Every business wants to prioritize customer service – or at least they should. There’s no quicker way to make a name for yourself (good or bad) than through your treatment of your customers. While excellent customer service is a goal to aspire to, many companies lose sight of it in the midst of the other daily duties required to run a business. If you’re in need of some motivation to get your team back on track and re-establish a focus on customer service for 2019, here are some inspiring words of wisdom to live and work by:
“Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.” – Donald Porter
Flawless service is hard to come by, but an employee who readily admits they are wrong is even rarer. When you or your colleagues make a mistake, it’s important not to dwell on the error. The reality is that we’re only human, and customers will understand that mistakes happen. In fact, mistakes are truly an opportunity to exceed expectations. Fix things when they go wrong and go above and beyond to do so. When handled the right way, a mistake can earn you a lifelong customer.
“Loyal customers, they don’t just come back, they don’t simply recommend you, they insist that their friends do business with you.” – Chip Bell
Those lifelong customers aren’t just loyal to your business, either. When they receive excellent service, they’re also eager to share their experience with friends. Consider the last product or customer experience you were truly excited about. Whether it was the perfect chocolate chip cookie, an elegantly designed planner or a new pair of shoes, your recommendation to friends is often based on customer service. When a product excites you, you’ll recommend only if the customer service was excellent.
“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.” – Mahatma Gandhi
While we might not traditionally think of Gandhi when looking for business motivation, there’s no denying his wisdom. This quote illustrates not only Gandhi’s understanding of the human psyche but also of the principles of good customer service. During busy times, it’s easy to view customers as another annoyance with which to contend. It’s important to always remember that our clients and customers are the lifeblood of our organizations, so treating them with the respect and attention they deserve is crucial for success.
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates
Sooner or later, you’ll come across a customer you just can’t seem to please. While it’s easy to write them off altogether, taking time to really listen to their complaints can offer priceless insight into pain points you might not know about. De-escalate the conversation so you can really learn why the customer is upset. Then work to problem solve their specific problem and take what you’ve learned back to the drawing board. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn from a disgruntled customer.
“The customer’s perception is your reality.” – Kate Zabriskie
Picture this: your restaurant is understaffed. You’ve had two servers quit in the last week and though you’ve hired replacements, they don’t start until next week. In the meantime, you’ve recruited your cousin who waited tables in college and your teenage neighbor who’s hoping to earn a few bucks. Understandably, there are kinks in the plan – training is impossible on such short notice. Customers see your employees as inexperienced and bad at their job.
Whether or not that is true, perception is indeed reality. Customers don’t care about your staffing problems, they just want good service. When they fail to get it, you’ll instantly develop a reputation. By always considering the way your customer service comes across to the average person on the street, you’ll stay in control of your image.
“Customer service is not a department, it’s everyone’s job.” – Anonymous
Does your organization have a customer service department? Great. It’s a good start toward building a customer service-centered company. Now apply the same training techniques and customer service strategies to every position in the organization. Any department customers reach should offer excellent service, and that requires a lot of training and hard work. Prioritize it across your company and you’ll see results quickly.
Customer service strategies vary, but with these words of wisdom, you can begin shaping the way your employees interact with each prospective and current customer who walks through the metaphorical door. Fail to prioritize customer service and you’ll likely begin fighting an uphill battle.
Looking for a helping hand to take your customer service offering to the next level? Many great companies are turning to MAP outsourced customer service solutions. Our team of live agents are customer service specialists and thrive when it comes to providing helpful, professional customer support.
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