Customer Service: The Key to Success in a Struggling Economy

When the economy gets tough, the tough get… nice.

That’s right. When it comes to surviving a struggling economy, your customer service methods march front and center. Ace this important part of your business and reap the rewards. Muff it up and you risk losing customers and revenue.

Below are some tips on how to create a great customer service culture.

As Steven Covey wrote in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “begin with the end in mind.” That is, hire right right from the start. Take a look at your current successful customer service staff members. What attributes to they tend to share. As you hire more CS staff, hire more of your successful and happy current customer service pros.

“Rules? We don’t need no stickin’ rules!” We hope John Huston and his actors in The Treasure of Sierra the Madre forgive us, but we think appropriating and changing the famous “badges” quote works here: get rid of rules. Customers hate rules. Never let a CS staff member say, “I’m sorry, but that’s against company policy.”

Instead, give your CS staff the authority to make decisions about whether or not to accommodate a customer’s request. Empower your employees to do the right thing. They often will.

A little extra goes a long way. Imagine the delight of a customer when he or she gets an upgrade or a special discount. The goodwill your company receives far outweighs any money you may have lost.

Beat your customers…to an apology. If a mistake has been made, own up to quickly. Apologize sincerely. Offer to fix whatever went wrong. If you know a mistake’s been made before the customer comes back to you with it, take responsibility for it.

Underpromise and overdeliver. Or, to put it another way, give your customers more than they expect. Are rooms in your hotel empty? Upgrade a traveler to a better room. Warranty expired on a part or service? Replace it for free anyway. Get creative in your surprises…but don’t be surprised when see a big improvement in your bottom line as you beef up the quality of your customer service.

Test Arrow Staffing’s customer service skills and contact us when you need terrific people for your Inland Empire company for temporary or direct-hire assignments. We look forward to exceeding your expectations!

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