How often, as a customer, do you experience WOW customer service … the type that you normally can’t imagine? If it is often, would you consider yourself an expert in customer service skills?
Average or less customer service seems like the norm in many industries. In some, it’s so common that when we provide great service, we yield customers who feel like they’ve won the lottery, if only for a moment. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Creating a customer service evangelist should not be rocket science, should it?
If you were asked to name the top 5-10 items that have the greatest influence on creating a customer service evangelist, what would your list include?
Our agency often runs customer experience/service design workshops, and this question is a key exercise in the workshop.
With that said, let’s get into some specific skills that every support employee can master to “WOW” the customers that they interact with on a daily basis…
Connect and give credence to every customer
This is critical. This is where you establish rapport and begin a relationship building process. Connecting means you’re building trust that runs both ways. Do this by engaging your customer.
Start by giving them your name and asking theirs.
Be interested in them and what they want. Ask questions. Listen. Respond appropriately. Have a conversation with them. Be genuine.
People know whether you are genuinely interested in helping them or not. If you are, they are more likely to respond positively to you and to develop trust with you. If you are not interested, they’ll sense it.
You’ll have a much harder time developing the trust you need to help them.
Customer service skills … Patience
If you don’t see this near the top of a customer service skills list, you should just stop considering customer service.
Derek Sivers explained his view on “slower” service as being an interaction where the time spent with the customer was used to understand their problems and needs better from the company.
If you deal with customers on a daily basis, be sure to stay patient when they come to you stumped and frustrated, but also be sure to take the time to figure truly out what they want — they’d rather get competent service than being rushed out the door!
Good customer service examples.
Pay special attention to complaints
Remember that complaints are often your best source of insights. In a recent article on Inc., Evernote CEO Phil Libin spoke about why he loves his most negative customers.
As he said in the article, customer feedback is great for telling you what you did wrong. It is not as effective on what you should do next.
Avoid criticizing specific employees but make sure everyone knows when there is bad news. Use it as a learning opportunity. Discuss what went wrong and how you might prevent it in the future.
Good service duties … attentiveness
The ability to listen to customers is essential to providing great service for some reasons.
Not only is it important to pay attention to individual customer interactions (watching the language/terms that they use to describe their problems), but it’s also important to be mindful and attentive to the feedback that you receive at large.
What are your customers telling you without saying it?
Gain insights
If you have a genuine conversation with your customer, you will discover insights into their wants and needs. Customers don’t always know what they want, or they might have trouble expressing it.
Often people know what they want, but they’re unsure how to get it. That’s where your engagement comes in.
By asking pertinent questions and paying attention to the answers, you can discover a lot about your customer. You can help guide them to getting what they want. That’s the role you fill.
Good customer service examples … clear communication skills
Make sure you’re getting to the problem at hand quickly; customers don’t need your life story or to hear about how your day is going.
More importantly, you need to be cautious about how some of your communication habits translate to customers, and it’s best to err on the side of caution whenever you find yourself questioning a situation.
Knowledge of the Product
The best forward-facing employees in your company will work on having a deep knowledge of how your product works.
It’s not that every single team member should be able to build your product from scratch, but rather they should know the ins and outs of how your product works, just like a customer who uses it every day would.
Without knowing your product from front-to-back, you won’t know how to help customers when they run into problems.
“Read” Customers
You won’t always be able to see customers face-to-face, and in many instances (nowadays) you won’t even hear a customer’s voice!
This skill is essential because you don’t want to misread a customer and end up losing them due to confusion and miscommunication.
Look and listen for subtle clues about their current mood, patience level, personality, etc., and you’ll go far in keeping your customer interactions positive.
Customer service skills.
Calming demeanor
There are a lot of metaphors for this type of personality: “keeps their cool,” “staying cool under pressure,” etc., but it all represents the same thing.
It represents the ability that some people have to stay calm and even influence others when things get a little hectic.
The best customer service reps know that they cannot let a heated customer force them to lose their cool; in fact, it is their job to try to be the “rock” for a customer who thinks the world is falling due to their current problem.
Goal oriented
This may seem like a strange thing to list as a customer service skill, but I assure you that it is vitally important.
