Hotels often provide good and bad customer service experiences.

I recently stayed four nights in the same interstate hotel. Eventually, I needed to some laundry. I checked the hotel guide. I decided to use the 'do-it-yourself' facilities in the basement. The guide informed me I could obtain washing powder from the reception desk on the ground floor.

I went to reception and paid $1.10 for the powder sachet with some coins. I then proceeded to the basement where I encountered the traditional Maytag washer with the coin insert slots - three one dollar coins were required. I checked my pocket full of coins. Lots of $2 coins, 50 cents, 20 cents etc, but no one dollar coins.

Annoyed, I went back up to reception, obtained the coins, and then returned to the basement.

My point? The hotel had two opportunities to advise me of the $1 coins requirement. Firstly, the hotel guide could have told me. More importantly, the receptionist could have told me when I bought the powder. All she had to say was: "Do you have three $1 coins for the machine? If not, I can change some money for you now."

Exceptional customer service is easy if you think about it. What happened to me must have happened before to other hotel guests. Someone needed to take note and introduce it as a rule:

When a customer buys washing powder or enquires about the washing/drying facilities, advice them about the coins required.

I would have appreciated this minor attention to detail.

Based on every day encounters with guests, hotels could have lots of these 'customer service rules' that they develop over time.

Summary

The most effective organizations learn from their experiences. They expect their customer service staff to think about their day-to-day transactions. They have team meetings where customer service staff can highlight typical customer service situations. Customer service staff is expected to consistently ask themselves: "Can I do more for this customer in this situation?"

This emphasis on a customer service culture has many benefits. Obviously, customer service improves. Morale and motivation are also positively affected. The challenge in customer service is achieving 100% all the time.

Customer Service Skills

The following customer service job skills are indispensable to serve the consumers and ensure that they develop an inclination to revisit the shop or outlet.

Empathy in Customer Service
Ability to empathize with the customers can go a long way in creating a positive impact on the consumers. This skill is especially useful when the consumer feels cheated on account of having purchased a defective product. Sometimes, consumers may feel let down and blame the store if the said product does not deliver all that was promised. In a situation like this, a customer service representative may not always be able to resolve the matter since store policies may not allow a refund. The customer may only be given the option of exchanging the product for a different item. This may anger the consumer who may prefer hard cash. In this situation, a skilled customer service representative should be able to sympathies with the consumer and try his/her level best to resolve the situation.

Tact and Patience in Customer Service
The aforementioned situation can be considered in order to understand the importance of being tactful in uncomfortable situations. A representative, who finds himself/herself at the receiving end, should be tactful and patient. Being defensive is not advisable since this may further anger the consumer. The appropriate approach would be to talk to the store manager and convince him/her of the prudence of retaining a customer even at the expense of bending a few rules. After all, a satisfied customer can help promote the business through word of mouth.

Good Negotiation and Customer Service Skills
A customer service representative should have good negotiation skills. For instance, let's assume that a person works at a car dealership and is negotiating the price of the car with a potential buyer. The buyer should not feel as if he/she is being ripped off. Sometimes, this may be inevitable especially when both parties are trying really hard to push forth their case. A good negotiator will make the customer feel that the latter got the better deal despite driving a hard bargain for the dealership. This brings us to the importance of being able to understand the needs of the consumer.

Customer Service is good at Assessment
A skilled representative is able to understand the needs of the customer by asking just the right kind of questions. Probing questions should be avoided although one needs to ask just the right questions to assess the needs of the buyer. A customer service representative, who knows what the customer desires, will be able to market the product effectively. The customer will also feel comfortable with someone who knows exactly what he/she wants and will be amenable to parting with more money than what was actually planned.