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Whether it's a dismissive look, rude behavior, or a bored demeanor, poor customer service can spell disaster for your company. The secret to keeping your customers happy and keeping them coming back is simple - stellar customer service.
Chances are you run a strong company and already cater to your customers efficiently while building good customer relationships. This doesn't mean there's no room for improvement. Smart companies always ask what good customer service really is, and if you're not constantly looking for opportunities and ways to improve your customer service, relationships with your customers will stagnate.
Here are five keys to stellar customer service.
1. Understand the Needs of Your Customer
The more knowledge you have about your customers, the more likely you'll get to know their expectations and needs. A little research on the demographics of your customers as well as research on individual primary customers will go a long way. By learning key aspects of your customers, you can align your services or products to better suit their needs. And, this will enable you to better meet your customers' aspirations.
2. Use Online Survey Software to Gather Feedback
A great way to get to know your customers' needs is through a customer survey. Simply by asking your customers what they want can give you a lot of insight on how to fit your products or services in with their needs specifically. Do you really know if your representatives have proper customer service skills? Ask your customers.
Use your survey software to send out a customer feedback survey. You can do this when you send them their invoices or at the point of sale. Gathering feedback from your customers will help you identify weak points within your company (a disgruntled employee, for example) so you can take the necessary actions to improve your team's customer service skills.
3. Improve your Customer Service Strategy
While your team may have the know-how and skills to interact with customers, there are always more strategies you can employ to please your customers. Proactive customer service involves:
- Being available
- Getting personal
- Creating communities
- Catering to your customers By treating your customers as valuable members of a community, they'll feel even more important.
4. Make Stellar Customer Service Valuable Company Wide
Great customer service doesn't stop with your employees. You also need to incorporate "good customer service" into your phone or email correspondence and marketing messages. It's much bigger than making the sale. It's about pleasing the customer.
5. Establish Visible Success Measures
Each company is different. However, they all need the same thing; to keep their customers satisfied and coming back. Identify core customer service success measures. For example, if your goal is to increase the amount your customer's purchase and turn them into regular customers, then measure this as a goal of your entire sales and customer support team. A good way to achieve this is through your survey tool. Use results you get from your surveys to drive understanding of the areas you must and can improve.
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