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 Exceptional
Customer Service Needs Exceptional Communication
To deliver exceptional customer service in
any industry or organization you need exceptional communication
with your customer. Of course, there are so many aspects of communication
to be considered, we won't be covering them all in this article.
Let's start with some basic, first meeting, first contact types
of situations:
- Acknowledge the customer within three
steps into your establishment or office. Let that person know
s/he has been seen, that s/he is not invisible. This can be
done with a smile (never forget to smile, no matter what)
and a brief greeting, something as simple as "Hi,
please make yourself comfortable. I will be right with you."
or "I'll be with you in just one moment. Please have a
look around." Not too difficult, yet so often not done.
- What if you are on the phone or with another
customer when someone arrives? Then nonverbal acknowledgement
is perfectly acceptable...smile, wave or nod. You might even
want to add the words above, "I'll be with you…"
- Sometimes you are with a customer and the
phone rings...then what? Is it your company's policy that the
phone gets answered no matter what? Well, that is just not acceptable
in some situations. The person in front of you takes precedence
over the phone, always. However, if you are expecting an
important call, ask the customer if s/he would mind you taking
this call, as you have been waiting for it. Just remember to
be very brief...take the relevant info and conclude the call,
or arrange to call back.
- Communication when you aren't face-to-face
is very important, too. This may sound weird, but smiling
when you answer the phone makes a big difference in how
you sound and how the customer on the other end of the line
feels about the interaction. Can you hear a smile? Who knows...it's
easy, though, so why not do it!
Little things can make a big difference to
people and their experiences with your company. If their first
interactions are positive and they leave with a feeling of acknowledgement,
of having been treated well, they are likely to return. Those
first few moments of communication can be the beginning of a beautiful
relationship. Take the time and make the effort to communicate
well with your customers.
 Time
to Refocus
Now that summer is winding down, it's time
to refocus on what we need to accomplish for the fall. These tips
will help you gain that focus:
- Make a list of the things you need and want
to do...include everything
- Single out the high priority items and plan
how and when to accomplish each one...throw some quick and easy
tasks in at intervals so you aren't overwhelmed with too many
heavy assignments
- As you tick things off your list, reward yourself
with something fun...sometimes the reward is the only motivation
you have
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Quotes This Month
“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding,
intimacy and mutual valuing.”
~Rollo May~
“You cannot improve one
thing by 1000% but you can improve 1000 little things by 1%.”
~Jan Carlzon~
“People don't want
to communicate with an organization or a computer. They want to
talk to a real, live, responsive, responsible person who will
listen and help them get satisfaction.”
~Theo Michelson, State Farm Insurance~
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 2301-15th
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Grosvenor Avenue, SASKATOON, SK, Canada S7H 4G2 |
| 306-933-3997
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