comfort breaks and have adequate time to relax during meal and coffee breaks, preferably somewhere quiet away from their work environment.

Also where necessary, carry out a job evaluation exercise by measuring current workloads and expectations to ensure resources across the business are being utilized efficiently.

Having spent all of my working life providing service to the public, I discovered from a very early age that providing good customer service is the key to sales, productivity and long term customer loyalty.

I enjoy working with people and I have over time developed the skills and a number of tried and true techniques that I’ve used very successfully to enhance and improve customer service wherever I’ve worked.

I assure you the techniques I’m going to write about here, can be very easily used and adapted in any work situation.
For example it’s well known that the key features of effective customer service are –

• identifying key business activities
• recognizing what the customers’ needs are
• delivering quality service
• following-up service

However, there are two other key features that are often overlooked when discussing ‘what is good customer service’. They are valuing customers and earning customer loyalty.
In fact, when I’m asked “what is good customer service?” I generally say –

“Good customer service is to satisfy a customer’s requirements by providing helpful friendly advice and assistance by various means before, during and after a purchase or service”.

So if you want to improve and maximize customer service at your business by finding out what is good customer service and how to value customers and earn customer loyalty, then I invite you to sit back with your cup of coffee and read on.

Earning customer loyalty

If you want your business to stand out amongst your rivals and competitors there are a range of different options that can be used to earn loyalty and return business from your customers.

Offer discounts on products and services to loyal customers (some businesses of course may have in place a loyalty card that offers discount incentives).
Have a invitation only mail out especially for your loyal customers advertising heavily discounted items on for example a ‘one-day-only’ bargain day
Provide a free end of year free gift calendar for your customers and complimentary sweets for young children on special days throughout the year

Following up with customers after providing a service or sale (mainly big ticket items) through Email, phone or letter will also pay off in customer loyalty and in most cases adds a welcome personal touch.
Lastly, if a customer has a problem always try to remedy it as this will lead to customer loyalty and give you and your business a reputation for going the extra mile.

Valuing the customer

An important customer service technique often overlooked is a failure to thank customers for their business.

It is not uncommon to find many employees at the point of sale can find under pressure to deal with customers hurriedly so they can complete the sale process. In such cases always make an effort to genuinely thank your customers for their business and ask if there is anything else you can do for them.

This very simple friendly gesture shows your customer you value their business and can sometimes result in more turnover and customer loyalty.

The following key tips for good customer service will help staff provide superior quality service to business clients, customers or members of the public.

At the first Point-of-contact

When addressing customers always try to be attentive, respectful, and listen to what they are saying.
Customers will feel valued and comfortable knowing you are paying attention to them.

Some tips for good customer service are where appropriate to address the customer by name as often as possible as it will signal a personalized element to your customer that you value them as a person.

Addressing Customer Requirements

One of the most frustrating problems many customers face is being past from pillar to post when there is a problem.
This can occur in many ways, for example in face to face situations, over the telephone, or through an online customer service link. It is therefore important problems and issues are dealt with quickly and professionally with the minimal waste of time to the customer.

Try and make the customers experience of buying from your business or using your services as smooth and hassle free as possible.

Providing Professional Customer Service

Customers or clients who are paying for a service expect to receive value for money. It is vital therefore when dealing with customer enquires that you or your staff have knowledge of the service or product provided, the prices involved, terms and conditions, guarantees, promotions etc.

If this information is not readily at hand the customer needs to be reassured that you will find out the answer. Some tips for good customer service in this area are, if you are unable to provide an immediate answer reassure the customer that you will find out the answer as quickly as possible.

The golden rule is “never make a promise to a customer unless you know you can deliver on it.”

Understanding the Demanding Customer

There will always be customers who will be difficult to please no matter how hard you try to please them. In such situations the golden rule is to remember they are ‘right’ so it is important to listen carefully to what they are saying without interrupting.

Treat customers in a caring and warm manner as this will help to build trust and confidence.

Also – try to understand the customers concerns and questions. By offering excellent customer service, the demanding customer will feel valued and if their problem is resolved will return for repeat business and recommend your business to other people.

Dealing with Difficult Customers

This can be a nightmare for most staff working in the customer service area. There are a number of tried and true tips for good customer service that can be used to calm and resolve problems involving difficult customers.

The most important ones are to

1. Listen and take an interest in what is being said as some customers will be angry or upset and will try to take out their frustration on the first staff member they speak too and can result in the customer yelling, swearing and making threats.

2. Remain quiet until the customer is finished telling what their problem was as it will help to calm the situation. You will then be in a better position to communicate with the customer.

