Kevin Gray: Tips on Delivering the Best Customer Service for Consumers
While price, location and product quality are important players in a business’s overall success, recent consumer surveys consistently rank customer service as the driving factor behind user satisfaction.
In this era of technology, websites like Yelp, Angie’s List and Google Review have furthered the necessity to cultivate positive consumer experiences. While bad reviews can quickly bring the end of a business, positive reviews as a result of excellent customer service often give a venture the leverage it needs to thrive. Most customers today will take the time to look up online reviews before deciding if they want to utilize the company or service.
Outside of these benefits, delivering the best customer service possible also inspires loyalty and keeps happy customers coming back, ensuring the success of a business. During his time serving as a facility manager in the management industry, Kevin Gray has learned the importance of heightening the customer experience. Today, he details a few tips for delivering the best service possible.
Be Knowledgeable
As stated by Kevin Gray, all team members should be educated on the product or service being provided and able to concisely articulate its specifications, highlights, and features to the customer. This entails being aware of commonly asked questions and any other concerns which regularly arise.
Most of all, during engagements with a potential customer, if the staff member does not know the answer to a question relating to the product or service, it is essential not to merely take guesses. While maintaining an attitude of confidence, you should instead assure the customer that you’ll investigate the matter further and proceed to deliver answers in a timely manner. This can be accomplished either by offering to get back to them or by finding another employee who does know the answer to the question and having them talk to the customer.
Be Approachable
As social creatures, much of human-to-human interaction is conveyed not in what is said, but what is left unsaid; when it comes to being approachable and friendly towards customers, body language is of key importance.
Kevin Gray reminds those interacting with consumers to always exhibit welcoming, friendly body language. This includes making appropriate eye contact and smiling genuinely. Additionally, remain conscious of your tone of voice, especially when engaging on the phone. In every way possible, staff members should exude cordiality, warmth, and charisma to everyone they interact with.
Ask Questions and Accept Feedback
Excellent customer service means actively listening to the consumer’s needs and desires. Unfortunately, these needs and desires are often left unvoiced. That’s why, in cultivating satisfactory customer experiences, it’s essential to regularly ask questions.
According to Kevin Gray, intuitive questioning engages the consumer and helps you to understand how to best meet their needs. Open-ended inquires such as “What other questions do you have?” can serve as an excellent tool in delivering the best customer experience possible.
Additionally, always accept feedback mindfully and with consideration. Never counter-argue, make excuses, or attack the customer in any way. Instead, think how you can best implement your consumer’s response to better your business practices. Remember, feedback is your most useful asset. It can be used to better your customer service skills and boost business.
