Great Customer Service Begins With…

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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.

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Make good eye contact

Image credit: www.evenesis.com

Look 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.com

Greet 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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Kelechi Okeke
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