3. Write down what the customer is saying while he is talking to you as it will help to reassure them that you are interested and making a record of what happened. This will in turn help to calm the situation and make the customer feel valued.

4. Apologize for what has happened and reassure the customer that you will do your best to help sort the problem out.

5. Try to resolve the complaint or problem quickly as possible. It is well known that customers who are treated with respect and honesty will receive loyalty in return and repeat business.

I hope these tips for good customer service will help provide you or your business with high quality and superior customer service.

When dealing with any customer, always use it as a golden opportunity to provide that person with a sense of personal satisfaction so you can deliver what the customer wants.

I’ve found that the secret to effectively manage this is to put into practice a number of tried and true techniques on how to provide good customer service.

To assist you (and your staff members) on how to provide good customer service I recommend you follow the following key techniques -.

Building a Rapport With Your Customer

This is one of the key principles because by having a friendly positive relationship with your customer from the outset it helps to build a rapport and trust.

You can do this for example by engaging the customer in friendly conversation by introducing yourself to the customer and asking whether you can help them. This indicates to the customer that you are interested in them and what they want.

Customers usually choose a particular store or business for a reason, so if they come to your business always be polite and be genuinely interested and most importantly LISTEN to what the customer has to say.

If you display a genuine interest and are friendly the customer will sense this and is therefore more likely to develop confidence with you.

Finding Out What The Customer Wants

Most customers will know what they want or what they are looking for while other customers new to the store/business may be confused or unsure on how or where to find something. This is another opportunity to build a relationship with the customer so approach and offer to help the customer by guiding and assisting them to get what they want.

I’ve found the best technique is to politely talk with the customer. Then when the customer is relaxed you can ask pertinent questions as this will help to break the ice so you can better assist the customer.

A satisfied customer will remember the friendly helpful service you have provided and may lead to repeat business if your customer recommends you and your business to other folks.

Be Well-Informed About the Business

It’s not always possible to provide customers with what they want for a number of reasons so it’s essential to know what your business can and can’t offer.

One of the best tried and true methods on how to provide good customer service is simply through displaying your knowledge of what your business has to offer and what you can do for your customers. This very basic technique has the effect of making customers feel valued and grateful for the service you’ve provided.

Enhancing Service for Customers

It’s important not to become too complacent when things are going well in any business. If this happens customer service standards can slip and provides the competition with an opportunity to gain an edge.

Another excellent and effective customer service technique used these days is to run regular training programmes (in many cases facilitated by professional consultants) to remind staff about the importance of providing exceptional customer service.

Learning effective techniques on how to provide good customer service through improved training programmes, businesses are able to put in place up-to-date processes and methods so they can consistently deliver what the customer wants.

During an economic downturn when times are tough you’ll often find customers either hanging onto their cash, not spending or being more selective with what they buy. Astute business leaders will quickly recognize during such times that any business downturn will have an affect on bottom line profits causing them to evaluate how to weather the storm and avoid staff layoffs. But what many employers fail to realize is that with some careful foresight and planning there can be some light at the end of the tunnel.

This article highlights 7 good customer service tips that can be effectively used by employer’s experiencing staff workplace problems during an economic downturn and what steps can be taken by them to provide ongoing good service for their customers.

1. Communication.

Ensure employees are kept up to date on what the goals of the business are and well informed as to its financial position. Inform staff members the reason why any changes need to be made and how staff can contribute to those plans. Encourage staff to remain focused on providing good customer service

2. Resources.

Streamline systems and processes so that employees output and time are being used efficiently. Ensure essential resources are used productively to avoid waste and that customers are always provided with good customer service

3. Health and Safety.

Ensure your workplace has an effective workplace Health and Safety Policy. This will help identify employees who may have stress symptoms and provide managers or affected staff members with an intervention and education plan on how to cope with any workplace health issue.

4. Managing Staff Insecurity.

In situations where redundancies may occur try to keep affected staff informed and provide options. For example, look for those employees who may have transferable skills and whether they can be transferred to another department.

5. Positive outlook.

As a manager and employer it’s important to remain focused and positive in order to keep team spirit and morale high during difficult times. This is one of the best good customer service tips because setting an example for staff by going the extra mile for a customer will encourage employees to do the same, having the affect of helping your business and ultimately bottom line profits.

6. Targets.

Focus on delivering good customer service and where necessary improving any poor customer service habits that may have crept in by ensuring staff training programs are up to date and relevant to the current market. Performance expectations should be realistic. Remember the golden rule is if you are loyal and supportive of your staff they will support you.

