International Advice on Customer Service
In a series of ‘Interviews with the Experts’, five international customer service guru’s shared their experience and insights on what businesses can do to deliver great customer service.
These are their top tips:
Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and bestselling author who works with companies and organizations who want to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees.
Shep’s top 3 tips to create moment of magic
- Customer service is a philosophy that every employee must embrace
- If you want to train customer service it must involve everyone. People might be trained differently depending on their role, but everyone must understand their role, how they impact on customer service & be part of the culture
- If you are a leader you must be the role model that your employees follow. Treat your employees the way you want them to treat your customers.
Teresa Allen is a customer service speaker, author and trainer. She is widely recognised as one of the world’s top customer service experts and focuses on the common sense skills required to create customer loyalty and engagement.
Teresa’s top 3 tips for handling complaints:
- Keep calm & listen for the facts & not the feelings & respond with empathy not sympathy. Don’t immediately apologies until you know all the facts
- Find a solution – listen for the hint as to what they think the solution is and whether you can satisfy that or meet them in some way.
- Get their agreement that the problem has been resolved. Use ‘We’ language so that together you are coming to a solution that moves you both forward.
Resolving complaints effectively is an opportunity to get a better relationship with your customer.
Davina Mackail is a spiritual educator, shamanic seer and healer, dream expert, energy healer, feng shui and space clearing expert and alternative branding expert.
Davina’s top 3 tips for creating a positive environment
- Let the air in. Open all the windows and doors and create a fresh atmosphere that will encourage wellbeing and collaboration.
- Have plants in the office and keep them healthy. Plants do a lot to recycle the air and they create an environment full of life and growth.
- De-clutter. Less is more so have clear spaces that encourage light and movement. In a retail environment keep the doorway clear so people feel like they can walk in but have something striking that draw’s people in. These principles also apply in an office environment.
Chip Bell is considered a world-renowned authority on customer loyalty and service innovation. He has helped many Fortune 100 companies dramatically enhance their bottom line and marketplace reputation through innovative, customer-centric strategies.
Chip’s top 3 Tips to create customer and brand loyalty
- Know what your customer expects and matters most to them. Look for ways to get the insight on your customers mind-set, which can often come from the front line
- Look for ways to get your customers involved in your brand. Could be as simple as getting their feedback, sharing their stories, having an advisory group.
- Today’s customers want to learn & develop so look for ways to make your customer smarter, happier and more involved in your business.
Mike Aguilera is a communication expert specializing in subconscious communication techniques and rapport-building skills for business and leadership. He is a speaker, author, an executive coach and is a frequent guest of radio and TV programs in the USA.
Mike’s top 3 tips to great communication and building rapport
- Have a positive mind-set. If you expect good things you’ll project positively and be more likely to get a positive response.
- Watch people. By looking at the way people move and what they say you can mirror some of their mannerisms which will make them feel you are like them and in harmony with them.
- Ask questions so that people feel you care. When you talk to people you can pick up signals from them, how they feel, what worries or excites them, what makes them comfortable. Understanding these signals will help you create a relationship with them.
The ‘Interview with the Expert’ series was recorded by Claire Bosq-Scott, The Busy Queen Bee, for Customer Service Week 2016. For more information about Claire go to her website.