This Is Why It's Called 'Customer Service'

Let’s face it.  Sometimes one of your products may malfunction.  Now and then one of your deliveries might be delayed.  Or maybe the repair job that your technicians just completed for a customer didn’t fix what it was supposed to.  As hard as you try in your business to prevent nuisances like these from occurring, they will happen.  And this is why you have a customer service department.

When the unexpected happens, your customers are bound to become unsatisfied and turn to your customer service representatives.  Most of the time they’ll be reasonable, your service reps will be successful and the customer will walk away happy.  This is what customer service is supposed to do: make unsatisfied customers happy again.  When this happens, word gets around.  People say good things about your service and your company’s reputation flourishes. 

Some customer service departments, however, still don’t get it.  They make unsatisfied customers angry.  When this happens, word also gets around.  Can you count the number of times you’ve heard friends or business associates say, “I’ll never do business there again”?

One of the most common pitfalls that otherwise well-meaning customer service reps step into is using wrong procedures or saying the wrong things and making customers angry.  Here are just a few ways to ensure that your customer service reps don’t make the same mistakes.

First, always be positive.  Stating negative messages in a positive way creates an upbeat atmosphere that makes your customers feel better.  Eliminate as many No’s as possible from speech and from signs. 

Second, deliver on promises.  Whatever your reps tell your customers they will do must be done.  To your customers, the word of your reps is as good as the word of your entire company.  Ensure, therefore, that you have the backup support necessary to deliver on what your reps promise.

Third, answer enquiries.  Customers are happiest when they know they are immediately attended to by a helpful human being.  Unanswered e-mail and voice messages are the first flash point for their impatience.

Fourth, empower your reps.  Unnecessary delays can occur if your customer service reps have to defer to their managers or to you all of the time.  Ensure that they know the parameters in which they can operate and allow them to make decisions for your customers’ benefit.

Finally, hire a good trainer.  Training is an investment.  The better trained your reps are, the better they’ll perform.  And the better they perform, the more the good word continues to go around.