Guest Post: How to Care About Your Customers

7 Keys to Successful Customer Service

This week we feature an article by Rupert Jones, a passionate speaker and an Independent Financial Advisor. He writes about the 7 customer service elements that ensure your shoppers stay happy and included.

Businesses wouldn’t be anything without their customers’ continuous support. Therefore, it’s essential to show your loyal buyers how integral they are to your success. Otherwise, they may feel unappreciated and start to seek out other alternatives. To ensure your shoppers stay happy and included, care for them by prioritizing these 7 customer service elements.

1. Hire and Train Experienced Customer Service Staff

Customer service is an industry meant for people with high emotional intelligence, excellent listening skills, and patience. An agent will have to interact with hundreds of different people per day, and they need to respond accordingly based on a person’s emotional state. While most of their interactions will be pleasant, others will be for trouble-shooting or handling complaints. Your staff must also have extensive knowledge of your company to be successful. 

Customers may lose trust in your organization if they feel your service department is poorly trained. To ensure they’re knowledgeable of your company, create flashcards of common questions and complaints that have their own scripted answers. 

2. Use Customer Service as a Learning Tool

If you notice that your customers are complaining of a similar issue with a service or product, take note of these issues and try to change the way you operate. Sometimes a customer will have issues with how your company handled the complaint, even if the matter was settled. In these cases, more training may be necessary for your staff. The most successful companies aren’t scared of criticism, and in fact, learn from these mistakes without becoming defensive. 

3. Offer Thank You Gifts for Long-Term Customers or Clients

A well-suited gift can have an immediate impact on your clients and customers, but the benefits of sending the present in the first place are long-lasting. The best kinds of thank you gifts for clients are one’s that can be used multiple times, are unique, memorable, and useful. For example, a high-quality Ember 10oz Mug can be made printed or plain and let the user keep their coffee hot for longer. Self-heating mugs are the perfect gift for late-night workers. 

When in doubt, a gift basket always makes for a great present because there are so many options for your business to explore. For example, if your client has joked that they miss going to the spa, purchase a gift basket dedicated to self-care. It will show you’re an active listener. 

4. Prioritize Quality over Quantity

A quality product may take longer to produce and create a smaller profit margin in the short term, but these products will reduce the likelihood of unhappy customers. Your shoppers are more likely to leave a negative review than a positive, and those can stack up fast and ruin your reputation. Good customer service is only enhanced by quality products, so be sure to create something you yourself are proud of and would buy for your friends and family.  

5. Have a Direct Line to Your Customers ViaSocial Media

Nowadays, customers fall in love with brands that are socially attentive and care about their specific wants and needs. Without a social media presence, your customers may feel like they can’t interact with you directly. Developing a social media presence will empower your customers to reach out to you for complaints, compliments, or ideas that could help your business thrive. Plus, social media can be utilized as a long-lasting marking tool. 

Websites like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook can all be used effectively to promote your brand and improve your reach. LinkedIn is primarily used to help businesses interact with future networking opportunities, while Instagram and Facebook are useful for attracting leads. 

6. Be Flexible and Admit Your Mistakes

Staying agile in the midst of a customer complaint or a quality-control issue will allow you to brush yourself off and get back into the game. However, this doesn’t mean you should sweep those issues under the rug. It’s never easy to admit your mistakes, but doing so is vital because it builds trust in your community and customer base. The quicker your company acknowledges a problem, the faster you’ll be at strengthening your customer relationships. 

7. Never Stop Learning and Building Skills

Instead of hiring your employees and expecting them to develop skills from trial and error, engage them with the expectation of training in mind. Most of your staff will come from a customer service background, but they may not know how your company prefers to interact with your brand or shoppers. Create an environment that encourages constant learning and building on characteristics your employees already possess, like communication and adaptability. 

Great customer service is easy in concept but difficult in practice. However, if you value your customer interactions in the long term, profitability will surely follow. Keep the above seven buyer care mantras in mind to succeed in the customer service department. 

Rupert Jones is a speaker and an Independent Financial Advisor. He believes in helping individuals and businesses achieve financial freedom, and is determined to bring his insights to the World.