How many times can you remember getting bad customer service. Quite a few I would imagine, especially if you are living in the UK! Take the restaurant business for example. Waitress/waiter service in the UK is somehow a second-class occupation. In France, Spain and Italy it is encouraged as a good career option. It’s not just the restaurant industry where we score particularly badly when it comes to customer service though. The Institute of Customer Service claims that poor service costs the UK economy £15.3 billion a year. With the service sectors representing 76% of the UK economy this has to be a big problem. Why would anyone want to go back to a business that doesn’t treat them well?

Some customer service mistakes are more common than others, so if you think your staff need reminding of the most important things to remember why not remind them of the most common problems to avoid.

Nobody even noticed me

Make sure all of your staff are trained to recognise your customers immediately, even if they are with another customer they should still acknowledge them. I have lost count of the times that I have felt frustrated waiting for someone to notice me. A smile, a nod of the head, eye contact or a brief but friendly acknowledgement is all that is needed will let the person waiting know that you have seen them and will soon be with the. Everyone from the cleaners to the CEO should acknowledge customers as soon as they can. No matter what your position, every business is in the customer service business.

Nobody is listening to me

Even when a customer approaches you in the middle of your peak time to complain or offer a comment, you should make it a priority to stop and listen. Nothing is more infuriating than not being heard, particularly when you have a genuine grievance about something. Stop everything and listen to your customer and clients.

Nobody knows what good customer service is

It’s important that your employees all share the same idea of what good customer service is. Consider sending your employees on a Customer Service Training course, just to ensure that they know how important it is and they are all singing form the same song sheet.

Never assume your employee know what it means to give good service. Employers and managers need to  explain what it means to them and to the company. Remember that your employees this is incredibly important because your employees are the face of your business.

Nobody appreciates me

Consider deploying some kind of loyalty scheme, it can be a simple as supplying cards that are stamped, it’s a great incentive to get customers to come back, it makes customers feel connected to your business.

Don’t forget that Social Media channels are a great platform for this. Rewards don’t have to be products, engaging with your customers online will make them feel appreciated. It’s a good indicator that you care about your clients and that you are there to deal with any problems should they arise. Social Media is all about sharing, if you treat your customers well they are likely to share their experience with others online.

Nobody cares if I’m happy or not

Making recommendations of useful products or services can be a great way to engage with your customers and to remind them that you are still thinking about them. Ask for feedback, did they find your recommendations or suggestions useful. try and initiate dialogue.

For larger organisations in the IT industry – ITIL service management

If you are a large organisation you should consider ITIL service management. ITIL is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world. An ITIL foundation course covers:

• The concept of “Service”
• The concept of “Service Management”
• Understanding Customer Requirements and building relationships
• The concept of “Good Practice”
• The process model and process characteristics

Conclusion

Following these examples will help you start building greater relationships with your customers and establish trust. Ultimately you need to keep your customers happy if you want them to come back.

Silicon Beach Training in Brighton provide sceduled and incompany training in customer service. They provide ITIL training including the ITIL v3 Foundation course, as well as the ITIL v3 Intermediate training courses and the Service Lifecycle, Service Capability & Managing Across the Lifecycle (MALC) modules.