7. Workloads.

The last of the good customer service tips is to conduct an in-house job review exercise by measuring current workloads and expectations to ensure resources across the business are being utilized and managed effectively.

Many employers and businesses these days know how important it is to have a good customer services specialist on their payroll. Companies will take the time and expense to engage employment consultants to search far and wide for a qualified specialist.

The rewards offered to the right person can be very attractive with an excellent salary and benefits including in some cases employee stock ownership plans and even a bonus program.

The qualities looked for in a top customer services specialist by businesses and employers can be wide ranging but there are some customer services skills that are in most cases always generically necessary. These skills relate to an individuals ability to effectively interact with people and the person’s exemplary customer services skills such as the capability to multitask and the confidence to handle a hectic workload with tight deadlines.

There are of course many people who set themselves up as a customer services specialist and offer their services as a consultant mainly through web sites or in various business publications. Unfortunately, some of these people over embellish their experience and ability in the field and as a consequence paint a bad picture for those qualified people who are genuinely looking for a role that specializes in the field of customer services.

It is therefore important for employers and businesses that are looking for a top notch customer service specialist to take the time to check out thoroughly the credentials and resume offered by a potential candidate.

What to Look For in a Good Customer Services Specialist

The necessary skills a potential employer would be looking for will of course depend to some degree on the business or organization and what field of expertise it would be working in.

In general, the essential skills many employers would be looking for would mainly involve good customer services skills, solid people communication, time management, analytical ability and experience in computer and the call centre service area.

Potential employers would also in many instances want an experienced customer services specialist who has had 5 + years of customer service experience in an office or call services centre. In addition to this a specialist who has the ability to navigate a customer database, handle customer complaints and assist in delivery and service process would be a desirable asset to an employer.

The more experienced customer services specialist is often utilized as the customer services team leader and to provide coaching and training for other team members.

It is now widely recognized that it has become a necessity to have an effective call centre service. This is because the value in providing good customer service can’t be underestimated in the business world today, especially if a businesses bottom line relies heavily on providing up to date information to its customers through its communication systems such as through telephone, fax or Email.

Having an efficient Customer Service Call center means customers are satisfied and impressed with the efficiency of the business they are dealing with. Every customer or user wants to know they are being looked after through after sales service.

Many businesses are finding it cost effective to outsource call center services as this reduces costs saves money and frees up staff to work on other areas of their business. Inbound call center services are therefore now recognized universally as an effective method to increase growth while satisfying customers demands.

There are now many good customer service call centers that offer inbound call center services that benefit businesses in a number of areas as described below –

Answer Services – Entails recording messages after hours from customers
Help Desk Services – Provides customers with assistance and information about consumer products and services
Technical Assistance – Provides technical help and support to customers who may have a problem or fault with a particular product
Processing Orders – This would involve dealing with a request for information or an order for an item through to its sale and delivery
Customer Services – Involves activities that improves a customers level of satisfaction and contentment

Some of the customer call center services that are available these days can be customized to meet the requirements and demands of any business or organization. For example an efficient call service center would be resourced with state of the art telecommunication systems, advanced computer networks and phone systems all backed up with trained customer services representatives and quality control professionals.

The Advantages of Web-Enabled Call Center Services

This type of call center service is only accessible and available on the internet and is designed to assist customers or clients anywhere in the world. Web-enabled call centre services is these days an increasingly common method for businesses to meet their business requirements and needs, particularly if there is some distance between the client and business. For example, this could involve people living in a different country to where the business is located.

The web-enabled call center services also help in other ways such as recognising productive messages and valued customers giving maximum return to the business for minimum outlay. The spin offs and advantages of a web-enabled call center service has the ability to substantially increase profits, improve staff output, reduce expenses and enhance customer satisfaction.

The modern call center today can be a very demanding workplace for call center agents. In the high paced work environment of a call center the customer services call centre agent can be tested with a multitude of calls and queries which means agents need to be qualified to handle all types of pressures they may expect to deal with in a hectic work environment.

Call center services agents therefore play an important part in providing good customer service because they are in general the first point of contact a client or customer will have with the business or organization they have contacted.

It is vital to have customer service call center agents who are properly trained and have the knowledge to efficiently master today’s complex equipment and technology so that consumers and clients of any business can be confidently delivered at all times good customer services.

Poor customer service is a universal problem that impacts on the bottom line and profit margins in all types of industries, businesses and services throughout the world. I have personally experienced bad customer service numerous times as I am sure you and most other people have as well. To narrow down what is the primary cause of bad service and what irritates individuals is not easy simply because what may annoy you intensely might not necessary annoy someone else. My research on the subject has unearthed some interesting facts on the subject which I am sure will help you deal with this problem if it is occurring in your workplace.

