Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, was accurate when he said:
“There is only one boss, the customer, and they can fire everyone in the company from the chairman down. Simply by spending their money elsewhere”.
It is easy to articulate when customer service is bad, something we have spoken about recently. But it is just as important to speak up when people go above and beyond to make your experience a great one.
Not long ago I needed to get a birthday present for my grandson. I admittedly had left it a bit late and the delivery time on the item I really wanted to buy for him was 7 working days and his birthday was the weekend approaching.
The gift I purchased was a balance bike from Mulberry Bush, so I emailed the customer service team and explained the situation and asked if there was any chance, they could get it to me the next day.
The woman who responded was kind enough to personally make sure that the item was dispatched that day, and sure enough it arrived in time for his birthday.
Similarly, for my son’s birthday, (I see a pattern emerging here around birthdays, maybe I need to be more organised…) I needed a piece of jewellery personalising. My son lives in Norwich so I don’t get to see him super regularly, therefore it was important to me that I would be able to give him this gift when he came to visit. Sally Clay from Sally Clay Jewellery was actually on holiday and had a backlog of work to complete, but when I again politely explained the situation, she was gracious enough to go the extra mile and have the piece delivered to me in time for my son’s visit.
Both of these experiences left me impressed by the levels of exceptional customer service these two businesses had executed.
It set me thinking, how does a company ensure that they deliver this level of customer service every time, and how can JudgeService help with that?
We have looked at some actions that we would recommend are implemented into every business. These aren’t necessarily “the golden rules” but they are practical things that can help day-to-day.
The customer service equivalent of “Make your bed.”
1) Always get back in touch with the customer the same working day
If you miss a customer’s call, never leave them hanging. Always get back in touch, even if that is just leaving them a friendly voicemail or text to say when you’re available or that if not, you’ll call tomorrow.
Don’t forget, speed stuns!
During the first lockdown when almost the entire team was furloughed and there was only me working in the office, a client dropped an email into our support team inbox. As I was the only person around, I rang them back straight away. The reaction I got was “wow that was quick”.
Acknowledging their attempt to contact you is a must, as the customer at least then knows they are not wasting their time trying to get through to you.
2) Prepare for client calls or tricky situations
Even the most difficult conversations can go so much smoother if you prepare for them in advance. It doesn’t have to be super in-depth, but even taking 5 minutes to gather your thoughts before you enter a conversation with someone, might have a huge impact on the outcome.
The best way to prepare is to tell yourself the story of what you want to happen. Imagine the best possible outcome of your conversation and focus on that. In addition, make sure you know the points you want to get across in advance, so you don’t miss anything out and both parties are clear on what needs to happen next. This is the same for any questions or doubts you might have too.
If you are unsure or nervous, then practice. Practice alone or with someone you trust and play out how that conversation might go down. The more you practice the more prepared you will feel.
Practice makes permanent.
3) Making an impression
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so treat every time you speak to a customer as a moment of truth.
If you’re interested in reading more about moments of truth in the customer journey, I would recommend reading Jan Carlzon’s book “Moment of truth”.
Although we never get a chance to make another first impression, we can remedy situations. This is when honesty really is the best policy. Sometimes you have to say “no” to people, because you really don’t have the capacity to fulfill their needs. However, it is much better to say no honestly, than to overpromise on something you can’t deliver and let them down.
4) Keep good manners
Whether it is a client you have known for a long time, or a new one, it is always best practice to keep good manners.
Use their correct name appropriately, turn up on time for meetings, avoid arguments wherever possible, be respectful and kind.
These points are especially important where a customer is aggrieved. Remember you have two ears and one mouth.
Understandably, it can be difficult to listen to someone complain, however if they have something to say then you should listen and not interject until they have all their concerns off of their chest. Until you know everything they are upset about, you can’t start to deal with the issues at hand.
Make sure you show empathy and get to the root of what they want. Find out their expectations and work out a solution together. When figuring all this out, avoid jargon and over promises, just do what you can do to make it right. This includes apologizing if you have made a mistake and show appreciation for their understanding.
The end result
Keeping these 4 key ideas in mind will help your business make a lasting impression on each and every customer.
Customers are the masters of the universe, so exceed their expectations. Be better, faster, more organised and kinder than they think you will be, and you have a recipe for excellent customer service.
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