We live in the age of the customer. In the current day, the business space is all about creating outstanding client experiences. As a small business owner, if you want to be successful, you will have to shrug-off the conventional thought process of client servicing being a cost-centre & begin thinking about it as an opportunity centre. It’s a proven fact that after a positive client-service experience, almost 70% of Australians would recommend a company to others.
Principles to Follow
#1 Support Clients
Today, customer service is essentially a team sport. This is not only with reference to your support team, but for your business as a whole. You will have to ensure that all your employees are trained on your company’s customer support tool- this will help them answer questions & they all can pitch-in whenever times are busy.
Special issues will of course have to be passed to the experts, but all your team members should be capable of helping clients with their issues and queries. When all team members spend time on the front-lines it’s much simpler to stay aligned around your clients & maintain service levels at all times
#2 Listen to Clients
Be focused on the information you need, to answer the questions that clients have for you. Encourage all your team members to never hesitate in asking questions when they are speaking with clients. The more information they gather about what the clients need, the more helpful they can be. Your client-support team also becomes one of your topmost sources of feedback, as well as a key driver with reference to product innovation.
#3 Be Human
Clients want to be able to deal with efficient people, but if those people are robotic in their approach, it is of no use. Encourage all your team members to be proactive in their approach while attending to client queries. When any email communication is being sent out or if there is any telephone communication between your staff members and the clients, train your employees to incorporate some personality in the interaction. Your clients will appreciate a friendly and more personal approach
#4 Honesty Matters
There could be times when your client servicing team doesn’t have all the answers. If they are not too sure about something, it’s best to be forthright and tell the clients that they will get back with the right answers. This sends out the right signals and your customers know that you are adopting a meticulous approach
#5 Know your Business
This is very important. Anyone who is at the fore of client servicing must know your product inside out. They should also have the presence of mind and the ability to think creatively and provide solutions along with having the right answers. Every client is going to have some specific requirements and serving them well is about being able to customise solutions. A professional and personalised approach is required when you are interacting with clients
Knowing the product is a lot to do with how well your staff is trained and this should become a part of your organisation’s culture. Well-informed clients will be able to easily distinguish between staff that is knowledgeable and who aren’t up to the mark with their product knowledge
#6 When Promptness Counts
When you are dealing with clients, it’s important that you be prompt with your responses and proactive in your approach. When everyone in a company is trained to be that way, it becomes a business culture and your clients will appreciate promptness and punctuality
Maintain a Steady Business Relationship
As you can see, servicing your clients in a better way is about ensuring that all these aspects are in place. It’s the one way to ensure that you stay at the top of your game. The present business space is highly competitive. There will be scores of other companies that provide products or services similar to the ones you provide; and excellent client servicing is the one way to make an impact and attract clients to your business. Once they realise that it’s the way your organisation functions, they will be more apt to conduct business with you.’
Thanks for reading,
MaxMyProfit Corporate Australia
(02) 9111 5000
