In the past few postings, I have been examining various aspects and tips for what it takes to truly succeed in the customer service industry. At various times I have touched upon the issue of communication, and the importance of being able to professionally and politely handle the types of situations you may run into. At this time I would like to focus a little more on the importance of communication, and what some of the important skills are in this area of service.
When dealing with other people, regardless of the scenario or circumstance, communication skills are always important. If the two of you cannot effectively communicate, then all sorts of confusion and problems may occur. One of the important first steps in communicating, is to have a knowledge and common understanding of the terms used. I have seen this issue become a major mess in discussions, when one of the participants has a slightly different idea of the definition of the term being discussed. So, from the get-go, you need to make sure you are on the same page with the customer. This also means you need to try to avoid using specific lingo that the customer may not be privy to or may not understand the meaning of the terms. Keep it simple, and define the terms so that you and the customer start off on the same page.
If you are dealing with an aggravated customer, remember that people in an angry state of mind do not always act or speak in the same rational way they would when calm and collected. If you allow yourself to get "sucked in" to that anger and attitude, then you too will probably lose your cool and your proper bearing of thought. It is important for you to remain level headed and to control the situation and guide it to a calm and reasonable conclusion. As the saying goes, it takes "two to tango," and likewise it takes two to argue. If you fight fire with fire, you get a hotter fire - so it is important that you douse the fire with calm and respectful words. Restore a balance to the communication and you can reach a resolution to the issue; doing the opposite will jeopardize the relationship with the customer and in the long run, your company, which is to be avoided.
I know I have mentioned this before, but honesty is important in customer service. When you try to pull one over on a customer, for whatever reason, it is something that will most likely come back to bite you. This is also where an importance of defining and knowing the terms when communicating comes into play. Maybe you were not trying to be purposely deceptive, but a lack of understanding in exactly what the customer desires, due to terminology issues, may lead you to suggest an improper solution that will eventually aggravate the customer and lead to additional issues. Keep it real, keep it honest, and watch out for the customer's interest and not always just the financial score; that is how to best grow your business. Quick but dishonest sales may look good on the front end, but they rarely lead to long-term success for a business.
Put yourself in the customer's shoes - BE the customer, and see how you would feel with the way you provide service to others. Think of the old golden rule, "do unto others as you’d have others do unto you" and seek to apply that to your dealings with all customers. Provide the best experience, just like you would expect if you were on the other end of the situation. Keeping these standards in mind will lead to providing better service and long term health for your company.
Jeff McCormack resides in Virginia Beach, VA. where he works as a web designer by day. In his off time he is a husband, father, and musician. Aside from being a freelance writer for this Customer Service Jobs blog, he also seeks to assist in career choices and information by contributing to other Nexxt blog sites.
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