Lesson six – 10 Ways to Provide Extraordinary Customer Service – December 2009
My friend Kiersten is the best customer service rep I have ever met.
| People like Kiersten, who really care about helping the customer, or a service user, or just a co-worker, are a pleasure to deal with. I go out of my way to thank them for their help and, if at all possible, I praise them to their boss.
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She offers these suggestions on how to offer superior service in any organization:
Business, church, non profit or government.
- Listen. – Listening is actually a learned skill, not something you either do, or don’t do it. It can be exercised, practiced, and perfected. Listening entirely to what your customer or prospect is saying, as opposed to interrupting, assuming or filling in blanks for them is the most effective way of helping them. It’s a great start.
- Don’t say no. – Instead of dismissing a potential customer’s request, try to think of alternative solutions for them. Often it is as simple as referring them to another organization that can assist them. Instead of quickly coming up with something right off the top of your head, ask for their number, put some thought into what they need and call them back. The worst case scenario is that you don’t have an answer for their needs, but they will know you tried, which ultimately is the most anyone can ask of someone.
- Be creative. – Often it isn’t the most intelligent person who is successful, but the most creative. When faced with a challenge, think of all possible solutions, not just the most convenient, easiest one, before handling it.
- Try not to say the word "problem". – (harder than you think!) Grab a thesaurus, be creative. Just a few alternatives: challenge, quandary, predicament, obstacle, drawback, snag, dilemma, tricky. There are a lot of other words that don’t elicit as much of a negative or combative response form the customer.
- Maintain a spirit of helpfulness. – In order to be a truly successful customer service representative, it’s crucial to care or be caring. Helping people is the job; it requires some empathy, some tolerance, and some action.
- Take care of yourself. – Getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising... you know all the things doctors tell you to do, you should actually try. When you are feeling well physically and emotionally, you better serve your customers and the community at large. You only serve as good as you feel.
- "When your customer is the most anxious, you need to be at your best – most competent, confident, calmest and in control of yourself." Chip R. Bell
- Offer solutions, not arguments. – When faced with a charged negative situation, instead of focusing on why something happened, or what went wrong, or what the cost will be, focus on what you can do right away to correct the situation. Normally, that will deflate the customer’s emotions and let them know they will be taken care of.
- Organize and Prioritize. – It’s so important to stay as organized as possible so that priorities can be taken care of first. This is an ongoing pursuit for most people... myself included.
- Treat everyone as though they are a "big" customer. – Everyone deserves to be treated courteously and professionally, not just the customers who bring you the most profit. In addition, it is normally the "little guys" that end up becoming the big customers. They will remember how they’ve been treated. If a customer calls for a $1 part, or a $1 million order, stay focused on listening to them and serving them.
Compliments of Kiersten
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