No matter what type of business you run, if any part of your company is customer-facing then customer service is likely to be one of the most important aspects for you to focus on if you wish to see clients returning time and time again. Only very few companies will survive by being ruthless and trying to manipulate their way to the top and the majority of these will not have any reason to impress end-users with their empathy.
So, with most customers more interested in customer service than price, and with customer satisfaction at an all time low, what is the best way to provide a service that your customers will really connect with?
The first place to start is to understand what you might be doing things wrong. It is often hard to see how you are perceived by those outside the company, and it may take an outside perspective to really see where changes might need to be made. One approach is to use video mystery shopping to see how your staff interact with customers. Not only will using a mystery shopping company allow you to see a side of your employees you don’t usually get to see, but it will also help you to get constructive feedback on how to improve your general customer service practices.
Once you have such feedback from a mystery shopping company, it is important to know how to implement changes. The best way to optimise your services is to simply ensure your staff know as much as possible about your products and services. Good customer service is all about being as helpful as possible and knowing what a customer needs (or knowing what you can offer to solve a specific problem they have) will mean that you have far more chance of keeping far more people happy.
It can help to undertake regular video mystery shopping to be sure that you are continuing your high standards and also to see that your staff really are doing the job you need them to.