Five Attitudes to Great Customer Service

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Attitude goes a long way in both work and personal life; it affects the way we perceive events and react to them. As a customer service professional your attitude to customers impacts the quality of service rendered and the customers’ overall perception of your work place. Here are five important attitudes that lead to great customer service

#1. Love your customers

For real, learn to treat all customers you come across with genuine care, imagine them as extended members of your family if you have to.  This will enable them warm up to you. From the moment you start talking, you should aim to make the customer feel connected to you; this attitude ensures that you genuinely care about the customer’s needs and your customers will be comfortable and feel like they are in the right place.

#2. Put in a little extra

Consistently look for opportunities to put in a little extra when you interact with customers. This not only distinguishes your organization from competition, but it also makes you stand out amongst your colleagues.  Don’t forget that it is the little extra that makes the difference between ordinary and extraordinary. Little things like escorting a customer to his car with an umbrella on a rainy day or walking them to an office instead of giving directions might seem small, but they are the differentiating factors between mediocre and great service

#3. Put yourself in their shoes

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Empathy plays an important role in complaints resolution, the ability to empathize effectively will enable you to connect effectively with customers when they have a complaint or are upset about a perceived service failure. Putting yourself in the customer’s shoes helps you to relate to the upset Customer and envision his/her situation from his/her perspective, giving you a clear idea of what the problem is and what can (or cannot) be done to salvage the situation. Customers respond well when they can see that you care, and they will remember you and your organization positively.

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#4. Always use positive language

Using positive language tends to reduce conflict and improve communication. Consciously make use of positive language to explain problems and offer solutions to customers, even when you have to share negative news. For instance instead of saying;
“You cannot have more than one account” it sounds better to say “You’re entitled to just one account”

#5. Present alternatives

Always present customers with suitable alternatives whenever certain requests or services cannot be rendered. Don’t just tell the customer; “There’s nothing we can do” or “That can’t be done”, when people hear such phrases they instantly tune you out.
Say something like; “Although we can’t do this, we can do xyz” or “Unfortunately we can’t do this, but we will…”. Remember you are there to provide solutions for the customers, this might entail you think creatively to present the best alternatives that would still meet the customer’s needs.

Bonus: Be Positive

The energy of a positive attitude produces cooperation and helps a team reach customer satisfaction goals. A positive attitude enhances communication between you and the customers. People remember being treated well. They recognize and appreciate courtesy and kindness, and they will come back for more.

Customer service is an attitude, and it is important that as a professional you develop the proper attitudes that would enable you build great relationships and excel in your career.
Encouraging employees to imbibe these attitudes will go a long way in improving customer satisfaction in your organization.

I’d love to hear your take on this, what other attitudes do you think are necessary for excellent customer service?

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Kelechi Okeke
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