When we empower employees, we note that many customer service experts have shown how giving employees the unfettered power to “WOW” customers don’t always generate the returns that many businesses expect to see.
That’s because it leaves employees without goals, and business goals + customer happiness can work hand-in-hand without resulting in poor service.
Handle surprises
Sometimes the customer support world is going to throw you a curveball.
Maybe the problem you encounter isn’t specifically covered by the company’s guidelines, or maybe the customer isn’t reacting how you thought they would.
Whatever the case, it’s best to be able to think on your feet… but it’s even better to create guidelines for yourself in these sorts of situations.
Persuasion skills
This is one a lot of people didn’t see coming!
Experienced customer support personnel know that often, you will get messages in your inbox that are more about the curiosity of your company’s product, rather than having problems with it.
To truly take your customer service skills to the next level, you need to have some mastery of persuasion so that you can convince interested customers that your product is right for them (if it truly is).
Tenacity
Call it what you want, but a great work ethic and a willingness to do what needs to be done (and not take shortcuts) are a key skill when providing the kind of service that people talk about.
The many memorable customer service examples out there (many of which had a huge impact on the business) were created by a single employee who refused just to do the “status quo” when it came to helping someone out.
Remembering that your customers are people too, and knowing that putting in the extra effort will come back to you ten-fold should be your driving motivation to never “cheat” your customers with lazy service.
What Have You Learned?
How about you? Do you have stories of people or companies that have completely “wowed” you with their customer service? Please join the conversation and share your thoughts.
Need some help in building better customer service for your customers? Have you noticed the growing importance of customer service you provide, especially for your marketing? Creative ideas to help enhance your word of mouth marketing?
Call today for a FREE consultation or a FREE quote. Learn about some options to scope your customer service improvement and pay for results.
Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas for your service to customers.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to improving your continuous learning for yourself and your team?
Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of your business. Find them on G+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
More reading on customer service from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
To increase your continuous learning actions, what skill would you choose? I would choose to increase learning by refreshing everyday skills. You still have plenty to learn before you’re a fully a developed person. Check out these James Patterson learning actions.
No one likes to be told they’re wrong or even that they could be doing something more effectively. Resenting the person critiquing you or completely ignore them is easy.
Nonetheless, to succeed in life, you should always accept criticism and always respond positively to it and never think ill of people who point out your mistakes.
Patience is real courage that tests your commitment to a cause. The path to great things is always tough, but the best leaders understand when to abandon the cause and when to stay the course.
If your vision is bold enough, there will be hundreds of reasons why it ‘can’t be done’ and plenty of doubters.
A lot of things have to come together—external markets, competition, financing, consumer demand and always a little luck—to pull off something big.
Honesty
When you’re late for an appointment, it’s tempting to pin the blame on gridlock or train delays.
Instead, just apologize. You don’t have to give details. ‘I planned poorly’ is a hundred times better than risking your integrity by insanely blaming traffic.
James Patterson learning actions … focus
It’s been said that leadership is making important but unpopular decisions. That’s certainly a partial truth, but I think it underscores the importance of interest.
To be a good leader, you cannot major in minor things, and you must be less distracted than your competition.
James Patterson learning actions … keep your promises
Maybe you told a friend you’d show up at his birthday party, or maybe you agreed to finish an extra assignment for your boss. Whatever the situation, you should make good on your word.
Break your promises, and people lose trust and faith in you, which, over time, is very hard to mend.
Challenge yourself to think before you speak in a meeting.
Insightfulness
It takes great insight to be able to separate that which is imperative for all the incoming fire. It’s like wisdom—it can be improved with time if you’re paying attention.
It’s inherent in a great leader’s character.
James Patterson learning actions … communicate effectively
No matter your career field, you can always improve the way you speak and write.
Think about ways to challenge yourself and tweak how you write an email or behave in a meeting.
As an example, during your next team meeting, resist talking about your idea or opinion right off the bat. Instead, count to five, and if you still feel like you have something relevant to contribute, speak up. On the flip side, if you’re shy, challenge yourself to say what you’re thinking, instead of remaining silent.
