Customer Service Communication Tips

June 24, 2008 By Mary White

How does your company’s communication style stack up when it comes to customer service communication? Chances are that you and your employees think you provide great customer service. The real test of effective customer service, however, lies not with what you and your team members think. It’s what your customers think that tells the tale about whether or not your communication is truly customer oriented.

Telephone Greeting – When the telephone is answered in your company, are the needs of the customer taken into consideration? Do you and your employees greet your customers warmly and sincerely? Do you speak very clearly when saying the company name, so there’s no question about whether or not your customers have dialed the right number? Is the tone with which you answer the phone positive and upbeat without sounding scripted and fake? When customers call your place of business, it’s important to make sure they are greeted properly and treated with respect. After all, in many cases your company’s telephone greeting forms the basis for your company’s first impression.

Telephone Etiquette – Is your telephone answered after no more than three rings? Before placing customers on hold, do you ask for permission? If you do ask for permission, do you wait for customers to answer before hitting the hold button? Nothing conveys disrespect faster than asking a customer for permission to place him or her on hold, then letting the customer hear the click of the hold button before even being given a chance to verbally respond. Make sure you use the same common sense manners when interacting with your customers by phone than you would if they were standing right in front of you.

Face to Face Communication – When customers come in to your place of business, do you and your employees take steps to make them feel welcome? Do you treat your customers as if they are valued and important, or do you give them the impression that their presence is keeping you away from taking care of something more important than their needs? Keep in mind that you wouldn’t have a business if you didn’t have customers, so make sure to give them your full and undivided attention when you have the chance to do so.

Underpromise and Overdeliver – The number one source of customer dissatisfaction is unmet expectations. Don’t promise your customers things that you aren’t certain you can deliver. One of the most important customer service communication tips to keep in mind at all times is that part of your job is to make sure that your customers have realistic expectations of what you can do for them. By making sure that customer expectations are realistic, you’ll set the stage for making certain that you never have to deal with easily avoidable customer disappointment.

Posted in Customer Service