To every business venture that exists in this world, there is one very important element that cannot be overlooked. Without them, there will be no business! Sometimes, it is believed that their importance is slightly exaggerated because businesses are composed of several other important facets that work together to make the business successful.
They are the people who buy our products and use our services. The people for whom we work so hard to make happy. The people who bring us the revenue and profits we so desire. They are our CUSTOMERS!!! This week, all around the world, businesses are celebrating their customers and finding ways to make the businesses more efficient in order to better satisfy the customers. Africa’s leading online hotel booking website and travel advisors, Jumia Travel takes a critical look at some of the golden rules of customer service, that serves as a guide to attaining a better customer experience and leads to growth in businesses.
1. The Customer is always right – One of the very popular principles of good customer service. Understanding this basic principle goes a long way in making your customers happy in the end.
A happy customer is all your business needs to grow. There are many instances where the customer may not be right and it is tempting to get angry when he/she keeps claiming he is right. This can be very annoying especially when you are sure that you are on the right track. However, in order to make the customer happy and satisfied, we always have to swallow some pride and execute our duties effectively by accepting the blame and solving the problem at hand. When this is done, calm is restored and the customer will begin to appreciate advice from you for future occurrences.
2. Win the trust of the customer – People generally feel comfortable doing business with us or feel free to part away with money when they trust us completely.
In order to satisfy a customer, we have to ensure that the customer fully trusts us to always solve their problems and settle their needs. When they have issues with our products and services, they need to have the assurance that we will solve every issue and make the product or service work once again. It is only then that they continue to come to us when they need something related to our business.
3. Educate the customer – Some businesses have the tendency of being limited when it comes to customer education.
Sometimes the customer may have little or no knowledge of a product or service and even though it may be written on your website and on other platforms, they sometimes need to be educated or reminded. Customers always feel at home and are willing to spend if they are well educated or made to understand how certain products or services work. When we give discounts and other promos, it’s highly imperative that we educate our customers on the real benefits, usage and limitations of such gestures to ensure a smooth and effective customer experience.
4. Listen More & Talk Less – Two or more voices at once in a conversation of divergent opinions is usually chaotic and almost always doesn’t end well for the business.
The customer however can easily decide to patronize another shop or use another service. For the business, that is one customer and maybe ten other referrals lost. You should listen more to the customer and wait till they have expressed themselves fully before you make your statement. It is only through listening that you may get the real issues that the customer is seeking clarifications or solutions to. Understanding the problem is the first step to providing a viable solution and this is possible when you listen attentively to the customer at all times.
5. Always leave the customer with a smile – Finally, customer service should always end with a smile.
The final goodbye should only be said when the customer is happy with the product, service or solution provided. It is only when you leave the customer happy that you are sure he/she will return to do business with you again or refer your product or service to a friend or colleague. If you don’t have a solution available, make sure you leave the customer with hope or a positive vibe of the willingness to solve the issue. Customers never like to end up empty handed or with issues unsolved.
Submitted (Bennet Otoo)
