Customer service etiquette principles should be integrated into every facet of your organization because providing superior customer service is the most effective way to differentiate your business from the competition.

Many employees will walk onto a job with little or no knowledge of how to interact or communicate with customers and without any appreciation of the importance of delivering exceptional customer service.

Employers have a responsibility to set and effectively communicate the ground rules for how an employee should operate within their company. Often an employee is issued a manual or orientation without any formal training on the company's unique culture or way of conducting business. With this lack of understanding, you have customer service employees in effect defining the company's policies based on their social norms, which leads to the loss of productivity, morale, and profitability.

Empower your customer service employees by teaching them the six principles of customer service etiquette. Properly train and educate your customer service employees on how to interact and communicate with customers to deliver superior customer service, cultivate long-term relationships with clients, build customer loyalty, and differentiate your business from the competition.

6 Principles of Customer Service Etiquette:

Smile and demonstrate good manners. Teach customer service employees to smile, leading by example. Establish a culture of high quality customer service and commit to deliver superior service whether over the phone or face-to-face.

Make customers feel comfortable, valued, and appreciated.

Treat customers with respect, empathy, and efficiency.

Listen actively to be responsive and exceed customer expectations.

Effectively resolve the customer's problem.

Say "Thank you" and "Please" graciously.

Build prosperous relationships by treating customers as you want to be treated.