As the saying goes, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” This holds a lot of weight with customer service workers as well as administrative staff, who are often the initial point of contact for a company’s clients, vendors and other business contacts. But as their boss, do you know the value of building a customer service mindset?
Providing good customer service is the key to attracting and keeping business. Your administrative and customer service employees, in particular, play a key role in how others perceive your organization. While it’s comparatively easy to provide quality service when dealing with simple situations, the real challenge for your workers is when they face difficulty, like rude or angry people.
Here are five ways you can provide a customer service team mindset when it’s needed most.
1. Model good customer service
As the boss, you lead the cause and set the tone. You can’t expect your staff to provide excellent service if it’s not a personal commitment of your own.
Listen, show empathy and be responsive to your colleagues’ queries and requests. Polished soft skills are critical in any customer-focused position, just as they are in a leadership role. The same can be said about being proactive: Demonstrate problem solving, rather than passivity, in your daily work. Go the extra mile and exceed expectations, and your staff will likely follow suit.
2. Don’t expect a customer service mindset to come naturally
Explain to your staff that the most important elements of a customer service mindset are timeliness, the ability to listen and read nonverbal cues, strong verbal and writing skills, patience, and sound judgment.
Not everyone will excel in all these areas, so invest in customer service training when needed. It’s especially helpful to have people engage in role playing to learn the correct way to handle certain situations. You might even choose to do this periodically as a refresher on providing top-notch service.
3. Encourage autonomy
Don’t micromanage. Even if there are standard procedures in place, give your teams the autonomy to do more than what may be expected of them. A customer has received a defective product? An employee might let the customer know he’ll work directly with the person packing the replacement to make sure the one going out is perfect.
4. Promote the value of customer feedback
While no one takes pleasure in listening to customers vent frustration or complaints about your company, let employees know there’s an upside: People are giving them the chance to make things right. Your staff can help to turn around the situation or, at the very least, provide empathy and action that diffuses the tension. If your employees have had sufficient training, they should be prepared for what comes their way.
5. Call attention to good performance
Be sure to make recognition a part of your organizational culture. You can do that in many ways — from expressing gratitude and offering praise for a job well done, to giving tangible rewards, such as a bonus or raise. The important thing is to show you value their efforts.
Customer Service Week every October is a good excuse to call attention to the importance of the people who serve your customers — but you should show your appreciation at other times, too, of course.
Subscribe to get
17 comments
Film November 21, 2020
Good article! We are linking to this great post on our website. Keep up the good writing. Floria Matty Dewhirst
Film November 23, 2020
Keep up the fantastic work , I read few articles on this website and I conceive that your blog is real interesting and holds sets of good info . Leyla Kelly Achorn
Sikis izle December 8, 2020
I really like your article. Interesting content. This information is magnificent. I enjoyed reading what you had to say. Ashli Fairfax Klotz
Sikis izle December 8, 2020
Hi mates, good post and pleasant urging commented here, I am actually enjoying by these. Calla Erhard Solomon
Sikis izle December 8, 2020
Fastidious answers in return of this question with firm arguments and describing everything regarding that. Lucia Meredeth Brandi
Erotik film izle December 9, 2020
Hello, I enjoy reading through your article post. I wanted to write a little comment to support you. Judie Ugo Adonis
Filmi full izle January 14, 2021
This is one awesome blog article. Really looking forward to read more. Fantastic. Shantee Raviv Hymen
Filmi full izle January 17, 2021
I every time used to read post in news papers but now as I am a user of web thus from now I am using net for articles, thanks to web. Bette Far Bertle
Film izle January 17, 2021
Every when in a although we opt for blogs that we study. Listed below would be the most recent internet sites that we opt for. Margalit Alanson Mohamed
Hd film izle January 18, 2021
Loving the info on this site, you have done great job on the posts. Nataline Hubie Youngman
Filmi izle January 18, 2021
Please see the top of this website, you can order it on line. Guillemette Tanny Wade
Porn January 21, 2021
Hi there colleagues, good post and fastidious arguments commented at this place, I am really enjoying by these. Latia Keir Lynn
Erotik izle January 21, 2021
Excellent way of telling, and nice paragraph to get facts about my presentation focus, which i am going to present in school. Madelyn Currey Demmer
Yabanci January 29, 2021
You made several good points there. I did a search on the matter and found a good number of folks will have the same opinion with your blog. Mary Kerr Mab
Dublaj January 30, 2021
What a data of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious know-how regarding unpredicted feelings. Philippa Blaine Rochkind
Erotik February 16, 2021
Thank you for your blog. Really looking forward to read more. Awesome. Cayla Marsh Eimile
Erotik February 16, 2021
So well written. And the historical background shows how we all have struggled with these issues throughout the centuries! Myrah Brodie Harod