Good customer service is crucial to attract and retain customers. And to really make the difference you need to provide excellent service. What that entails differs per industry, per product or service and per customer. However, these are 4 things that every customer wants:
1. Good accessibility and being helped quickly
Accessibility is very important. When you make a phone call, you want to talk to someone. Not get into a lengthy selection menu or have your call being transferred endlessly. When you send an e-mail, you want a response. And when you visit a company, you want someone to be there for you. Although this seems obvious, many companies can do much better on accessibility. Guidelines or KPI’s for the accessibility and response time of employees can help to improve this. But even better is creating a work environment in which employees are encouraged to help customers quickly, not because they have to, but because they want to provide the best service.
2. A personal, empathetic approach
Customer service is always about people. Even in Business 2 Business. Questions, problems and requests always come from people, not from companies. Therefore, a personal approach is important. Nobody wants to be treated like a number. People want to be understood and want to be helped personally. Empathy is therefore very important. Listen carefully to the customer, make sure you understand his or her issue and offer the right solution. The objective must be not only to offer a solution that is in accordance with your internal guidelines, but to provide a solution that will bring a smile to the face of your customer.
3. Adequate help in case of complaints and problems
Providing good service when everything runs smoothly is not that difficult. It is precisely when a customer has a major complaint, is dissatisfied or even angry, that it becomes important to provide the right service. Make sure that the customer needs to tell his or her story just once. Be accountable and take initiative as a person, and do not hide behind colleagues, rules or circumstances. And most importantly, provide a proper solution. Research shows that by resolving a complaint or resolving a problem in a great way, the customer can become even more satisfied than if the complaint or problem had not occurred.
4. Honest and transparent communication
Being honest and open is not only important in providing service, but in every contact between people. It is the foundation for trust. When you act sincerely and communicate openly with customers, they will also have more sympathy for you, accept a mistake easier and are more confident about the quality of your services. And trust in each other is needed to build a relationship.
Teun Arts is Service Manager at Dysel and it is his job to ensure that customers make optimal use of the software, now and in the future.
