Are You Merely Giving Lip Service to YOUR Customer Service?
Much as been written about customer service, and not just here at ActiveRain. Since our move, Larry and I have had a lot of exposure to 
the customer service representatives from a wide variety of companies.
What is it about doing the right thing for your customers AND for your business that seems to be missing in the business plan of some owners?
As Grant Schneider has written about many times...you have to create a set of core values that you use to guide your company. You not only have to believe in them, but you also have to practice them.
Good customer service isn’t just a label that you put on your website or social media, it IS WHAT YOU DO.
What you can do…
~Make sure that every employee knows how to do their job.
Make sure that there is ongoing education about fees, policies, special offers, etc. Implement cross-training where you can.
Years ago I was in a national restaurant chain and had been overcharged. The cashier had to ask her manager how to give me a refund. And yet, after she spoke to her manager (who by the way, did nothing to help assist her employee) the cashier asked if I would take a Gift Card for the amount because it was easier for her to do.
"That’s not my job" shouldn’t be a response.
~Remember that every employee is a representative of your company.
If you have someone who answers your phones or are a part of your team, they need to understand the importance of what they do. They need to be made to feel a part of the whole team.
~Remember that good customer service and doing the right thing can sometimes mean not getting paid, offering a discount, or offering something to “ease the pain.”
Just today Larry called a small company to inquire about an order he’d placed. The owner was very apologetic and explained the delay. He offered to refund the money. Larry understood and said he still wanted the item. The owner offered to throw in a cable and some other items to make up for the delay.
~Remember to take a moment and think about how you would like to be treated.
It’s as simple as that. No matter who we are or what we do, we all experience situations where the customer service is either going to fail or exceed our expectations. What would you want if you were in the customer’s shoes???
~Empower your team or employees to do what they think is right
Don’t have so much structure that they can’t take it upon themselves to do what’s right for the customer.
With all of the talk about the changes going on in the industry, providing over-the-top customer service can ensure that your clients will return and refer others as well.
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