JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
Providing exceptional customer service is sometimes easier said than done. These six strategies will help you do it right.
Many organizations say they provide great customer service, but their customers probably aren't nearly as satisfied as they think. Does your organization participate in the Interactive Customer Evaluation, or ICE, program? If so, are you measuring your service performance and using data to initiating internal and external process improvements? Are you learning from your process and experience mistakes?
Truly amazing service doesn't come from having a mantra or slapping on a smile when a customer walks in the door (though, sure, those things can help). It’s often about embedding a customer service mentality throughout your organization.
Many of today’s most successful companies have figured out how to make their customers elated and keep them coming back for more.
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Train employees to be focused on serving customer needs
Employees need to learn how to serve their customers most effectively and that takes training. This includes a mix of product or service knowledge training – so that they can answer questions about those products or services – but also lessons on how to work together most effectively and deal with real-life situations, such as an angry customer.
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Make training continuous – not a one-time event
Employee training at many organizations is often limited to the first few days or weeks on the job. But organizations known for having the best customer service make training a continuous process and embed strong customer service in its culture. Customer service training is ever evolving and should often be revisited.
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Build a culture around offering great service
Companies that want to stand out for their customer service often ingrain that quality throughout their organization, not just among their frontline employees. Every employee, from the bookkeepers to the computer technicians, needs to be on board. Remember to some degree we all provide an internal or external service.
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Focus on creating an amazing customer experience
Many organizations are so focused on their bottom line that they may overlook how their policies affect the customer experience. Take timeliness of service, for instance. Some customers abandon their positions in-line when there are higher-than-expected wait times. Yet many organizations and businesses continue to have lengthy and time consuming lines.
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Treat employees like gold
Great customer service can’t come with a double standard. Organizations that do it best know that they need happy, engaged employees to have happy customers.
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Make customer service fun and rewarding
Companies that expect their employees to provide great service also need to consider if they’re making it a rewarding and fun experience. The hope, of course, is that having upbeat employees will inevitably influence their customers and create an enjoyable customer service experience.
Are you ready to take your organizations customer experience to the next level? Join the team of over more than 350 ICE service providers across Joint Base San Antonio. Take the first step towards improving your internal and external service experiences throughout your organization. For more information, contact the JBSA ICE Site Administrator at 210-221-2543.