Regardless of how you deal with your customers whether it’s face-to-face or via phone there’s always something to improve on with your customer service skills. No cutting edge product can top a good customer service.
In marketing 101 we learned that a happy and satisfied customer is likely to return and tell their experience to everyone they know. Word of mouth. This is the most valuable key to the success of any business.
Here are 6 easy tips but will greatly improve your phone skills
Make the customer feel valued
Greet your customers with their first name (and make sure you get it right).
Start your conversation with a positively and warm, sincere welcome; but don’t overdo it! The use of “Good Morning”, “Welcome”, are all simple introductions and you can follow up with “How can I assist you”, “Are you looking for something in particular today” or some other appropriate comment to indicate that you are there to help and that you are happy to help.
Just relax and be as natural as possible throughout the conversation – if necessary steer the conversation around the product or service you support. You don’t want to come across as being pushy or too complacent so try to be natural and avoid sounding as if you are reciting a script.
Don’t just hear but LISTEN
You can never effectively help your customers if you don’t listen to their needs.
By not listening you can become very frustrating to the customer and may lose a sale or repeat visit. Listen to the customer’s needs, empathize and address their concern appropriately.
Keep your Word
Always under promise and over deliver.
It may seem that you want to do the extra mile for your customers but if you are unsure if it’s something you can do, try not to mention it. Stick to facts, make sure you check with your rules and policies before giving anything to your customers. If situations change then let the customer know as soon as possible.
Be your business Expert
Make sure that you know more about your business than the customer does, be able to answer questions about your business even if they are not related to your normal field of work.
If you don’t know the answer to a question then say so, NEVER lie or make up an answer; if possible find somebody who does know the answer. Don’t be afraid to ask the client questions that will give you a better understanding of their needs.
Smile
This is the simplest trick in the book but the most powerful for a good customer service.
If you smile at someone, that person will smile back at you. That’s a universal rule.– The same goes when you are speaking to someone over the phone.
Do not pretend to smile, or produce a false smile since these are easy to spot and send the wrong messages. This will help the customer to feel at ease and welcomed, and you’ll come across as friendly and approachable, setting the scene for a more positive interaction.
Be memorable for the right reasons
Positive and negative experiences more intensely than average day-to-day ones. Try to make every customer’s experience a positive one that they’ll remember and talk to others about.
Be helpful, be courteous and polite – give a little extra if possible, even if it is just some advice or extra information about the product or service they are buying or interested in buying
