When it comes to customer care services, you might be surprised by how many mistakes are made daily by even some of the biggest and best companies in the world. While many of these mistakes are considered minor, they can add up quickly when compounded over thousands or millions of customers and could ultimately lead to losing business or damaging your reputation beyond repair. For your company to offer the best customer service possible, you must avoid making as many of these seven common customer service mistakes as possible.
Customer contact can be one of the most fulfilling parts of your job, but it’s also easy to get it wrong and alienate your customers. Many customer service mistakes aren’t intentional, and you may not even realize you’re doing them until your customers tell you about them or you see negative reviews online. So before making another mistake that costs you money or leaves an unhappy customer behind, check out this list of seven customer service mistakes to avoid. Below are the seven common customer services mistakes:
Not Answering the Phone
It’s easy to get caught up in your work and forget that you need to answer the phone from time to time. There are so many ways to ensure you never miss a call, such as having an auto attendant, setting up a schedule for yourself, or even using an app. We all know that quality customer service is essential. And by answering your phone and talking with customers, you’ll be sure to provide good customer service!
Answer your phone. If you need more employees to answer calls, remember voicemail and text messaging. To provide good customer service, your customers need to know that you’re accessible and willing to help them with their needs. So be sure you answer calls regularly, no matter the time of day. It’s important! 🙂
Not Listening to customers’ concerns
The first mistake that many people make is not listening to their customers. Quality customer service means you must hear what your customer says and meet his needs. Good customer service means you are attentive and take the time to listen to your customers, understand their needs, and find a way to meet them. Ask questions, show empathy, and use active listening when interacting with your customers.
Being Rude to customers
- Responding to inquiries and complaints promptly
- Assisting with orders and returns
- Giving refunds as needed
- Offering promotions and discounts when appropriate
Not Asking for the Sale
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not asking for the sale. Asking for the sale will ensure that your customer feels satisfied and happy with their purchase. This goes a long way in establishing good customer service and gaining future customers. Remember, it’s not just about providing excellent customer service; it’s also about turning that into revenue.
Failure to have a Script
- What is your goal?
- What’s the problem?
- How did the problem happen?
- What are you going to do about it?
Failure to do follow up
Follow-up is the easiest way to create a quality customer service experience. This means that you let your customer know that you’re still on the line and are working to solve their problem, even if it takes an hour or two. If they haven’t heard from you in a while, they’ll be happy to hear back from you at any time.
Make it your business to check in with customers every so often.
How often? Well, that depends on what kind of service you are providing and how long it takes to respond to their questions. For instance, if you run a help desk, checking in daily may be sufficient. On the other hand, if you run a restaurant with a wait staff, checking in after each meal may be necessary.
Not Knowing Your Product
The only way to know what your customers want is to communicate with them. That’s why it’s essential to ask questions and listen – that way, you’ll know what they want, what they like, and how you can help them. Once you know these things, you’ll be able to provide quality customer service that will make your customers feel good about working with you.
Failure to be proactive
This is the most common mistake, and it’s a big one. It’s vital to provide good customer service. However, it should be evident that quality customer service starts before you even meet your customer. Did you take the time to research their needs beforehand? Did you have a plan of attack for their issues? If not, then this is where it all begins and ends for you.
Lack of understanding of customer behavior.
Poor customer service is a top reason customers give for not coming back. It’s also a common complaint from repeat customers. If you take the time to understand your customers, you’ll be able to provide quality customer service that meets their needs and exceeds their expectations.
Absence of Empathy
When you provide quality customer service, it’s vital that you show empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It’s not about agreeing with them or fixing their problem for them; it’s about understanding what they are going through so that you can help them move forward positively. This means listening attentively, asking questions, and acknowledging their feelings.
To improve your customer service, you must listen to your customers. If a customer complains about something, see what’s causing them frustration. What aren’t they getting from your business that they want? Are there other businesses in your niche that are meeting those needs? What can you do to provide better service than they offer? There are no stupid questions when it comes to understanding customers’ wants and needs because if you don’t know what they want, how can you give it to them?
