I am sure you are looking at the title of this post and wondering why a career expert is writing about customer service. Well, there are two reasons; the first is that I think customer service is prevalent in all areas of business. Providing strong customer service can be the difference in getting repeat clients and referrals – and not getting them at all. The second reason is that I recently wrote to a company that sponsors outdoor street fairs. I was interested in obtaining information regarding an upcoming fair. There, displayed on their website was an email address indicating that they would be more than happy to answer any questions to help the public. What did I do? I wrote to them; I was interested in simply obtaining the location of the fair so I could take my daughter over the weekend. What did I receive? An email from Darryl (the customer service rep) with a street name. Not very helpful; that street name would not really give me enough information to get to the fair; I wrote again and asked for some specific directions. Not being familiar with the town, I needed a bit more to avoid getting completely lost. What did he send me? A Google map of the entire United States. Thanks Darryl. You officially win an award for complete rudeness and utterly poor customer service.
I am not one who believes the customer is always right; however, I do believe that you should always try to provide good customer service in a friendly and helpful manner. They don’t say that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar for nothing.
Here are some good tips to follow to ensure your customer service skills shine:
Communication: One of the hallmarks of success in providing customer service is to communicate clearly and effectively with your customers. Answer questions in an easy to understand manner, be thoughtful in approach, and don’t rush. You don’t want to make people think that you have something better to do, like washing your hair. Part of being customer focused is being attentive and making the person or people feel special. This will go a long way in establishing trusting relationships, which will lead to continued business.
Set Expectations: Don’t make it up as you go along. If you know that you cannot deliver something, don’t simply agree to it to make the sale. This will come back to bite you. All parties need to be on the same page with clear expectations outlined from the beginning. This will serve to avoid confusion later and a he said, she said situation. When people understand the situation from the outset, they are more likely to remain happy.
Keep Written Notes: This will allow you to remain organized and also serve as a point of reference if questions about initial agreements arise later on. You cannot remember everything that was said; nor should you try. Writing things down will help keep everyone on the same page, no pun intended.
Walk A Mile in My Shoes: Be empathetic to the position of others. You cannot provide good customer service if you fail to see or recognize that there is another side to the coin. Your genuineness will likely foster longer-term relationships that will be highly beneficial for business.
You can really add tremendous value and generate clients for life by simply providing strong customer service. The point is that no matter what you do, customer service is important in all aspects of business.
Want to develop stronger customer service skills? Here are some resources for you: Learningtree.com; theelearningcenter.com; and elareners.com.
Comments and feedback are requested and desired; and you are welcome and encouraged to submit questions to thecareerdoctor.
Debra Wheatman, CPRW, CPCC is the founder and Chief Career Strategist of ResumesDoneWrite, a premier career services provider focused on developing highly personalized career roadmaps for senior leaders and executives across all verticals and industries.
Debra can be reached at –
DWheatman@ResumesDoneWrite.com
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