Great Customer Service Begins With…
Earlier, I published this basic customer service quiz designed for professionals to test knowledge and re-freshen on the basics. From the analysis of the results so far, a great number of respondents are performing poorly on the question –
When dealing with a customer face to face, you should first…
A. Greet them
B. Say ‘How may i help you?’
C. Have a neutral expression on your face
D. Ask them what they want
Hence the need for this post.
Great customer service, whether on the phone or in face to face setting always begins with a warm/friendly greeting. The reason for this is simple, a warm greeting sends a message to the recipient that they welcomed and appreciated, and creates the right first impression that sets the tone for the entire customer experience.
Even in your worst mood, when someone greets you with a genuine smile and sincerity, you would most probably respond and acknowledge the greeting. Warm greetings when delivered sincerely can be so powerful that it turns frowns into smiles and drastically lowers negative emotions. The power of a simple smile at this stage cannot be over emphasized (Read: The power of a simple smile)
As a customer service professional, you’re likely to start off on the wrong foot with a customer if you appear grumpy and miss this crucial step in your interaction and there is the risk that the customer will not make a purchase. Customers do not just want to hear words of greeting and see a smile on your face, they expect it (and your competition is doing it!).
How to deliver a warm greeting
Stop what you’re doing
Stop whatever it is you’re doing, even if it’s for a few seconds, you cannot deliver a warm greeting if you’re clicking away on the mouse or typing on the keyboard. You need to give the customer your full attention to show you acknowledge his/her presence.
Make good eye contact
Image credit: www.evenesis.comLook at the customer whom you’re greeting, nothing communicates indifference like mouthing a greeting while your eyes are glued to the computer screen or smartphone. Make good eye contact with the customer and
Smile
Smiling send a message to the customer that ‘we’re happy to see you’ even before you say your greeting. A greeting without a smile will do the opposite and send a message that it’s just something you’re required to do. It is important that the smile is genuine, people can see through fake greetings and smiles.
Being genuine and sincere is what makes a greeting warm and heartfelt. (It helps to imagine the person as an old friend you haven’t seen in years)
Greet
Image credit: www.styleresumes.comGreet the customer, personalized greetings work best as opposed to scripted greetings which the customers must have heard time & time again. If it’s possible, use the customer’s name or title – People love to hear their names mentioned in business establishments, it makes them feel really special and gives them a sense of “belonging”. If you do not know the name of the customer, you can leave it out.
I would prefer a “Good day (_________) how are you doing today?” over “Good day, how may I help you?” The first greeting indicates some level of interest in the customer as opposed to the “How may I help you line” that has become mundane in the field of customer service.
Remember, making customers perceive your brand as a friendly organization that makes them feel special, important, valued, and gives them a sense of belonging is the objective of great customer service. This makes warm greetings the first step towards that objective.
you cannot afford to ignore your customers!
I’d love to hear your opinion on this, how does your organization ensure customers are greeted warmly when they make contact with your brand?
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Very detailed and insightful. Keep it up.
Thank you Nkeiru, i definitely will
Excellent advice and remember you can hear a smile on the telephone the same greetings work
Absolutely Lynne. Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Great Insight
Detailed and Educating. Keep it up.
Thank you Otito. I’m glad you found it educating
I recently visited a shop in Chirnside Park where it was obvious as I walked around the store that the sales people had been trained to greet each person, introduce themselves then ask for the person’s name. A saleslady did this with me, but the service failed when in the following conversations she then asked me two more times for my name because she kept forgetting it and then handed me over to an expert who said she only had the same knowledge as the first lady and wasn’t an expert, it was just that the first lady wanted to go on her lunch break. They lost an $800 sale because of this. Didn’t make me feel particularly impressed and made me feel less important than lunch.
Wow. Thank you sharing this Sue, the lady dropped the ball there. Do not make your customers ever feel unimportant