4 Ways to improve the standard of your customer service

The best way to ensure that you receive repeat business is by maintaining a high level of customer service. Letting the standard of your customer service slip is a sure way to send your clients into the open arms of your competitors. When it comes to customer service, you should be aiming much higher than satisfactory. It is vital that you listen to all of your feedback and make sure that you adapt accordingly. If you receive a customer complaint, changes should be made immediately. You also need to compare your level of service to other companies that are operating in the same area of industry as you. If you are offering similar services or selling similar products, the way that you treat your customers could be the deciding factor in terms of who gets the most business. Make sure that the customer is the priority in every aspect of your business, this level of dedication will pay off in the long run. Why wait? Below are four ways for you to improve the standard of your customer service.

Awards

A fantastic way to set yourself apart as a company that values a high level of customer service is by winning awards dedicated to this area. Don�t just wait for awards to be given to you, make sure that you apply for as many awards as possible. Start small and work your way up. Even a local award will help to draw in customers. If you haven�t yet managed to ensure that all of your staff are on the same page, why not place the focus on a particularly commendable employee? Nominate them for an award and maybe even promote them to a position where they are responsible for encouraging others to match their levels of enthusiasm. You could also introduce an employee of the month scheme. This way, even if you don�t win external awards, you can still impress your customers by introducing them to your award winning employees. If you are struggling to secure a deal or you�re dealing with a customer that is particularly hard to please, being able to reassure them, by handing them over to the employee of the month, will be a handy card to have up your sleeve. However, you definitely shouldn�t give up on external awards. Winning a high profile award will be fantastic for your business�s brand. Make sure to capitalize on the free publicity by arranging as many interviews as possible.

Improve your customer feedback

It is important to establish a strong relationship between you and your customers. You need to make sure that they feel they are being listened to. If not, they may become disgruntled and are unlikely to feel any loyalty to your business. That is why it is so important to respond to all of your customer feedback. Try not to rely on automated responses. Even a simple detail, like calling somebody by their name, can help to avoid making a situation worse. Make sure that you set yourself, and your staff, a time limit in which they have to respond to queries. Ideally, you want to sort out any problems as soon as possible.

Even if your customers are entirely satisfied, it is still worth receiving their feedback. Try to be as interactive as possible when it comes to gathering their opinions. Why not set up a live chat where your clients can talk to specially trained members of staff directly? Advise your employees to take as many names and contact details as possible. This way, if you decide to act on a customer�s advice, you can send them a note of thanks. By using the personal touch, you will forge strong connections of loyalty. Often, it is the little details that are remembered. If you go above and beyond, you might even find that your customers begin to recommend you to their friends and family. Invest in your customer feedback now, and your business will feel the rewards.

Offer a high level of service

Your customers will also pay attention to the service you provide and how well it is executed. One way of speeding up your processes and ensuring accuracy is by relying on technology. If your business operates online, you may already use an eCommerce platform to manage your operation. However, in order to achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction, you will need to consider how you can make the most out of this software. It is suggested that one in four businesses use Magento 2. If you are one of these businesses, Magento 2 commerce integration with NetSuite ERP, could help to streamline your operation. By integrating the two elements, you will be able to achieve timely order fulfilment, accurate product availability, real-time statuses on orders, and efficient cancellations and refunds. Instead of having to wait for data to be entered manually, your integrated system will register any actions automatically. This will ensure that your customers receive the fastest possible service. It will also help to remove the possibility of human error. This way, you won�t have to worry about costly mistakes that could upset your clients and disrupt their orders. Integrating your system will also save on the hours your workers would have needed to manually input data. These hours can be dedicated to improved customer service.

Staff training

By freeing up a number of hours for your staff, you can give them the opportunity to learn everything they need to know about customer service. Invest in their training as much as possible, as this will be hugely beneficial to your company�s success. Organize outside speakers to come into your business and give talks on customer service techniques. If you are short on finances, you could sign up for online webinars or TedTalks. You could also find lots of useful resources online, and there are even YouTube videos created by customer service experts. Whatever you do, it is important that you let your workers know just how much you value a high level of customer service. If they can see it really matters to you, they will know that impressing their customers will help them to succeed at your business. Hopefully, they will also be motivated by your enthusiasm. It can be extremely unrewarding to work for a company that doesn�t value its customers and has a bad reputation. Conversely, it can be very exciting to be employed by a company that is well respected and has established a strong ethical brand. A business that hopes to achieve longevity will always invest in its staff training.