The Importance of Good Customer Service
By Ejaz Shah — 2nd December 2020
Fresh out of secondary school I successfully applied for a part-time job to support myself whilst I went through college. As I walked into my first training session, the first thing I noticed was the large whiteboard across the room, with a phrase written across it in big red capital letters:
‘THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT’
This was the topic of discussion and although I can’t remember the name of the trainer, I have never forgotten his words.
Even when a customer is wrong, he is right. For he is in his right to tell you he feels wronged.
What is Good Customer Service?
Good customer service is not simply ensuring a customer’s query is answered, it is much more than that. It is ensuring that a customer feels valued. So how do you make your customers feel valued and ensure their loyalty? I share my top three points that I have picked over the years:
- Smile
Believe it or not you can smile through the phone. Try it! A pleasant attitude is key to making a customer feel welcomed, part of the family and valued. It is a core necessity. This might seem like I am stating the bare basics, however, when you have taken your 25th call of the evening and Mr Smith on the other side of the call is not happy with the colour of the seats in the Taxi that came to pick him up earlier in the day (this is a plausible situation, Mr Smith might exist…somewhere…) it is very easy to fall into a robotic monotone and forget the pleasant attitude.
‘I’m sorry Mr Smith that you didn’t like the light grey colour seats and would have preferred dark grey’…
I mean I get it; it is nothing to get excited about, but it is vital not to forget the aim and that is to make our customer feel valued (Mr Smith pays a lot for our taxis).
To ensure we do not fall into this robotic monotone, remember to smile each time you take on a new call. Just this simple act will ensure that you answer in a pleasant and uplifting tone, regardless of how many Mr Smiths you have spoken to already in your shift.
- Educate
Knowledge is key. I am sure I have stated this before somewhere in my blogs. Knowledge about your role, your product, your system is key to ensuring you carry out your job efficiently. When you are knowledgeable, you are in a position to educate your caller on what to expect, what the procedures are, how products work and what is most beneficial for them.
Do not underestimate your customer.
Customers will instantly be able to tell if you are lying to them, brushing them off or simply inept at doing your role. However, on the flip side, if you woo them with your knowledge (steady on, let’s not get too carried away), they will trust you, they will be confident in your abilities and thus be more understanding if things were to get delayed/go wrong. Educate your staff, yourself, gain knowledge and educate your customers, it’s the best way to build great rapport.
- Listen
Honestly my top three tips would be 1) Listen 2) Listen, 3) Listen and then the others would follow. I CANNOT stress the IMPORTANCE of LISTENING TO YOUR CUSTOMER.
Listen to their tone (what does it sound like?)
Listen to their silences (why are they silent? Are they making a point? Are they wanting an answer?)
Listen to their words – it’s obvious, but carefully and fully listen to what your customer is saying before you answer.
In the role of an operator, it is important to ensure we have the correct information, so great listening skills are so vital, but also make sure to follow that up by repeating and checking information to ensure you have understood the caller correctly.
A Disgruntled Customer
This always comes up when I discuss customer service. ‘What if I get an unhappy customer? What if I get an abusive customer?’ Now firstly, I believe strongly that abuse should not be tolerated in any setting. In these instances, refer to your procedures and follow through, you still must carry out your role, however, follow the procedure in your business. However, as challenging as these customers can be and the ones that are disgruntled, they could well be handled by utilising the above points I made.
During one of my training sessions with my last employer, I remember a call came through from one of the operators on the floor saying he had an abusive caller on the phone, who had been warned not to be abusive(which was the business procedure) however, was unwilling to cooperate now. I requested the call be transferred to me, whilst the call handler listened in on the call.
From the offset, I could barely get a word in, the customer was furious and was using abusive language to vent his anger and make his point.
I listened.
Once he had finished, I let him know that I had listened, ‘I can hear your frustration and anger’.
I apologised, ‘I am sorry that you feel this way/this has happened’.
I expressed my willingness to assist him, ‘I would like to rectify this for you’.
I referred to our policy/procedures, ‘however, I must advise you that we do not tolerate any abusive language, so can I please ask that you refrain from using that kind of language’.
I then ‘educated’ him on what I could do, step by step, to assist him and resolve this issue.
Honestly, the customer was taken aback, my tone was extremely pleasant and calm, I reassured him that I heard his frustration and anger and wanted to help him, alongside making it clear to him that any abuse would not be tolerated by me.
Now I am not saying this will work on any and every call, however, it is important to always stay in control of the phone call. Remember you are the professional, stay professional and handle the situation, keep yourself composed and do not let anyone rattle you.
New Era OS and Customer Services
At New Era we treat YOUR customers as OUR customers, we go the extra mile on every single call. Each customer is given the same amount of importance regardless of what the nature of the call is. Our training is tailored around each client and each agent is quality checked on a regular basis.
For our Taxi clients, we follow a very strict script where the agents must follow the 5 input & 7 output method. This is a tried and tested method and it ensures no mistakes are made.
With no setup fee on your first agent, join us today and let us help you take your company to the next level!!
At New Era we treat YOUR customers as OUR customers, we go the extra mile on every single call. Each customer is given the same amount of importance regardless of what the nature of the call is. Our training is tailored around each client and each agent is quality checked on a regular basis.
For our Taxi clients, we follow a very strict script where the agents must follow the 5 input & 7 output method. This is a tried and tested method and it ensures no mistakes are made.
With no setup fee on your first agent, join us today and let us help you take your company to the next level!!
