I’ve been lucky enough to work in the customer service industry for my entire working career. I say ‘lucky’ because I really do consider it just that. Whether I’m dealing directly with clients or being an important part of the day to day runnings that ultimately contribute to the level of service a customer receives and the value that they see in the working relationship, it all counts and I love being a part of it.
In saying that, throughout the roles I’ve had, I’ve also witnessed multiple occasions where the level of service hasn’t been up to scratch. Businesses where service wasn’t treated as a priority, or businesses that did have the best interests of their customers at heart, but may have just unintentionally fallen short on a few integral aspects of their approach which ultimately cost them the ongoing relationship with that customer.
There’s an old saying ‘the customer is always right’… Now, you may not believe that that statement is always true. However, if you choose to look at it from a different perspective, you may begin to see it in a different light. I certainly have, and it has opened my eyes and allowed me to not only develop my skills exponentially, but also taught me to understand the needs and wants that most customers have and how to consistently build long-lasting valuable relationships with my clients
This Top Tip is going to challenge you to look at customer service from a ‘cause and effect’ point of view. And I hope that by doing so you will also begin to understand how this statement’s accuracy flows on from what your business is doing each day.
You see, for every effect in life, there is a cause. Every direct or indirect choice you make each day will have a consequence. Many people don’t understand this concept and continue on in life ‘surviving’ on the belief that most of the challenging or negative situations that arise are because of someone or something else. In this, comes a huge lack of responsibility for themselves and the matter at hand.
Don’t get me wrong, I get that not absolutely everything that happens is in your control, there will always be things in life you can’t influence or change (e.g. the weather). However, you can certainly control how you react and deal with whatever life throws at you. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s only when you change your mindset and accept the fact that you are the cause of your life and most things that happen to you that you can begin to take the reins and start to get out of life what it is that you desire.
Now, back to my point about the customer always being right. Everything you do in your business will affect the customer in some way and create their perception of you. It’s up to you to decide whether that perception is a positive or a negative one, but either way their perception of you will be their reality (and therefore what they believe to be right), based on how your actions specifically affected them.
So rather than just tell you to ‘think before you act’, here are my Top 5 Tips to remaining in control and ‘at cause’ of your customer relationships, and what I consider will give you the best chance of building long-lasting relationships and delivering an exceptional level of value to your customers.
1. Expectations: Set, manage and deliver
There is nothing more frustrating then when someone says they are going to do something, and doesn’t do it. Remain in control of the expectations of your customers by setting reasonable and achievable timeframes. Be upfront and communicate with the customer if there are any unexpected changes throughout the process, and make sure you prioritise your workload to ensure you deliver what you promised, when you promised it.
2. Engage: Ask questions, listen (actually listen!) and act accordingly
There’s a saying that I’ve always loved and find to be true that says “the biggest problem with communication is we do not listen to understand, we listen to reply”. We can never expect to have the customers’ best interests at heart when we do not truly understand what they require or need. Know what questions to ask, listen to their responses and base your approach to solutions around their actual needs.
3. Feedback: Don’t be scared to ask for it
There is so much opportunity for improvement in a customer service department, if only businesses weren’t afraid to ask for the help of their network. I’ve never quite understood this type of ‘non-confrontational’ attitude before. If you don’t know what you need to improve on, how can you ever improve? Your customers and their opinions are your biggest assets! Ask the right questions, in the right way and let their experience help pave the way for your continued growth.
4. Be unique, be real: People relate to real people
I’m going to fill you in on a little secret…IT’S OKAY TO BE YOURSELF! Yes, be professional as well, but not to the detriment of you being authentic. Customers can sense when you’re not being real. Just like if you meet someone in your everyday life, if you don’t believe that they’re actually the person that they’re portraying themselves to be, then it is hard to trust them, right? Personalise your interactions with your customers.
5. Be true to yourself
Just like individuals have values and morals, so should businesses. Every group of people, including companies, need a set of core beliefs that are so ingrained that no one ever has to question them. Not only is it essential that every one of your team members are aware of these, but they should also share the same values in a personal sense. This is also a very important thing to consider when hiring new employees, which a lot of businesses fail to consider and then wonder why people aren’t fitting in ‘culturally’. Everything you do in your business, internally or externally, should be in line with your values and if faced with a situation that goes against them, walk away. Quality of customer is ultimately far more important than quantity. If you remain true to yourself and your business, the customers that resonate and relate with you will stick around.
Every result in your business and the level of customer satisfaction is all an effect of the thought and actions that you apply towards it on a daily basis.
The next time you are challenged by a situation, take a few steps back and look at what you could have done differently. It is only when you start to take responsibility for your choices, good or bad, that you can move onward and upward.