Customer service is an integral part of our roles and should not be seen as an extension of it. Below are ten tips to win at providing excellent customer service:
- Live and breathe our company values
Our values (Professionalism, Quality, Safety, Integrity, Working Together, Communication, Trust and Responsibility) are the building blocks for providing first class customer service and should steer the manner in which you operate. It is important you imbed our values in the way you interact and engage with your customers.
- Respond promptly to customers
Whether you receive a request by phone or email, it is always good practice to send the customer an acknowledgement prior to your response and ensure both are within the correct timescales. Even if you respond to the customer saying you’ve received the message/email and are working on it, let them know when they can expect to hear from you, and if there’s a change, keep them informed. It’s a matter of trust - this goes a long way!
- Be a good listener
Take the time to identify customer needs by asking questions and concentrating on what the customer is really saying. Understand their concerns and requests, Listen to their words, the tone of voice, body language, and most importantly, how they feel. Beware of making assumptions, thinking you intuitively know what the customer wants.
- Identify and anticipate needs
Anticipating customer issues and addressing them proactively is key to good customer service. The more you engage with your customers, the better you become at anticipating their needs. Communicate regularly so that you are aware of problems or possible issues that may arise. This will reduce the likelihood of escalations.
- Make customers feel valued
Get to know your customers and show them that they have not been forgotten and you have their best interests in mind.
- Help your customers help themselves
It is always good practice to provide your customers with enough information and proactively discern any future requests or problems. It is better to provide succinct but comprehensive information that pre-empts what the customer may require. Being knowledgeable about the service you provide is also key!
- Practice clear communication
Ensure your communication is clear, confident, concise, correct, coherent, complete and courteous.
- Move from reactive to proactive customer service
Tell your customers what you are doing to find a solution and put contingencies in place to ensure the problem doesn’t occur again. By consistently being proactive, you can address issues before matters escalate.
- Follow-up after a problem is solved
Taking the time to follow up with customers to ensure they are happy and satisfied with the solution offered is the next most important step to take after resolving a complaint. This extra effort can make the difference between losing a customer or winning an advocate.
- Obtain regular feedback
Encourage and welcome suggestions about how we can improve the service we provide. Ask your customers what they think. After this information has been gathered it should be acted on to fix specific issues and improve areas that are identified as having weaknesses. Please do also notify our Customer Service Team by emailing CustomerFeedback@rendallandrittner.co.uk
Adopting these best practices will result in increased customer loyalty, happier customers, increased customer retention and will create advocates. Do try and practice putting all these useful tips into action!
