Not too long ago we discussed phone etiquette when it came to your sales calls. Well what about once you made the sale and it is time to keep your customer happy. Customer service is a major priority in separating your business from your competitors. Now this isn’t hard, providing good customer service is easy. It comes from wanting to genuinely help your customers.
But just because it’s easy doesn’t mean you can’t use a little help. Use our tips on great customer service phone etiquette and provide top notch customer service over the phone.
THE GREETING
How you greet your customer once they call or answer can set the tone for the entire conversation. This makes it very important for you to greet the customer in a very kind, friendly and professional manner. You want to ensure the customer that you are here to help.
BE AN ACTIVE LISTENER
Being able to communicate effectively and address your customers problems correlates with being an active listener. If you’re not actively listening you’re not going to be able to fully help the customer. A good way to practice to show your customer you are listening is to respond to their question with their question entangled in your response.
EMPHASIZE WITH THE CUSTOMER
If someone is calling you in regards to customer service most likely something is wrong. A number of reasons can invoke how they act once you begin your conversation so always remember to stay calm. But more importantly try and think of why they are upset and emphasize with them. Try and put yourself in their place.
KEEP A GOOD TONE
The bad thing with being on the phone is that you cannot see the person. You cannot see their body language or their facial expressions. This is where your tone comes into place. Your tone can give the other person an image of the person they are talking to. Try and keep your tone positive and enthusiastic when talking with the customer.
AVOID BOTH OF THESE
Two things you should try and avoid as much as possible when on the phone with a customer. First is to never interrupt them while they are speaking to you and second is to never engage in an argument with them. Interrupting a person while they are speaking can come off rude, and if that person is already upset can worsen the situation. As for arguing, this never ends well and will only increase the chances of you losing the customer.
DON’T SPEAK IN JARGON
Nothing is worst then someone spitting off a bunch of lingo and acronyms you have no idea mean. Talk to the customer in a way they can understand and keep up with the conversation. Not only will you have to explain what you’re talking every minute but you might make them even more upset.
GIVE THAT EXTRA
Lastly, try and go a bit further in helping your customer. Whether it is offering them something extra for free or upgrading them. Doing that little extra can put a good lasting impression in the mind of your customer and help retain them for future business. If you want to see a good example of this Google Delta Airlines Customer Service.
Like we said at the beginning, it’s not hard to provide great customer service. In the end the more kind, positive and professional you act in regards to a customer’s needs the more they will be pleased with you. Keep these in mind and give your customers the service to make them a long-term customer.