In a Marketing Metrics survey, senior marketing managers from about 200 different companies responded overwhelmingly (77 percent) that customer satisfaction was an important measurement in the success of their business because it indicated loyalty and reputation. Below are some tips you can use to boost your customer service and gain loyal customers.
Study Your Processes
First, you should spend some time studying what you’re currently doing. It might be best to enlist or hire a neutral party to conduct this observation. You want to spend some time watching and taking notes on customer service.
For example, if you work in a retail establishment, observe how customers are greeted, how management handles any complaints, how the phones are answered and how the employee parts with the customer after a transaction is completed.
Identify any Problem Areas
Did you notice any problem areas during your observation phase? Are customers not greeted when they walk in the door? Did the manager fail to address the customers’ concerns? Is there a better way to follow up after a sale?
Find Solutions
Once you’ve identified problem areas, come up with a list of solutions. For example, if you own a small restaurant, you may want to place a hostess at the front by the door to greet people as they come in and offer them a seat, menus and even water until the server can get to them.
You’ll also want to put standard processes in place for customer service.
- The phone should be answered the same way each time. Greeting, who the caller has reached, and a question about how the customer can be helped. Example: Hello, you’ve reached Day Spa of Canada. This is Cindy. How can I help you today?
- There should be a standard greeting that is similar in providing identification. Example: Welcome to Lots of Food Restaurant. I’m Mary. Will you be dining in today?
- There should also be a standard closing. Example: Thanks for coming into Day Spa of Canada. It was our pleasure to serve you. Come again soon.
While having processes in place is great, it is okay to go off script, too. Let’s say you have a regular customer that comes in every other day for service or products. You might greet him or her by name and with something personal. Example: Hi, Jack. So good to see you again. How did that moisturizing lotion work out for you?
Train Your Employees
When employees first come into a business, they are typically trained in basic customer service and processes. However, as time goes on, it is easy to slip into bad habits. If you’ve done your observation step, you should know what these bad habits are and you should have identified a solution. Now, you need to meet with your employees to retrain/remind them of good customer service basics.
When conducting training or retraining, it is important to stress to your employees that without the customers you would not have a business. Stress that the customer is right, should always be treated with respect and when in doubt the employee should seek advice from a manager or the owner.
With a little training effort from time to time, your business will quickly be identified by customers as one that cares about their wants and needs. There is no competing with a business where the consumer feels wanted and loved. Watch your profits soar.
Disclaimer: A merchant cash advance is the purchase of future credit card or debit card sales and is not a loan product.
