Customer service is vital to thriving in competitive markets. In the past, individuals often chose which businesses they did business with on strictly based on the price or the product or service provided, but in today’s more technologically savvy world the actual experience can be the main driver. Great customer service drives an excellent customer experience, especially if your support staff goes beyond simply reacting to questions and addressing issues, and goes into actively planning a customer’s visit or event, anticipating what might be learned, what might trigger an individual to ask a question, and how that question can be answered. Great customer service is also built off of a great support system, and great support requires the right training, tools, processes, and people in place. This is why it is so important to keep up-to-date on the latest information related to customer service. In fact, it is recommended for companies of any size that they keep up to date on the most critical issues, trends, changes, and developments in the field of customer service.
The first step is to determine your customers’ needs. For example, are you currently supporting IT departments, sales representatives, or management personnel? If you have a limited amount of knowledge of the industry in general, ask yourself how much information are you providing to these key players. What areas do you need to focus on? Do you need new tools, processes, models, or information systems to meet your customer’s needs? If you have a strong understanding of the industry you are servicing and how each of your processes works, you will be much more likely to find an affordable solution that will allow you to deliver high quality customer services.
When conducting training for your support staff, you should ask yourself the following questions: What are my customers calling about most often? What are their biggest issues? And finally, what are some ways in which I can demonstrate that I provide excellent customer service? Here are some interview questions to help you get started.
You may think that asking these types of questions show that you are not actually interested in knowing how to provide excellent customer service, but many companies lose money this way. Ask the follow-up question: “If I give you the same service that they are currently getting, would you consider us again for another contract?” This will give you an idea of how you are perceived by your customers. If you make them feel like an important customer, and if you continue to provide excellent service, then you will build a positive reputation within the industry.
One final question to ask yourself when determining if you are on the right track: “Do customers expect to be treated with respect?” Sometimes, our customers can tell us what they expect from us, but we may never recognize it. This is why it is so important that you never belittle your employees, never refer to them as “your boy/girl” or treat them any other way other than how they are addressed in the workplace. Your clients expect and deserve to be treated with respect, and if you do not treat them like you do others, you will begin to lose any amount of respect in which you have previously had. Treating your employees with respect shows them that they are not only important but that you acknowledge their role within the company and believe in them.
The most important thing to remember about customer service is that no matter what the circumstances are, customers expect to be treated with respect. If you are willing to put in the time and learn how to provide great customer service, you will be able to keep your customers and become a successful e-commerce business owner! Do not let angry customers stop you from building a successful online business! Make sure you give them what they want-quality customer service, a pleasant experience and a quality product.
