Endangered List: Good Customer Service
January 17, 2012
Have you ever felt like a nuisance when walking into a store rather than a paying customer? Call me crazy, but this experience has become commonplace in about every aspect of my life, and really great customer service is so rare that I’m surprised when it occurs. I brag to friends when I get truly good customer service. I think in today’s business climate, retail or business to business, customer service can make or break a company’s survival rate.
In my community we have an outstanding Radio Shack – for one reason; the staff. They are very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. They greet me with a hello when I walk into the door and say “can I help you?”, and they continue to listen and always come up with a solution.
The new norm for customer service is more like walking into the door of a business and not seeing anyone there to help, then when an employee is found they are involved in a personal conversation with another employee or worse on their cell phone. Their eyes glaze over when you explain what you are looking for, and they ultimately send you away with a comment like “whatever is there is all we have”
I’m really shocked at how some people stay in business at all! Have you made a call out for a lawyer, accountant or even a caterer, and never heard back from them?
Every employee is your company’s face – and each one should have a basic understanding of their representation and lasting influence on a customer’s experience.
If managers teach some basic rules to their employees, excellent customer service skills can be achieved:
Listen to your customer, don’t interrupt with defending yourself or the company. Truly find out what the customer is asking for.
Don’t take complaints personally, avoid becoming angry or defensive. There may be something you don’t know and can be improved by taking a complaint seriously.
Have compassion, put yourself in the customer’s shoes to figure out what you can do, and offer an apology if necessary.
Offer a solution, never let the customer end the conversation without finding a solution, even if it might not be in your job description. You can always lead the customer to someone who might help out, take an extra step if you need to.
Answer the phone! Or at least return the call for goodness sake, it might be a paying customer!
January 23, 2012 at 4:13 pm
Had to give this example.
Neutrogena SkinID, eek on customer service. I had product ordered for daughter, then found out the order was in limbo in cyberspace after a few weeks of waiting, then I “re-ordered” again, but product was backordered, to come within in a week. Again a few weeks later I called to follow-up (no email communication by them whatsoever) and they said it had been cancelled?! I gave up and “cancelled it myself” to my daughter’s disappointment.
I got an “I’m sorry” over the phone from the sales gal, but expected a follow-up email, call or letter inviting us back or apology or discount for the trouble. Nothing, no effort to get us back on board. I was shocked by the lack of resolution on their part. After all, I have 2 girls that WANT their product and would be long-time customers.
With many other options out there, I will stand my ground because of this lack of service.
So yes, good caring service by the phone operator, on floor sales rep, behind the counter etc. goes a long long way!
I wish Radio Shak sold skincare for teens!