One of the most common frustrations customers have in taking up a customer service issue is being able to easily find how and who to contact.
Respond
Let's face it, most people don't complain. But when they do, they expect you to respond in a reasonable amount of time. So what is reasonable? A good rule of thumb for phone or email response is either same business day or at worst next business day. There is nothing more infuriating than waiting for someone to call you back for days (or weeks) and having to give up more time in follow up calls or email.
Listen
One of the most basic of human desires is to be listened to. It is critical to listen to your customers questions or concerns without being overly defensive or jumping in with your response. Give them a fair hearing.
Website
Your website should provide an easy avenue for customers to make contact with you. The use of a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page can often answer many questions online and possibly reduce the need for a customer to contact you. Terms & Conditions being available online also assists here. Make it easy for customers to find the contact details on your website.
Help
Try and adopt a helping mindset when listening to customer enquiries. In demonstrating that you want to help often takes the sting out of their tone and greatly assists in you remedying their problems.
Flexibility
The ability to be flexible in customer service is key. There are always new issues and challenges that arise in serving your customer so try and be flexible and creative in coming up with solutions.
Fairness
Above all be fair. If it is something that can be fixed quickly, fix it immediately. If their issue cannot be resolved immediately, make a clear commitment to come back to them within an agreed time period with a suggested resolution.
Care
You care about your business and your customers are the lifeblood of your business. If you genuinely demonstrate care about them as customers and in answering their enquiry it represents both you and your business in the best possible light. Some of the greatest advocates and promoters of business come from individuals that had a great customer service experience after initially being unsatisfied.
Remove barriers
Use of barriers such as automated phone systems that keep people on hold, unfair company policy and the Privacy Act to not provide information to customers is unfair. It just sends people insane.
Be happy not right
In choosing to be happy not right, you take the sting out of a confrontation. Not only does it do that, but you walk away from the encounter without carrying any anger and aggression into your next customer interaction.
Contingency plans
The customer isn't always right. You won't resolve every customer's issue to their satisfaction. Customers that swear at you, threaten you or generally go feral can't be helped. Some people just love to complain and no amount of rational discussion or offers to fix things is going to work. So just do your absolute best but sometimes be prepared to have to walk away and lose a customer.