“Do You Really Care For Your Customers?” By Lauren Eyles

Credit: Lauren Eyles | www.laureneyles.com.au

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. How can I help you?”

In my first customer service job, I learnt that this phrase could turn a hostile customer into a friendly one. In my teens I manned the refund desk at my local Target store. I didn’t realize at the time how important those customer service skills would be to my future career in business.

At the time, the post-Christmas refunds queue would snake past several shops. It was quite the time commitment and there were no mobile devices to keep people occupied. Now in my 40s, I realize that the secret ingredients were empathy and active listening.

Why Customer Service Skills Matter
At the heart of any thriving business is happy customers. Your products or services may be great, but if your customers don’t receive attentive, responsive and empathetic service, they’ll likely go elsewhere. Strong customer service skills help build loyalty, generate positive word-of-mouth and contribute to a healthy bottom line.
Most customers accept that mistakes happen, but want the company to appreciate the inconvenience that we experience when something goes wrong. When someone shows that they care, we relax because we know that they’re invested in solving the problem. On the flip side, a lack of empathy makes the customer defensive, because they perceive a lack of ownership.

Here are empowering tips for people to provide excellent customer service:

1. Talk to your customers (don’t rely on email)
Twenty years of working with many different stakeholders has taught me the importance of picking up the phone early and often. People want to be heard. If they have a chance to let off steam directly, they’re less likely to vent on social media.

2. Demonstrate active listening skills
Open with a warm tone and thank the customer for bringing the matter to your attention. Express a genuine desire to understand what’s happened. Listen to understand, rather than to respond. Check that you’ve understood correctly by covering the key points that you’ve heard, and ask the customer if you’ve understood correctly.

3. Empower your people to apologize
A genuine “I’m sorry for the inconvenience that you’ve experienced. I want to work with you to find a suitable solution” can save many hours in back and forward emails. If you get to the heart of the issue, you can work with the customer to solve it. It’s often much cheaper to resolve it this way than through lawyers.

4. Follow through on commitments, don’t leave them hanging
Be clear on commitments. Follow up with the actions that you’ve promised within the timeframe that you’ve agreed. Tell your customer the steps that you’ve taken to prevent the issue happening again. Be so responsive that the customer wants to work with your business again.

One way to develop a customer-friendly culture is to work with your team to identify what living your company’s values looks like. For example, if your value is ‘care’, you could ask your team “If we’re really caring for our customers, what are we seeing? What are we hearing? What evidence is there that we’re caring for our customers?”
This coaching method helps you build a shared vision of success and empowers your people to co-design what good looks like. This is the kind of activity that I take teams through as a coach.
These steps can help you stand out from your competitors while earning repeat business. Wishing you many happy customers!

Meet Our Contributor — Lauren EylesLauren Eyles is an experienced leadership coach and mentor who helps businesses live their purpose and grow their bottom line. You can connect with Lauren here.