DonÛªt Make These Telephone Customer Service Mistakes
There’s nothing worse than poor customer service. It can be the kiss of death for any business, and telephone customer service can be tricky to get right. Whatever you do, don’t make these telephone customer service mistakes with your business.
Not respecting your customer
Assuming that you know best without fully understanding your customer’s needs is foolish and harmful to your business. Customers are looking for help, not judgment, and brushing off any problem as being too small is disrespectful to the people who keep your business running.
Trying to be right all the time
Customer service isn’t about winning every argument with your customer. If Jane Doe calls to complain that your products are rubbish, don’t try to argue with her. Instead, listen to her needs, and address them. You can’t please everyone, every time, but if you handle the problem with tact and respect, you can minimize negative feelings that could lead to negative reviews of your business.
Interrupting your customer before they’ve told you the whole story
Good listening skills are vital to great customer service. How can you hope to resolve your customer’s issue if you don’t know the whole story behind their problem? Make sure that you are listening actively, not just hearing your customer talk about their problem.
Keeping your customer waiting
Whether you abuse the hold button or just take forever to answer your customer’s call, the result is the same. Customers who are kept waiting are more likely to be angry and resentful from the start, making it harder to have a good telephone experience. Make sure you have enough knowledgeable staff on hand to meet your customer’s needs in a timely manner, because no one wants to be kept waiting when they have a problem.