9 tips and psychological keys to improve customer service
With the possible exception of donations and grants not linked to their own actions, each and every one of the businesses that exist can survive only and exclusively thanks to their clients, be they natural persons, companies, organizations or even governments.
The products or services offered should be attractive enough for the customer to come to us, but the truth is that a sale is not achieved only thanks to the product: the attention received by the user or the perception and image of this envelope also has a great influence when it comes to getting or keeping customers.
Thus, customer service is at all times a fundamental pillar of any company, being in many of them a pending and very improvable subject. That is why in this article we are going to see a series of tips and keys to improve customer service .
- Related article: "Assertive communication: how to express oneself clearly"
Tips to improve customer service
Attending to customers may seem simple, but the truth is that it may end up with a greater complication than might be expected generally.
And is that although some people have the advantage of having a certain mastery of social and interpersonal skills in an innate way, it is not enough to know how to attend correctly. In this sense, it is necessary to take into account a large number of aspects and key elements, which will be summarized below in a total of 9 tips and keys to improve customer service.
1. Listen and empathize
Regardless of the type of business we are in, two of the main keys to maintaining optimal customer service are the skills of active listening and empathy .
In the first place, it is essential to know how to listen to what they tell us, to be able to interpret it and even go further and try to detect what it needs and why. But not only listening is important: we must put ourselves in the place of the other, empathizing with him and trying to get to detect how he feels, something that also helps to understand and establish a good link . We have to treat our clients as we would like them to treat us, being as authentic as possible.
On the other hand, we must also bear in mind that the client is not us and may not have our same tastes or needs, being necessary to be flexible and although we are empathic not to merge mentally with him or her.
- Maybe you're interested: "Active listening: the key to communicating with others"
2. Maintain a good deal with the client
Other elements to take into account is the fact that the customer will be much more grateful for a good treatment and the presence of kindness (as long as it is not excessive and false) and cordiality in the deal. As usual an optimistic and positive tone is recommended , focused on advantages and positive aspects and not only of the product but also of the interaction itself.
Even in cases where the client exceeds and goes into details in aspects that are not relevant to the transaction itself (something usual in many customer service calls), you can not be border, proclaim that your life does not matter to us and stop attending to it without more: in that case we would have to redirect the situation directing the conversation towards the aspects that interest us or leading to the finalization of the contact but always maintaining the cordiality.
3. The customer is always important
They say that the customer is always right. While this is not necessarily true, what the customer should always be important for us: before the sale in order to meet their needs and provide what you need, during the actual performance of the service or sale and after use services or purchased goods, in order to assess their satisfaction (something that can allow us to improve our product), correct and address possible claims and incidents and contribute to a good impression of us and of the institution that we represent.
It is about the client feeling above all valued and not being seen simply as someone who pays us and who stops having interest for us afterwards but as a person who is complete and valuable in itself and whose welfare interests us. In this sense it may be necessary to restructure the vision of the user or client that many professionals have regarding their relationship to users. In addition, in a secondary way it can build loyalty and even cause a good image of our business that can generate even more customers.
4. Clear and concise messages
An endless message or one that does not make clear what it is pursuing or what it may be useful for is a bad message: the information must always be clear and as concise as possible , highlighting the main elements without being redundant and not giving rise to confusion or different interpretations. In addition, a concise message is more easily and interestingly retentive than a long message, being necessary to reduce as much as possible (although without exceeding) the content of the message that we want to try to get through.
5. Not only do words matter
Many customer service centers are very focused on the oral message they transmit to the user or client, but the truth is that when offering a good service and that our message is credible it is essential to take into account that everything we do is communicative .
That is, not only do we have to monitor the message, but we must also take into account that our gestures accompany and enhance, the look, the posture and even the physical distance we put with the subject (which should not be too little resulting invasive nor excessive being distant). It is also very relevant our tone of voice, formality or informality used or the volume that we use, among others. Also, not only us but also what the business or company does as an institution is relevant: how it behaves in general with customers, the reliability of its services ...
6. Security and trust are key
Uncertainty and doubt are a big obstacle when it comes to maintaining a business. We must project an image of strength, security and reliability that must be based on a performance that is up to the job and well planned and executed. We also have to be able to offer and defend our product as something of great quality and usefulness, knowing its advantages and disadvantages.
However, do not confuse security with arrogance and blindness , should be able to be flexible when the situation requires it and be able to accept and learn from possible mistakes.
7. Offer solutions and get ready
Another aspect of great relevance comes from the fact that when a client or user comes to us or our business, it does so expecting a quick and valid response. It is very important to be prepared and have some action plan in order to be able to solve the possible problems that may arise with our product or service, Determining different alternatives .
- Maybe you're interested: "Business communication: common types, characteristics and errors"
8. Persuade but without harassment
Probably many of those who read these lines have been found on more than one occasion attending phone calls from companies that continue to try to contact and convince you again and again of the advantages of their services.
This type of behavior can overwhelm the potential client, generating their anger and their repulsion even to the point of rejecting offers that in normal conditions could turn out to be interesting. When we are facing a client we should try to be persuasive, but not get tired .
9. Customize
Closely related to the previous point we find that it is often they use slogans and texts that are learned by heart and quoted verbatim (especially if the message is long), something easily discernible by the possible user and that usually generates a quick mental disconnection and disinterest on the part of the latter regarding what is being said.
That is why it is very important to personalize the message that is offered to each user. Obviously we can and will need to comment on the characteristics of the product, but first we must make them meaningful for him or her.