What is poor customer service?

To answer this question we looked at many different bad service scenarios in a number of different business and hospitality sectors and concluded that bad customer service is principally caused by one or more of the following –

• Poor product or service – can relate to quality, presentation, price, etc
• Bad after sales service – can relate to delivery, replacement of faulty item etc.
• Being placed on hold by an automated voice and told to wait
• Having your phone call lost or transferred unnecessarily
• Unhelpful and impolite staff
• A ‘can’t be bothered’ attitude of staff
• Waiting in a line of people to be served because of insufficient or shoddy staff 
• Poorly trained staff lacking knowledge and skill

How does poor customer service affect business?

Research has shown a high percentage of businesses and organizations fail to realize that the impact of a poor customer service experience can lead to a drop in profits and turnover. By providing poor customer service negative word-of-mouth can spread very quickly in the community causing the business or organization to suffer by having a reputation that can be very hard to shake off. 

In such cases consumers will invariably ask themselves why they should wait for service then be served by an unhelpful shop assistant when they can buy the same product elsewhere without all the hassle. 

The most powerful mechanism that will improve business growth is to firstly recognize there is a poor customer service culture so that steps can be taken to eliminate it through such measures as skills training and the introduction of staff incentives. By changing the existing culture, employees will be energized and eager to please leading to a happier customer experience and ultimately a boost in return business.

Some tips on how to improve bad customer service

It is well known that a company’s image and reputation can be won or lost on the impression conveyed to the customer at first point-of-contact. This contact can be simply through phone contact so it is important skilled staff are engaged to ensure the caller is treated promptly, courteously and directed to the appropriate person or department they require. 

Research has shown that most callers generally detest being put on ‘hold’. Many people these days lead busy lives and if for example they phone a company looking for a plumber or electrician to repair a broken fridge or fix an electrical fault they won’t want to leave a message on an answer-phone when there are hundreds of other service people waiting for their business. 

Similarly, reception staff in front-of-office areas must be smartly presented, professional and polite to customers. A bad impression by the office girl or shop counter assistant could quickly result in a lost sale which could have a huge bearing on a businesses bottom line. Ensure staff employed to deal with customers on a day to day basis are trained and knowledgeable about the core business and have the experience and skill to go the extra mile to assist customers. 

Most importantly, the product and service provided should be of a high quality and standard. 

For example customers paying for a product expect to get the product they are paying for and not a defective or poorly manufactured replica for example. 

Providing sub standard products or services will quickly lead to your business getting negative word-of-mouth comments and this can be a difficult reputation to shake off. 

How can you define Customer Service?

This can be a difficult subject and not as easy as you may think. The mind can also become cloudy and confused very quickly when reading through the numerous definitions listed on the Web for the term ‘customer service’. It can therefore be difficult for the reader to work out which definition would best fit the particular situation or workplace he or she may belong to. A lot of the definitions I have come across during my research are all relevant, insightful and interesting, but more often than not customer service is often misinterpreted then poorly implemented because it has been badly defined.

Most successful Corporations and businesses require a customer service model upon which a strategy can be built because in today’s business environment, the common belief that customer service is just ‘meeting the needs of the customer’ is not enough.

To help find answers on how to define customer service, I have collated the following simple phrases that outline what I think the definition of customer service should embrace.

Customer service is………

- a positive attitude of caring and ability to deliver the needs of the customer

- an assurance to provide quality service to internal and external customers in a suitable
manner

- the practice of providing customers with top class benefits in order to satisfy them

- any dealings between a customer and a business that causes a good or bad
perception by a customer.

- is a term that portrays the helpful process on how a customers needs are taken care of

- is how a business provides the requirements of its customers

- is the art of treating customers efficiently and fairly

- is the expertise to provide a product to the customer as agreed

In my quest to define customer service and after studying many of the customer service definitions I have come across, it became clear that to define customer service it would be necessary to include the following simple and basic key elements…… Effectively attending to and satisfying a customer’s needs through various channels (personal, phone, mail) by providing helpful assistance and friendly advice before, during and after a purchase or service the customer is provided.

So why bother to define customer service?

There are many people who say you can’t define customer service. This is because many organizations put themselves first and the customer second, which is interesting because it is easy to sit back with a smile of satisfaction and say “we have had a good year, profits are up and things are going well”. That approach is understandable when things are running smoothly, but in times of uncertainty, steps need to be taken to look at gaining a competitive edge and a reputation on delivering quality service or products to the consumer. Today, many long standing businesses constantly review their customer service systems and processes in an effort to look for improvement to their business as and when required.

