When customers patronize a business, they expect to be sold quality services and products. Of course, customers also assume that the salesperson or customer representative gives them quality service as well. That’s why having customer service standards are important to your company.
Why are customer service standards important?
Chances are, you’ve heard plenty of stories, maybe even from me, where a customer encounters bad service from an employee or manager at a business and tells everyone about their experience. An angry customer tells all of their friends who patronize the store or writes bad reviews about the business on the Internet. Either way, word gets around that your business is not a great place to visit.
Your business can have amazing products, but if your customer service standards aren’t very high, you won’t get far. When customers come in contact with your every person in the business, they make a judgment about how they feel about the company. With each client you sell services to, your reputation is at stake. That’s why treating each transaction with a customer with respect and consideration is vital.
Set standards that your company can measure up to. Whether you’re making goals or implementing new procedures, focus on what you can do now to improve your overall performance. Don’t boast about a set time you can complete orders or answer calls until you can meet that goal steadily for a while.
What customer service standards are worth maintaining?
There are plenty of customer service standards that are important to a company. Some might focus more on speed while others choose to focus on service quality. However, what customer service standards are important to maintain at all times?
Be on time
You want to let your customers and potential customers know that you value their time. In some cases, customers complain that they received a product or service later than they were told.
Be specific about what you can do to make this customer’s request as easy as possible for them.
Be precise
Customers want exactly what they asked for. If you advertise a product or service at your company that the customer desires, your customer expects to purchase it easily from you. However, if you repeatedly say afterwards that you don’t have what you advertised, a customer can feel that your company is not trust-worthy.
Similarly, when someone orders several products from your business and all the products do not arrive in the package, a customer will be disappointed that their order was not accurate. It’s important that your company values accuracy and precision so your customer is satisfied every single time they buy from you.
Be appropriate
Even the best businesses have customers that complain now and then. Companies make mistakes sometimes and deliver unsatisfactory products or services to their sellers.
There is a way to ameliorate these kinds of situations without being defensive. Ensure that managers and employees understand that when the company is at fault, they should apologize to the consumer and find a way to resolve the issue at hand. Listening to a customer’s concerns and offering a sincere apology makes them more likely to patronize your business again.
How do you set customer service standards in the workplace?
Imagine a workplace where everyone was on the same page and treated customers with the same high quality of service. Customers were satisfied with your business and your employees were pleased with their work. Everyone knew what was expected from them and felt confident that they could deliver extraordinary results.
There are ways to make this dream into a reality, but it takes great planning and effective communication between everyone at the company.
Make sure managers are clearly stating what they want from the employees. The leaders of the business should give the employees clear direction so the company can achieve their goals together. Ask the employees what they are hearing from customers. Their feedback is important to improve the business in the future.
Read more: Is Safety a Part of Customer Service?