The dos and don'ts of customer service

Customer service is the one way that resellers can get a competitive edge. Make one customer’s day and they’ll bring family and friends in.

A company’s brand and reputation is only as good as the service it provides. Developing a strategy that reflects the needs, wants and desires of customers transforms the relationship with them. It turns the relationship from something that’s transactional into a partnership.

Happier clients and satisfied clients will be more prepared to pay for your services and increase your company’s profits. So what are the do’s and don’ts of customer service?

DO focus on making the connection, not the content. This is critical because clients don’t want anyone to sell to them. What they want is a service that shows someone cares for them. It is important to take the time to build a connection with them before you start doing business. Develop the connection first.

DO focus on the individual. Your relationship with the client is through an individual, not the company itself. The company is not the one you negotiate with, it’s the individual.

DON’T give a sales pitch. This is in line with the previous advice that clients don’t want someone selling to them. It feels manipulative and if you do that, they’re more likely to see you as a hustler. Instead of a sales pitch, make it a conversation where you might ask questions. Some examples: Just out of curiosity, what are your firm’s priorities in these areas? How does your firm handle these sorts of problems? Much better than a monologue or mini-lecture.

DON’T bypass. If you are dealing with a client offering a lot of resistance, don’t go behind their back to someone else in their organisation. If you do that you will have an enemy for life, someone who will be working against you. It’s better to have them onside, even if it means putting in a lot of extra work.

DON’T play it too hard negotiating. You might have read a lot in negotiation how-to books but you need to put all that aside. You’re not in a zero sum game, you are building a relationship.

DO be accessible. Return phone calls and emails promptly.

DO train employees to give top line customer service and give them the skills they need to do what you want them to see as your priorities with customers. Also, the best customer-focused companies allow employees to make decisions that benefit the customer.

DO be flexible. It is important to resolve any customer issues or complaints as quickly as possible. Responding to any complaint with “That’s our policy” is guaranteed to lose customers.

DO know the names of customers, or at the very least, recognise their faces. This is crucial.

DON’T badmouth the competition. It’s a poor look and will damage your reputation. Chances are the customer will have some interaction with competitors. Treat those competitors with respect. If you don’t, you’ll lose the customer’s respect.

DO provide one-call resolution. Set up systems that ensure customer issues are resolved in just one call. If there’s one thing customers hate it’s being made to jump through hoops to get their problems fixed. 

DO watch your manners and make sure your staff do the same. Simple things like “thank you”, “what can I do to help you?” and “is there anything else we can do for you?” go a long way. It also helps using the customer’s name wherever possible.

DO create a powerful website. It’s the equivalent of your office. The website now is more likely to be your customers’ first exposure to your company. Make it user friendly.

DON’T argue with the customer. When a customer complains, take it on board. Handling complaints is not about winning arguments. What you’re trying to do is minimise damage and ensure the customer stays loyal.

DO keep the conversation mutual. Explore common ground to build the relationship and create a sense of trust.

DO use complaints as an opportunity to improve and create a better connection with customers. Examine what the complaint is and see what you can do to make sure the situation never happens again.

DO look out for complaints. You need to be proactive here. Find out what is being said about your company. That means monitoring what is being said about your company on Twitter, other social media and Google alerts. As soon as you find these issues, you can fix them straight away. If you’re not monitoring social media you are losing a big opportunity.

DON’T assume that losing one customer is no big deal. If it was just one customer, that might be right. But people talk. That customer can tell a dozen other people what their problem was with your company. Not only that, they can spread it virally through Twitter, blogs, forums, and consumer complaint websites. A dozen people could easily turn into thousands.

DO go above and beyond. When a customer is disgruntled, you need to put in extra work to bring things back on track.

DON’T limit availability. Customers these days expect 24/7 service. Instead of closing the doors at 5pm, look at providing ongoing service through an answering service, call centre or your website.