Always finds a way
Anyone that says, “It’s impossible. We can’t,” isn’t fit to lead. A real leader knows that there is always a way. It might not be the way anyone had originally planned for, but it’s a way nonetheless.
Great leaders find the roads less traveled, and do whatever needs to be done to get the collective over the obstacle ahead.
James Patterson learning actions … resiliency
The rest of your life is bound to include setbacks, sadness, and frustration (in addition to joy and excitement!). You should use your skills to figure out how to recover from mishaps.
This is a great time to experiment, fail, and bounce back. Learn how to ride out failure and persevere.
Show passion
You must love what you do. To be truly successful at something, you must obsess over it and let it consume you. No matter how successful your business might become, you are never satisfied and always push to do something bigger, better and greater.
Lead by example not because you feel like it’s what you should do, but because it is your way of life.
James Patterson learning actions … live within your means
I advise clients to think carefully about all their expenditures:
Luxuries are a wonderful thing only if you can truly afford them. Don’t be a slave to funding a lifestyle that will not last. Learn to live modestly and save up, and then you will have earned the right to purchase yourself some treats, in moderation.
Confidence
A leader instills confidence and ‘followership’ by having a clear vision, showing empathy and being an energetic coach. It helps to combine kindness and generosity with swagger and assertiveness, definitely tough but achievable. The two work well together in gaining respect.
James Patterson learning actions … learn from experiences
Learn from experiences.
Studying shouldn’t be limited to your time in school. It can be anywhere, anytime, and with anyone. Keep your mind wide open.
You should always be seeking out new ways to expand your mind.
Open-minded
One of the biggest myths is that good business leaders are great visionaries with dogged determination to stick to their goals no matter what. It’s nonsense.
The truth is, leaders need to keep an open mind while being flexible and adjust when necessary.
James Patterson learning actions … be a change agent
We often have a hard time imagining how much we’ll change in the future.
So it makes sense that it’s near impossible to plan where you’ll be a few years from now. But don’t fear change.
Expect to be surprised (hopefully pleasantly) by the way your life unfolds.
James Patterson learning actions … be optimistic
To achieve greatness, you must create a culture of optimism. There will be many ups and downs, but the prevalence of positivity will keep the business going.
You have to believe in making the impossible possible.
Decision making
The bridge that leads from analysis to action is effective decision-making — knowing what to do based on the information available.
While not being critical can be dangerous, so too can over-analyzing, or waiting for more information before making a decision.
If you’re more of an over-analyzer, consider trying an adapted version of the “gun test,” which Stanford engineering professor Bernard Roth wrote about in his book “The Achievement Habit.”
Pretend someones holding a gun up to your head and giving you 15 seconds to make a decision. You’ll be able to choose something — and it will release a lot of pressure.
James Patterson learning actions … negotiate
Author and podcaster James Altucher discuss the importance of developing negotiation skills. He refers specifically to the tips he learned from former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss.
Those tips include getting people to say “no” when you want them to say “yes ultimately.” For example, when you’re negotiating the terms of a job and not getting your way, you can ask the hiring manager, “Do you want me to fail?”
The answer is, obviously, no — and from there, you can start pushing for what you need.
Listening
‘By training yourself to be a better and ACTIVE LISTENER, you will be able to communicate more effectively and develop better relationships in life.
As Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable Local, previously told Business Insider, listening is the most important — and most underrated skill — in business and life.
If you want to develop your active listening skills, try “mindful conversation.” Two people pair up, and one person speaks for a set period while the other is completely silent. Then, the second person reflects on what the first person said until the first person feels satisfied. Finally, the two people switch roles.
The goal of the mindful conversation is to have less superficial interactions, to instead have interactions that leave you feeling like you and your conversation partner understood each other.
Need some help in capturing more improvements for your staff’s leadership, teamwork, and collaboration? Creative ideas in running or facilitating a team or leadership workshop?
Call today for a FREE consultation or a FREE quote. Learn about some options to scope your job.
Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy continually improving your continuous learning?
Do you have a lesson about making your learning better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add to the section below?
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
More reading on mentoring from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of a small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
