Businesses will eventually fail to establish a successful name for themselves if they have a reputation for presenting poor customer service. Following these proven customer service tips can quickly improve areas of customer service in which your business may be deficient and also help employees understand the importance of good customer service. Responding to all customer inquiries in a timely manner—failing to respond to customer questions or complaints will inevitably spell doom for your business. People will not hesitate to inform family and friends about a particularly bad experience with a business that never “got back” with them following an attempt to contact the business. Employees who pass the blame—good customer service means that employees do not care whose fault it is when something goes wrong with a customer's order. Responsible employees care about satisfying the customer regardless of whether they were personally involved in a communication mix-up, the sale of a malfunctioning product or bad service. Poor customer service always results in assumptions that are difficult to change. Making a good first impression—any list of customer service tips always includes the importance of making a good impression. Customers assisted by employees who are sloppily dressed or who appear to care about the customer as much as a con artist cares about playing fair are not likely to return. Research into how long it takes for customers to form first impressions of a company and its employees found that within the first 20 to 30 seconds of talking to or meeting an employee, most customers decide whether they intend to patronize the business in the future. Establishing relationships with customers—making customers feel welcome, comfortable and important is a great example of good customer service. Find out the customer's name and always remember to refer to that customer by name each time he or she uses your business. Engage in small talk, learn about the customer but avoid making the customer think he is being “used” to make a sale. Finally, don't expect all customers to fully understand technical jargon associated with computers, smartphones and televisions. Describe how something works using layman's language and remain patient when customers request further clarification. Chances are if a customer fully understands a product, they will probably decide to purchase it. Information provided courtesy of
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