Good Customer Relations - Now More Than Ever
Did you know that increasing your customer retention by as little as 5% can boost your profits by at least 80%? Also, did you know that it is more cost effective to improve and maintain good relations with existing customers than to attract new ones?
Customer Care Training Courses provide participants with the skills required to effectively maintain positive customer interaction.
Identifying Good Customer Service
Good customer relations are the cornerstone of good business practice yet too often the virtues of healthy customer interaction are ignored, leaving a business to stagnate and fall way behind the pace of its competitors. The secret to providing good customer relations lies in your ability to offer a service that surpasses not only the expectations of the customer but also the services provided by your competitors. Fundamentally, the customer needs to be satisfied with the quality of business they do with you and this includes the customer service they receive.
In order to get a sense of how efficient your current customer care skills are, you will need to evaluate the performance of your company by asking some of the following questions:
• When you clients or customers contact your company, how are they treated?
• How would you rate the follow-up assistance that customers receive after purchasing one of your products or services?
• If a customer feels the need to complain about the quality of one of your products or services, how quickly and smoothly is that complaint resolved?
It is worth bearing in mind that sometimes the most disgruntled customers will remain silent and prefer to take their business elsewhere instead of complaining to your organisation. What’s more, irrespective of the number of complaints you receive, ill-feeling and idle talk will still circulate the public arena. It’s a known fact that an unsatisfied customer will tell more people about their experience than a happy one.
Broken Promises
You should never make a promise to a customer that you know your organisation cannot deliver on. Simple assurances like “I will be with you in a moment” will irk the customer if you leave them waiting for a further ten minutes. This will also inflame the situation further. Also, don’t forecast the outcome of a proposed solution if you are not certain of positive results. This will give the customer another basis upon which to lodge a complaint.
Just Listen
Rarely is a situation more frustrating than when someone does not listen to what you are trying to say. If a customer has taken the time to contact your company to complain, then you should bestow them the same courtesy. Avoid interrupting the customer before they have finished explaining their complaint otherwise they will feel like they are not being listened to. What’s more, every employee within the organisation should be capable of solving basic grievances without having to pass the customer through every department and phone extension.
Don’t Get Defensive
Though it may seem like it at times, the customer is not annoyed at you as a person so steer clear of taking the complaint personally and getting defensive. A good tip is to put yourself in the position of the customer who has just received a substandard product or service. The safest (and most professional) option is to apologise and take responsibility for the issue and most of all communicate the empathy you have with the customer.
By following these simple techniques and guidelines, you should find your business on course to providing improved customer relations that are appreciated and valued by your client base.
By Orlagh Ryan
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