Mr. Jansen: “Yes, hello, this is already the umpteenth time I have called. HOW difficult can it be to send a package? Because of all the stress, I just burned the potatoes, half the kitchen was on fire, the dog was completely upset. I want to speak to your boss now!” Employee: “Annoying, but what exactly is your question?”
Anyone who has ever worked as a customer service representative knows better than anyone that this is anything but an easy job. You must have the patience of a saint and excellent listening and problem-solving skills. But if you manage to surprise your customer with good, fast and friendly service, you will immortalize yourself as an employee and a company. To ensure your customer service scores high, we have listed 10 customer service tips for employees below.
1. Listen carefully
This is definitely a cliché, we are aware of that. But it is still one of the most important skills for a good customer service representative. The pitfall for employees is that they think they recognize a question or problem from a customer - because the same problems arise more often - and already fill in the answer for the customer. People often forget to listen carefully. It is therefore advisable to carefully identify each question or issue, no matter how recognizable it may sound, before working towards a solution. Briefly summarizing what the customer has told you can help.
2. Mention previous customer contact
One of the biggest annoyances for customers is having to tell the same story for the umpteenth time. Therefore, always mention that you see that there has been previous contact with the customer and summarize the problem or question as best as possible with the information you have available. Belco's customer service software helps you with this by registering all previous customer contact.
3. Swing along
Especially when you get an angry or frustrated customer on the phone, it is important to first get on the same level with the customer. Texts such as: “Gosh, that's annoying”, often don't help. Try to put yourself in the customer's shoes and understand his/her anger or frustration. A customer often looks for some recognition and only when that is available can you work towards a solution.
4. State the customer's name
Scientific research shows that people are (positively) sensitive to hearing their own name. Therefore, feel free to mention the customer's name every now and then, as this makes the conversation a lot more personal. But don't overdo it either, because then it will quickly come across as too artificial.
5. Admit mistakes
Of course, as an employee you are not proud when something goes wrong and you want to defend the company you work for. But everywhere people work, mistakes are made and that is not a bad thing. By simply admitting mistakes honestly, the customer gets the recognition he or she is looking for.
6. Tell the customer what you are doing
If you have to send an internal email or go through a certain procedure for a customer, try not to immediately put your customer on hold, but rather to include him in the process. By actively communicating what you are doing, you take the customer step by step to a solution.
7. Never make false promises
'Honesty is the best policy': a term that also applies to customer service. Never make promises to the customer that you cannot keep. The customer assumes that you are telling the truth and the customer's disappointment only increases if promises made are not kept.
8. Recognize special situations or problems
As a customer service employee you are often confronted with the same questions or problems. But sometimes problems are so urgent or situations so special that they require extra attention or immediate action. The trick is to recognize these situations and act accordingly.
9. Make clear agreements
When a customer has no idea what the next steps are after a contact moment, something goes wrong. Therefore, even if a problem cannot be solved immediately, always try to make clear agreements and of course keep them.
10. Service with a genuine smile
Service with a smile, that's where you can make the difference. And that really doesn't mean that you have to have a conversation with a customer while whistling and bursting with laughter. Just be kind, optimistic and show empathy. You will automatically notice that your positive mood will rub off on your customer.
Belco's customer service software is designed to work as customer-friendly as possible. As a customer service employee, you immediately see all a customer's information, such as contact and order history, on your dashboard. In addition, you can easily schedule follow-up appointments for customers and even set an alarm for this. Can't figure it out yourself or do you need help from another colleague or department? In Belco you can see exactly which colleagues are active and you can easily send them an internal message, for example.
Do you have any questions regarding this blog? Let us know! Wondering if Belco is something for you? Try our software for free for 2 weeks and experience what it's like to work in an all-in-one customer service environment.This trial is completely without obligation and stops automatically after 2 weeks.
