In these extraordinary times, customer service is more important than ever. Keeping the customers you have is critical to your business’s survival. We’ve got some tips below for you, on how to up your customer service game.
If your doors are open, you are serving customers. Do you know how well you are serving them? Is your service experience average and expected? Or does it surprise and delight your customers? In these trying economic times, customer service is more important than ever.
Does Voice of the Customer Drive Your Service Decisions?
At many companies, the customer’s service experience takes a back seat to tasks and problems that seem more pressing. When is the last time you evaluated the protocols, processes, and procedures that impact customer experience? One powerful and immediate way to improve your service is to get ideas and advice straight from the source by capturing “Voice of the Customer” (VOC) feedback. Make it clear to your customers that their complaints, compliments, and comments will be carefully studied, appreciated, and valued. Here are some examples of companies that successfully seek out and apply what customers have to say.
- At Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, customer comments are proactively gathered each day and then shared with team members in briefings at the beginning of each shift. This gives both frontline and support employees the insights they need to provide better service and to more effectively respond to suggestions and problems.
- At Microsoft, the words and phrases people type into free-form comment fields is carefully studied every day. Their objective in listening to this verbatim text is to discover new drivers of customer satisfaction and shape the service Microsoft provides.
- At San Diego International Airport, a large sign and a stack of attractive forms awaits travelers at baggage claim. The sign simply asks, “How are we doing?” and the forms ask a single question: “What can we do to make your next visit more enjoyable?”
Read on, Part 2...