How to Provide Good Customer Service

How to Provide Good Customer Service 

Here are FOUR ways you can learn more about your customers and start to create a pattern of excellent customer service in your small business:

•  Know Your Product or Service

In order to provide good customer service, you need to know what you're selling, inside and out. Make sure you -- and all of your customer-facing staff -- know how your products or services work. Be aware the most common questions customers ask, and know how to articulate the answers that will leave them satisfied.

•  Be Friendly

As they say, customer service starts with a smile. When you are in a face-to-face situation, a warm greeting should be the first thing your customers see and hear when they ask for help. And even when handling customer service requests via telephone, a smile can come through in your voice, so make sure you're ready to be friendly.

• Say Thank You

Gratitude is memorable, and it can remind your customers why they shopped at your store or hired your company. Regardless of the type of business you have, saying thank you after every transaction is one of the easiest ways to start a habit of good customer service.

•   Train Your Staff

It's important to make sure all of your employees, not just your customer service representatives, understand the way they should talk to, interact with, and problem-solve for customers. Provide employee training that gives your staff the tools they need to carry good customer service through the entire customer experience.