The answer therefore to ‘why bother to define customer service’ is to help businesses learn and understand better what their customers’ needs and wants are, so that plans can be developed that improve and put into practice processes that are customer friendly.

The key to long term success if you own a business is good customer service. Your business may sell top line products or offer a vital service, but if you don’t provide good customer service then you will find it difficult to survive in a competitive market.

To find out the secrets behind providing exceptional customer service it is necessary to learn from experience and other peoples examples of good customer service. To achieve this goal it can be confusing and time consuming reading and sifting through the many examples of good customer service and poor customer service that you are able to access in book stores or on-line. Further, what you are reading may in many instances, have little relevance in how you or your staff deal with customers in the working environment you belong to.

Many worthwhile lessons can be learned by looking back on your own experiences as a customer with businesses or companies you have worked with or come into contact with over the years. It is also highly likely you can provide many examples of good customer service yourself as well as unsatisfactory customer service.

To help you and your business acquire a reputation for providing good customer service and reap the rewards that come from that there are some basic rules you and your employees need to follow. Read on -

Some advice for the Employer

A very good strategy some businesses use is to structure staff meetings or employee training sessions to include time discussing the sort of service (or lack of it) that you and your employees get from other companies. By talking about examples of good customer service and experiences of bad customer service openly it helps to identify risks along with strengths and weaknesses in your own organizations delivery of customer service. Also, recognize and reward staff members who generate positive customer feedback. It is also a powerful tool to keep training sessions fresh and interesting to use recent examples of good customer service as discussion points.

Before any business can provide good quality customer service, employees need to be suitably equipped and trained. So what are some examples of good customer service and how can you or your business provide it? Have a look at the following questions then decide whether you or your staff are delivering average, good or exceptional service.

Attending to the customer’s requirements
Does the employee have good back ground knowledge of the business and can efficiently and professionally provide the customer with the required information?

Helpful attitude
Does the employee project a pleasant, friendly and polite image and attitude to the customer?

Dealing with conflict
Is the employee competent in handling difficult issues and problem customers with courtesy and respect?

Meeting the customer’s needs
Is the employee accommodating and makes time to ensure the customer’s particular requirements are met?

Exceeding requirements
Does the employee regularly exceed standards by going the extra mile to provide outstanding customer service?

So what is the golden rule of Good Customer Service?

You will have noticed from reading the above points that the key messages outlined in the examples of good customer service are “effective customer communication”. It is therefore important that this key message should be a priority and focus for staff at all times.

The eight principle Examples of Good Customer Service

1. Choosing the right staff
Ensure employees who are chosen to deal with customers have a bright, pleasant and positive personality. New staff should be made aware of your expectations and where necessary put through a well structured customer services training programme. Employing staff with customer service qualifications would be advantage as it indicates a commitment to the customer service area.

2. Valuing staff
By providing a happy team culture staff will feel valued and they will provide customers with top class service. Pay staff a competitive salary and offer benefits such as staff discounts and other incentives. Train staff to a high standard so that they are better than your competitors.

3. Using modern technology
Customers can feel as if they are just another number when an automated voice on the other end of the phone is telling them what to do. Where possible keep the automated responses to a minimum. Customers like to deal with someone who is sensitive to their needs rather than an automated computer response or hostile salesperson.

4. Resolving complaints
Ensure complaints are resolved quickly and appropriately. By not taking the time to listen and resolve a simple problem can cost your business a valued customer. Emphasize the solutions you have to offer as solutions often open the door to sales.

5. Considering the customer
Never regard a potential customer as an annoyance. Although you may know everything there is about your business don’t assume your customers do. When handling customers concerns use the opportunity to find out as much as you can about the problem so that you can improve existing services and systems if necessary.

6. Appreciating the customers business
Customers like to feel appreciated and will remember the good service your business provides. For example a simple follow up note to thank customer’s for there service may very well help remind them to again use your business.

7. Building a reputation
Attention to service can be the difference between success and failure for a business. Customers like to be dealt with promptly so a prompt response for example may make the difference between a profit or loss. Customers look for businesses that go the extra mile and keep promises so by providing examples of good customer service you will be helping to give your business a reputation which will in turn help your bottom line.

8. Reviewing performance
Learn from trends. The simplest most cost effective method to get customer feedback is through online customer satisfaction surveys. Such surveys help businesses to determine whether there are examples of good customer service that can be utilized and put into practice. Asking customers questions like whether they would buy products from your company in the future is an excellent method to help your business to build customer satisfaction and to find out what customers really think.