Customer service does not always translate in courteous behavior and this can lead to disaster, especially for smaller businesses.
Sometimes the limit is subtle and it must be clear what is rude and what is simply sticking to the conditions agreed on with customers.
Rude behavior can even be read in unprofessional service, which can irritate customers and send them running to someone else for products.
Another rude behavior can be unintentional, as in absent-minded employees, who do not intend to be careless but can be a nuisance to customers who are anxious to have their problem solved.
Both ways will lead to unhappy customers and bad business. If you have a problem with customer service it is high time to deal with any employee or issue that is at the core of the badly implemented service.
You are risking a bad image, which will be hard to shake off, however much you try to amend for past mistakes.
Behavior to avoid:
– If you are or your employee is in a bad mood, due to personal problems, you must learn to keep these to yourself. It is not the customers fault you are having a bad day, so avoid showing it.
– Never, never hang up the phone on a customer who is angry with your company for some reason, even if he or she is going beyond the limit.
– Do not leave your customers waiting too long for you to call back or answer their voice-mail or e-mail messages.
– Avoid putting customers on hold without letting them know. Ask them whether they would mind waiting a few seconds. They might not be too happy to, but if you ask them kindly they will.
– Use those magic words such as please, thank you. It might seem obvious but at times this kind of work may be tedious and employees may forget or even keep the chewing gum they were chewing before they got to work in their mouth.
– When answering questions do not answer with one plain word, offer more for your client. Do not drag on the conversation as there may be other customers online, but add a little more to your answers than a mere yes or no.
– Never tell a customer to call back, ask for his or her number and you call back with the information he or she needs.
-As you probably have many calls and customers to deal with do not run too much overtime with your customers.
Once you have all the information you need you should politely let them know that you must move on to other customers.
Neither rush through nor cut off the conversation, try and be as discreet and polite as possible.
Although your customers may be either rude or have no knowledge of certain matters, try not to humiliate them or answer back.
Be as calm and as diplomatic as possible, at times it just not your customer’s day and you do not want to lose your customers on small issues.
