Here in the United States, nearly every industry that promotes a product or service will be called upon to provide some form of customer service. As many people are aware from experience though, not everyone involved in performing customer service duties, has been trained to do it well. I have spent 18 years as a professional customer service representative, and I have trained others how to improve their skills by using these 3 keys to spectacular customer service. Good customer service keeps customers coming back.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (A division of the US Department of Labor), "Customer service representatives held about 2.3 million jobs in 2008, ranking among the largest occupations." There are many different kinds of industries who utilize customer service agents, though most have a similar basic function- to act as a gateway between the customer and the company. Duties can range from simple product/service information requests, to problems and complaints. Some customer service reps also function as part of a company's sales force, as shown when a representative tries to up sell a customer ordering a product or service. Regardless of the specifics, here are 3 keys to remember:
1.) Never take it personally! Though I do believe to some extent good customer service representatives are born and not made, anyone can improve the skills they have by remaining calm no matter what happens or what the attitude of the customer is towards you. You can't forget that even though it may feel personal, it really isn't about YOU at all. If a customer approaches you in an angry or belligerent fashion, remember, they were already upset before they called, came to your station, or sent you that email. If you refuse to be ruffled, and instead, take a deep breath and remain centered and focused, you are already well on your way to solving the problem, believe it or not. Coupled with what I am going to teach you next, you should be able to diffuse a situation fairly quickly.....
2.) Practice active listening! What is active listening? This is a method of establishing a connection with a customer by showing that you have really listened to what they are saying. It can be as simple as paraphrasing and repeating what the customer said back to them in a soothing and empathic way. Using the customer’s name if it has been given to you also helps. Say Mr. Johnson calls you upset that he was using product A, according to instructions, and it didn't work! Right there, in the middle of x project, he had to stop and call you, and tell you about your crappy product that just wasted his time and money and boy is he mad! Your response could be something like this: "I am so sorry product A did not work for you; I understand you are frustrated and I don't blame you, I would be too. Let me just get some information from you and I promise I will do my best to resolve this for you" In one simple sentence you have validated the customer's opinion, showed you understood and sympathized, and promised to rectify the problem. At this point, most customers will calm down and feel grateful someone on the other end cares and wants to help them. This brings us to the 3rd key...
3) Own the problem! When you tell a customer you will fix their problem- it is yours, and you had better find a way to fix it. Even if it is just escalating it to a supervisor, or someone in another department, make it a point to know the correct protocol for a variety of situations. Always follow up as well, and make sure the problem ultimately was solved. It may save you a second, angrier call! That way you can resolve issues faster and come across as a competent, sympathetic, and capable customer service representative. If customers can have faith in a company's customer service, they have faith in the company. Why? Because they know if they ever have another problem or issue, that it will be dealt with quickly and without drama. Customer confidence and satisfaction is priceless, particularly in today's economy where there is so much competition to keep customers and the income a happy customer generates.
Ultimately, a lot of your success in customer service will come from your own self pride and work ethic. If you care about people in general, it will carry over into your interactions with your customers. If you care about doing your job well, it will show, and you will go that extra mile. You will be surprised at how quickly you can turn a situation around just by showing someone that their problem/issue matters to you.
