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Many companies believe that they deliver good customer service. The problem is that surveys show that on average only 8% to 12% of customers say that they are satisfied with the level of service they receive from the average business. This does not necessarily mean that these same companies do not deliver good customer service. It may indicate that customers expect good customer service even to consider shopping at a particular store or doing business with a certain company.

Here are a few simple tips that may help your business improve customer service. These tips seem simple, but may actually be more challenging than they appear to be on the surface. After all we all have more choices than ever when spending our money. So really the sale goes to the business that provides the most value for the money a customer spends. Value is not merely in the quality of the product but it is also in the manner in which the customer is valued in the process of each and every transaction. Consider these tips to improve customer service.

Facial Recognition:

Make it a point to train your entire staff to look for repeat customer and recognize them as such. We all love to go somewhere and be considered a regular. Someone that the people who run a business consider “family”, this concept start with simple recognition. Anyone who has been in business over the last 15 years or so has heard of the 7 second customer greeting rule. The idea behind the 7 second rule is that every business has a brief window of opportunity to impact the perception of customer service by greeting each customer with in the first 7 seconds of each encounter. This is a good practice, however… if you aren’t careful it can back fire. For example I go to a local coffee house because I know the people who own it and I know their entire staff, and they know me by name. That’s why I go there; it’s nice to be recognized personally. Recently I noticed a large coffee chain has started to practice the 7 second rule. Shortly after you enter the store the recite a welcome, but it seems quite shallow when I realize they make no effort to recognize me. What a difference it would make if they change the greeting when appropriate to “Welcome back, good to see you again”.

Now I know why most places don’t do this. It takes effort and engagement with each customer. And that’s just hard. That would mean that I have to take mental pictures of all of my customers in hopes that some of them actually return. Um… yea, isn’t that the point of business? Providing a product or service that people want again and again is why you are in business. So then, the people you hire to represent your business must want to see your customers return and do everything they can to make that happen. Recognizing your customers is a key factor in improving customer service.

Remember Names:

Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People said this about names, ““A person’s name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language”. It’s true. Our entire identity is in our name. Try this the next time you are at the market. When it’s your turn to be checked out and the cashier asks if you found everything okay. Look at their name tag and use their name as you reply. You will be amazed at the difference it makes. Most likely they’ll perk up and make eye contact. It’s really fun and you will probably make a friend in the process.

I know that many people reading this will instantly respond “but I’m no good with names”. Well, get over it and try. Like anything else it takes practice. To improve customer service it’s worth the effort. In my experience customers would rather you ask their name again rather than pretend you know it by calling them buddy, or partner, or some other call sign designed to instill familiarity but really betrays the fact that you don’t know their name. Humble pie may not taste good but it helps you grow relationships just like eating your green helps the body grow. Also, asking helps you remember so you don’t have to go through it again.

Remember Previous Encounters:

Making the effort to remember previous transactions with your customers communicates that they are important to your business. It also helps to understand their business needs as they return to buy. Every time you see a returning customer you should ask them how their last purchase went. This will enable you to address concerns or problems directly before any frustration or complaint sets in. Improving customer service requires an intentional focus on improving the customer relationship.

Take the Customer to The Product:

Or demonstrate your recommendation or solutions. If you run a store, always take the customer to the product. Yes, there will be times when it’s just too busy. But this should be an exception and never the rule. I remember one customer transaction when I was a store manager and I was alone in the store for a few hours. The phones were ringing and the registers were cha-chinging. A customer asked if we had a product and I told her the exact aisle, column and bin to find it. And then I said that I would meet her there as soon as I was able. I took care of a few customers and met her as she was walking toward the register, with the right product in hand. She said with a smile “great directions, you really know your store”. And I did, I stocked it alongside my crew. I coached them how to present product to sell. I was happy that I could take the customer to the product in that way. But it was an exception not the rule.
Here’s a bonus tip to help improve customer service;

Hire for attitude before experience:

You can teach people almost anything. And if you believe in what you are doing and know why you are doing it, you will develop an atmosphere that fosters a motivated team ready to meet your customers and build relationships that last. If you hire for experience and know-how but overlook attitude issues you may have a difficult time raising the customer service bar.

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Register for our Exceptional Customer Service class today