Customer service is about making a positive difference in the lives of customers.
In the business of customer service, the customer is central to everything that we do. Customer service is about making a positive difference in the lives of customers.
Real world story: If you’re like me, then you’ve probably had your fill of bad customer service experiences, everything from uninterested service reps to outright rude service agents who make you feel like you are a bother to them. Well, what if I told you that I have three simple strategies that can help you avoid making your customers feel unwanted and obtrusive?
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- My Problems Are Not My Customers’: Personal problems are unavoidable. We’ll always have them in our lives. But how we handle our personal problems makes a world of difference when delivering customer service. The key is to start your day with the mantra “My problems are not my customers’. My problems are my own.” This helps you to frame your mental state into one that puts the customer first, not you or your needs.
- All Customers Are Different: It’s easy to fall into a trap of becoming robotic with routine customer service tasks. The problem is that we then begin to treat all customers like they are the same. And this is not a winning or a streamlined strategy. We have to remember that even when dealing with the same problem, no two customers will ever be alike. All customers are different. So, we have to keep in mind that while the solution to a common problem may be routine, how we deliver service must be tailored to each and every customer. In solving the same problem, for example, one customer may require a long and exhaustive explanation to feel better while another customer may be totally satisfied by feeling that someone actually listened to him and fixed his problem.
- I Want To Make A Difference: If you want to deliver exceptional service, then you need to want to make a difference in the lives of customers. You need to consciously want to make a difference. If you go to work every day, worrying about your problems and treating customers like they bother you, then you will always deliver BAD service. You have to be consciously aware of wanting to serve others. You can’t just go with the flow or be influenced by the bad attitude of your fellow team members. You have to make that positive choice, and you have to make it every day.
Remember: Customer service is about making a positive difference in the lives of customers. And happy, satisfied customers will continue to make the choice to be our customers instead of running off to our competitors. And customers who rave about us will tell others about our services and/or products. And that will always make a positive impact in our bottom line.
What do YOU do to ensure that you maintain an attitude of service that helps you deliver consistently great service all the time?