How to Deliver Customer Service that Customers Want

Delivering great customer service is something every company claims is an important focus. But one man’s claim to great service may be another man’s annoying vendor call. How do you ensure the service you deliver on a regular basis is the service your customers want to receive? At the same time, how do you ensure your employees are equipped to properly deliver that service?

The key to understanding what the customer wants is to listen. The voice of the customer provides all the insight you need into what he or she wants from the interaction. Once you’ve captured that information, you have to train your employees to make listening an important part of the process, with each and every interaction.

Business VoIP provider Nextiva recently shared a blog that highlighted how best to learn how to listen. Take its tips to heart:

• Focus – it’s a conscious choice, make sure employees know how to make it.
• Non-verbal cues – they’re there, teach employees how to recognize them. (On a call, this could be the tone of what they’re saying.)
• Be receptive – customers really just want to be heard.
• Response – train employees to treat the customer as they would a friend.
• Clarify – employees should always restate what they thought they heard to be sure the information is correct.

The most effective ways to ensure employees are listening to customer is to train customer service employees. The first piece of advice is to provide real-world examples. How to capture those examples? A secret shopper can do the trick, calling into the company to experience the customer service first hand. If it isn’t up to par, the evidence will be clear.

Training should be interactive if you hope to see positive results. Simply talking at the employee base or pushing information at them won’t produce the desired results. They have to be engaged in the process. Ask them questions, encourage their feedback and create sharing opportunities. Employees who feel they are a part of the process will take ownership and actively contribute to a more positive outcome. Likewise, don’t ever stop the training process.

You know the saying: the devil is in the details. The nicest of employees when engaging with others in the office may not display the same qualities when interacting with the unpleasant customer. The more information you can provide the employee on the expectations, the more likely he or she is to deliver as expected. At the same time, communicate the big picture and why great customer service matters.

Nextiva can help in the process by providing quality business VoIP solutions that ensure quality interactions. Simple and bundled packages are available for any sized business, right-fitting the technology with your needs. And while Nextiva can’t ensure your employees listen or deliver the quality service your customers expect, the company’s solutions will provide the quality connection.