1. Information and data are everything.
Of course, customer service is heavily dependent on the method of dealing and a great deal on human factors, but none of this matters without a database and reliable information.When the customer communicates with the brand, of course he needs information or needs a way to solve a problem, and here you have to be ready with this information in an organized, clear, and useful way.
In this regard, you can prepare the most popular questions that customers often ask and develop professional forms to answer them, and thus you will save yourself a lot of time and effort every time you get a frequently asked question. When relying on customer service employees, it is critical that these employees thoroughly understand the product or service provided, try it out in a practical setting if possible, and stay up to date on the company’s latest updates and developments.
2. Remember that customers are not a single copy.
When we talk about customer service, we are here talking about how to deal with people and serve them as fully as possible, and although customer service can anticipate its own scenario and plan for it, it needs a great deal of flexibility. Understanding the types of customers and how to deal with them is one of the most important fundamentals of customer service. It is important to classify customers and develop flexible plans for dealing with them in order to obtain the best possible result every time. Understanding the types of clients here includes a psychological understanding of clients, the best way to deal with them according to their personality types and thinking styles, and the priorities on which they base their decisions.
It also includes understanding the customer’s situation, as the new customer has questions and problems that are different from the old customer’s, and he needs more support and assistance.
A potential customer who comes to ask general questions before making a purchase is different from an existing customer who has already made a purchase but is having a problem with the product or service. It is worth noting that customer service departments exist in large corporations and institutions, each of which specializes in serving specific types of customers.
3. Practice patience and flexibility.
Don’t let work policies and your personal temperament control your dealings with customers and stand in your way of building a solid relationship and gaining their loyalty.
If there is something you can offer the customer, do so without hesitation and show the highest degree of flexibility and patience in dealing with customers and their desires.
Also, take care of the customer as you would like to be treated and show how much you care about him, even if your products are wonderful.
4. Mastering effective communication skills
The method of effective communication differs according to the means by which you communicate, whether it is face-to-face, email, phone, or otherwise. But by all means, we share the importance of effective communication in order to lead in the end, manage the dialogue smoothly and clearly with customers, and communicate or understand the required message or achieve the desired goals in general.
5. Listening and interacting in speech
The skill of listening to customers involves trying to understand things from their point of view. Try to focus your attention on the customers’ talking and interpret their voices, gestures, and movements so that you can formulate the problem and understand what can be done to satisfy the customer.
Of course, the skill of listening includes the ability to comprehend and connect the dots with each other, as well as interact with customers. Some define the listening skill as the ability to shift your attention to the person who is talking to you instead of focusing on what is going on in your own head. Here you are making an effort not only to hear what the other party is saying but also to understand what is going on in the speaker’s head and what he wants to communicate to you. Also, do not forget to interact with the client during the conversation; do not let him speak while you are silent, but show something from you that shows your interest, for example, by using your body language to confirm that you are listening to him, including your stance, movements, facial expressions, words, and your recollection of his words or formulating what he wants to communicate.
6. Clarity and an appropriate tone of voice
Do not try to deceive the customer and do not turn around the problem or the topic of dialogue between you, as most customers will understand you in one way or another and you may lose their trust in you. Also, try to choose the appropriate tone of voice for the situation completely, and this applies to writing as well as talking by writing with the client, as there is a writing voice for your brand that the client imagines.
7. Show your generosity.
You must always have a mindset about the safety of your business and make the effort to make it trustworthy before and after communicating with the customer. When you believe this and implement it, you will act accordingly, and the customer will also feel safe and confident. One of the things that helps the customer feel confident and safe is generosity toward him. Remember your happiness at the times when you got great service or a surprise you weren’t expecting, even if it was simple, from one of the brands. Of course, you felt comfortable and safe with this brand.
So try to be generous with your customers even as a business owner who likes to have the mindset that there is a lot to share with your customers because this mentality will pass on to the customers. Of course, you have to protect your bottom line, but with a small investment in customer satisfaction and a little money, you can gain customer comfort and satisfaction.
8. Strive to solve customer problems.
The customer must feel your interest in him, your feeling for his problem as if you were in his place, and your dedication to solving his problem and providing appropriate suggestions. As we mentioned earlier, one bad experience may make the customer flee to competitors, and one good experience will motivate the customer to be loyal to your brand.
If you did something that made the customer angry, you should offer free services instead and apologize in advance in an attempt to retain the customer. Dealing with an angry customer is a skill that you must learn and master.
9. Relationship building
Focus on building and strengthening relationships with customers, regardless of whether the customer completes the sale or service process or not, in order to increase the customer’s confidence in you and his feeling of comfort, and thus contribute to the increase in his dealings with you.
We are not saying that you should not aim to sell as a primary goal, but that you should prioritize building relationships with customers as people so that dealings can take place outside of the traditional formal space, and that even after the sale, you should express your appreciation for the customer’s choice of you and wish him well.In the end, remember that the customer is your capital and that humans in general love attention and care, so do what you can to serve your customers and maintain permanent learning and permanent planning for success in your work.
10. The ability to read customers’ minds
Especially at the present time, we are no longer able to see all customers face-to-face in many industries due to the spread of electronic marketing and so on. However, this does not prevent us from understanding some of the basic concepts of psychological behaviors and trying to read the emotional state of the client so as not to end up losing the client.
11. Customer retention priority
You have to have a mindset that aims to retain customers and then retarget them again. You have to develop an approach and strategy to keep the customer happy for a long time, provide him with confidence, and avoid fears of dealing with you if it is his first develop other strategies to attract old customers, such as providing them with special offers and showing their importance to the brand.
12. Don’t finish the conversation first.
It doesn’t matter if you feel your answer to the customer’s question is correct; don’t be the first to end the conversation. Give him what shows your willingness to receive more inquiries, as the customer and his satisfaction come first, or, as some experts say, the customer is more important than the company and his satisfaction is the first priority.
13. Kindness, trust, and respect are essential to customer service.
- Kindness: It includes all positive behavior with customers, such as smiling, showing interest, and using flowery words, because the customer is a human first before being a customer.
- Confidence: Clients tend to identify with people who display confidence in the way they speak and understand others.
- Respect and empathy: Learn the appropriate time and way to start and end a conversation, and respect customers’ feelings and desires so that you can obtain their satisfaction. Simply realizing that you understand and respect their feelings leads to positive results.
At the end of the article, I hope it will be useful to everyone looking for the basics of customer service, and if you have experience with customer service, tell us in the comments what you think is one of the most important basics of customer service.
Read also: Customer Service Basics
