According to American Express, more than 50% of Americans have canceled a transaction as a result of inferior customer service, while over a third have considered parting ways with a company altogether after just one negative interaction.
What does that mean, exactly? Well, if you haven’t taken steps to improve customer service at your place of business – you might want to start now. Your customers aren’t going to leave home without it.
Here are just five concepts that can help you win them over.
- Listen. It’s so important for customers know that their concerns have been acknowledged. Active listening involves completely focusing on the customer, without interruption, while gathering all of the details that will ultimately be required to act. Summarize the conversation to provide clarity before doing your best to offer a solution.
- Empathize: We may not always be able to walk a mile in someone’s shoes, but we can at least attempt to view a problem or situation through their eyes. When you demonstrate a willingness to understand a customer’s point of view, he or she will be far more likely to engage with your business in the future.
- Rephrase: “It’s not what you say – it’s how you say it.” This may be a slight oversimplification in some ways, but the notion is solid. Positive language helps to diffuse tense situations and make allies. There is incredible power in words. Try to think of how your message could be perceived in advance. Try to avoid negative verbiage, like telling a customer “don’t do this or that.” Accentuate the positive, as the song says; emphasize the present, not the past; and remain patient and sincere, at all times.
- Connect: Knowledge of the product or service you’re providing is critical, and solid communication skills are a must. But if you can find a way to swiftly establish a common bond with a customer, you’ve won half the battle. It’s human nature to want to feel connected on a personal level. Strive to create that simpatico feeling.
- Learn: Every awkward interaction and subpar customer service call is an opportunity to reassess and readjust your approach. Learning from our mistakes is perhaps one of the most essential components of stellar customer service.
Are you attempting to improve customer service in your office? When you hire Edwards Answering Service, you gain access to our award-winning customer service agents who are explicitly trained in customer support.
Call us today at 800-606-3273 to find out how we can help you exceed expectations and grow your business.
