Customer service is something we experience every day, whether it’s a lack of or someone going above and beyond. It shapes our opinion of a company in a heartbeat and with the rise in social media, reviews can put you off even stepping through the door of some establishments.
As an employee, its your responsibility to give the best customer service you can. However, it doesn’t come naturally to everyone so below are our top 5 tips on customer service basics!
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Service with a smile! – It sounds simple, however after a long shift of smiling and chatting to customers it can become a bit exhausting. Whether your job is face to face or over the phone, smiling makes you appear much more friendly and inviting and changes the tone of your voice.
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Speak up! – When speaking with customers it is always good practice to speak as clearly as possible. Mumbling can make you sound bored or like you don’t care about the service you are selling. Speaking clearly can avoid any misunderstanding between you and the customer which leads to clear, honest service.
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Eye contact! – Making and keeping good eye contact (without staring) is a great way of building customer rapport. If you are looking away or dodging eye contact it can make it look as though you are being dishonest or trying to avoid engaging with people.
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Its nice to be nice! – When people complain about customer service it is highly unlikely they would moan about someone being too friendly. By relaxing and talking in a friendly manner, people will warm to you quicker so that, if a problem does then arise, they will speak to you in the same manner in which you spoke to them.
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Put yourself out there! – When customers walk into a workplace they don’t know the area in the same way that you might. Remember you may not have known the right place to go or who to speak to on your first visit, so be the one to approach them. Engage with people as soon as they have walked through the door otherwise they may feel unwelcomed.