Normally it’s about what you should do for customer service, however, it’s just as important to know what not to do. If you’re customer savvy, there’s a good chance you are already well-versed in everything on this list. But remember, it’s not only you who needs to remember these things — it is everyone on your staff. Are they trained in what not to do where your customers are concerned? You might be surprised, so make sure to reinforce how to boost customer loyalty and how to treat and respond to customers in various situations.
1. Don’t put them on hold for 15 minutes. We’ve all been there, right? And we’ve all hung up, saying “forget them!” and looked for the next best thing. If you don’t know the answer, tell them you’ll call them back and take down their number.
2. Don’t forget to call them back. So, you took down their number. You must call them back. Seriously. Like, soon. Don’t wait until the next day. And if you still don’t have an answer for them, at least give a courtesy call to say so and that you’ll be in touch the next day with an update.
3. Don’t badger them with sales-y phone calls. Yeah, we just said to call them and call them again, but this is different. Did they sign up to get sales pitches from you? There is literally nothing worse than getting a sales call and mistakenly answering the phone and having to have the whole “I’m not interested” conversation. Click.
4. Don’t forget about the sales you have going on. The scenario: a customer calls because they saw your sale on the direct mail flyer you sent them, but someone answers the phone and doesn’t have a clue what they are talking about. Not good.
5. Don’t get sassy with them. You know what? The customer is NOT always right. However, you should always take the “bigger person” role when they are unreasonable. You won’t be able to please everyone, but you might be able to win someone back who just got upset about something. Remember that angry customers are more likely to rant on social media. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.
6. Don’t be late. If you are selling a service that requires scheduling, be on time. Don’t waste their time. It’s as simple as that.
7. Don’t neglect to log your interactions. If at all possible, keep track of your conversations with customers. It’s kind of like when you go to the doctor’s office and they ask you a personal question and then remember that you got married a year later when you go in for your checkup … that feels nice, doesn’t it? Remember a personal snippet. Remember the product of yours that they love the most. Remember what they were looking to do with your service a few months down the road.
8. Don’t ignore employee morale. Happy employees provide good customer service. Why? Because they are motivated to! Make sure to talk to your employees, find out what’s going on, ask them about their biggest customer service frustrations and how they handled a customer complaint. Listen. And provide constructive advice.
9. Don’t overlook what customers want. Are customers giving you feedback on a product or service they would find valuable that you don’t currently offer? Is your pricing too high for most and not competitive enough? What’s your best seller and how can you promote that even more? Paying attention to what customers want can really help boost business and determine strategic marketing efforts.
10. Don’t frown. That’s right, a smile goes a long way. Smile at your customers. They likely will smile back. Now that’s a good beginning.
What have you done for your customers lately? Here’s a tip — consider loyalty cards to keep them coming back! What other tips do you have to reinforce customer service and keep them coming back for more? Leave us your thoughts below, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.