Customer service often sucks. In fact, I believe that the term “customer service” is an oxymoron. Out of all the interactions I have with companies, I dread when I have to contact their customer service department as I know it will be a nightmare—but it shouldn’t have to be that way.
Given that the customer service industry is being overrun by social media and online review websites, some companies simply cannot keep up. Others feel that their customer service is so good that they don’t need to change.
In fact, 80 percent of businesses think they deliver superior customer service (while only 8 percent of customers agree), according to Jay Baer in his book, Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers. Baer also believes that “most companies are using 1995 playbooks to solve modern customer service issues.”
Many companies see customer service as a necessary evil when it fact it needs to be a staple of their businesses. "Customer service is often a direct view into the heart of a company,” says Dan Doran, CVA and founder of Quantive Valuations. “Clients that feel loved often translate into a loyal following of brand evangelists. Done right, that following can correlate back to increased revenues and an improving bottom line. Of course, done wrong, a bad customer experience can have a massive negative impact.”
Here are a few ideas to help companies put the "service" back into their customer service:
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1. Listen Carefully
Most people just want to be heard. When you fail to let someone finish telling you their complaint, it appears that you don’t really care about the issue. When it comes to dealing with complaints, take the time to listen carefully to the unhappy customer.
A few months ago, I contacted a restaurant after I noticed a charge on my credit card that I didn’t authorize. Long story short: I was able to figure out that the waiter had inadvertently swiped my card for another table's bill. No biggie, I just wanted to make sure it was taken care of. When I called the restaurant, I didn’t even finish telling the manager what I thought had happened when he cut me off and stated that he would offer me a free meal.
I didn’t want a free meal. I just wanted him to listen to the issue and take care of it. I wasn’t mad when I first called, as I understand people make mistakes. However, I was mad by the time I hung up because I had to wait for the manager to finish cutting me off before I could explain the situation.
Even if you have heard the same complaint a million times, each customer should be allowed to share theirs. Doing so helps them vent some of their anger and gives you an opportunity to address their concerns with possible solutions.
2. Tell the Truth—Even When It’s Bad
Stop lying to me. I don’t really want excuses; I just want the truth. If you make a mistake, that is perfectly normal and I understand you are human. But when you try to offer excuses you lose credibility with me and I will question everything else you are going to say. Entrepreneurs must maintain high ethical standards to protect their reputations, and this needs to translate into your customer service department.
“The biggest reason why you shouldn’t lie to your customers is because there’s no reason to do so,” writes customer service expert Alexandra Harris. “So what if your product doesn’t do everything they want? So what if you can’t change a customer’s monthly price? Do you think your customers would rather hear a lie than the truth? Definitely not.”
Believe it or not, customers can handle the truth, and fibbing can only compound the issue. Face the issue head on.
3. Apologize Sincerely
You don’t need to give away free products or services to keep your customers happy. Many times, a simple “sorry” will do the trick. People need to feel that their complaint is valid, and sometimes a simple word is the best way to do it.
Some companies teach their representatives to never apologize, but even the representatives know this is wrong. One user on Quora shared their experience of training for a customer service position.
I was at a customer service job last summer and there was one point in training I went like “What?” They told me: “When dealing with an irate customer, whatever you do, NEVER APOLOGIZE.” ... I thought being a good customer service representative was simply treating your customers like people, whom you should be kind and courteous to, and follow all the normal social rules, like apologizing when you do something wrong. But, apparently it doesn't work this way.
For me as a customer, telling me you’re sorry calms my initial anger. But don’t just say it to say it; if you are not sincere, customers will sense it and get even more upset.
Read all of Mike Wood’s articles on AllBusiness.com.
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