The Dos and Don'ts of Customer Service: A blog around the best practices of customer service.

The words "go above and beyond for the finest customer service experience," "the customer is always right," and "the customer is king" have all become trite and overused in marketing these days. Across the board, business owners, marketing directors, and managers focus on providing exceptional customer service. Despite this, terrible customer service still persists and appears to be too frequent. Is it possible that we are forgetting key essentials in our quest for excellence?

In 2018, Microsoft conducted a poll amongst 5000 people from around the world to learn more about their customer experiences. According to their findings, 95% of respondents regard customer service to be a critical component in deciding brand loyalty, and 61% are willing to cut connections with a company due to a bad customer service experience.

You've come to the correct spot if you're searching for ways to improve your customer service. In this post, we'll go over some helpful customer service do's and don'ts to help you provide your customers with a better experience.

Do's of good customer service:

1. Demonstrate empathy

Empathizing is the most effective technique to show your clients that their issues are important. It's critical to remember that consumers are more than a source of money. They require you to put yourselves in their shoes and connect to their concerns, rather than just hearing a voice on the other end. While it may not always be feasible to provide a good answer, you may at least show sympathy. Simple comments like "I'm sorry you had to go through this" or "I'd be unhappy if this happened to me" are frequently all that is required to reassure them that they are appreciated.

2. Be truthful

Nothing shatters trust faster than a promise that isn't kept. As a result, always follow through on your promises. Establish explicit rules for returns and refunds. Always make sure that you deliver on time. When you say you will, you will respond and follow up. In your contact and promotion, supply the services you claim to give. As the old saying goes, the best policy is honesty. It is true in the case of excellent customer service.

3. Make an effort to communicate clearly.

Customer service requires effective communication. This suggests that you should be a good listener as well. Listen without interrupting your clients' issues and pay great attention to the facts they provide. Always use plain and straightforward language, and never end a discussion without ensuring that they fully comprehended what you were saying. You don't want to frighten your consumer by employing jargon or technical vocabulary that they don't understand.

4. Always make sure to follow up.

Following up with customers on a regular basis fosters confidence and ensures that everything is running smoothly between you. This also gives them the sense that they aren't just another customer for you. Staying in contact with them may be as easy as sending birthday wishes or writing a personalised thank you message for reaching a one-year milestone. These are a few methods to demonstrate to a customer how much you value their participation in your journey. A follow-up call, on the other hand, should never be used to generate an extra sale; instead, it should be used to check-in and guarantee client satisfaction. Your customer's time is important, therefore don't waste it by contacting them too frequently.

Don’ts of a good Customer Service

1. Don't lose your calm.

Customers come in various shapes and sizes. While some people may be willing to wait for you to answer their questions, others may not. You may come across clients who are rude and make personal remarks at times. Maintain a pleasant and professional demeanour during any conversation, no matter how heated things become. The trick is never to lose your cool, no matter how difficult a customer is to deal with.

2. Avoid being held accountable.

Mistakes happen, and it's crucial to accept responsibility for them. When you're prepared to accept your faults and take responsibility for a client's discomfort, even if you aren't directly involved, you can be confident that you're giving good customer service. Customers value honesty. They may be happy to do business with you instead of writing a nasty review or visiting your rivals if they sense that your company is sincerely sorry and wants to make things right.

3. Make promises you won't be able to keep

It's always preferable to inform clients about the unpleasant truth than promising them something that may or may not be delivered. While it's easy to give the consumer what they want to hear, it's important to let them know when things aren't going as planned. Let's imagine a consumer demands that a product is delivered sooner than expected. The most you can do in this situation is request that the third-party logistics vendor prioritise their order and hope that the customer's expectations are satisfied. Rather than informing the consumer that you've made all of the necessary preparations for them to get their merchandise sooner, let them know that their request has been forwarded to the logistics team.

4. Don't Neglect Customer Feedback. 

Make sure you're paying attention to your clients. They are the ones who want your firm to succeed, so let them express themselves about their interactions with you and be receptive to any recommendations or criticism they may have. Make it clear that you care about what they think of you and what they expect of you. It's a good idea to put your consumers' opinions at the centre of your business plan. It generally pays off handsomely.

Conclusion

To provide the best experience for your clients, you'll need proper dedication from your personnel, competent help desk software, and all of the necessary tools. However, it's never too late to make a change, which is the good news. Regardless of the sort of business you run, improving your customer service is critical to your success.