7 Basic Principles of Good Customer Service: 2. Be Nice
When it comes to providing good customer service, the majority of businesses and brands have left a bad taste in the mouths of consumers. Businesses and brands put more emphasis on selling to consumers than they do in helping support consumers after the sale.
That after-the-sale service is what we like to refer to as “customer service.”
Due to the inequalities on both sides of the sale, customers have come to expect certain pains when dealing with customer service. These pains are:
- Long, unnecessary holds or waiting periods
- Inefficient customer service personnel
- An overall impersonal experience
These pains sometimes cause consumers who contact customer service to be slightly on edge and even downright mean. Regardless, it’s important for customer service representatives (and consumers) to be kind to one another.
Kindness is contagious (and effective)
The Journal of Applied Social Psychology published a study in which researchers tested the effect mints have on increasing tips for waiters and waitresses (against those who did not give mints).
The waiters and waitresses who gave mints to their customers as a small token of kindness received 23% higher tips than those who did not give mints.
Consider that as you pick up the phone, answer an email, respond to a tweet, or greet a customer that needs your help. In order to succeed at providing good customer service, be nice.
Originally published at blog.comnio.com on September 23, 2014.
