Extraordinary is the Word
At the beginning of each year, many individuals choose one word they hope will describe their upcoming year. As an organization, At Your Service Consulting has selected the word “extraordinary” for 2017. Dictionary.com defines extraordinary as beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established: extraordinary costs; exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, etc.; noteworthy; remarkable. Extraordinary customer service is that which goes above and beyond expectation. This does not always come naturally and should not come easily. Companies must purposefully provide extraordinary customer service.
When striving to be received as providing extraordinary customer service, remember you have to be intentional to be consistent. Understand that providing service above expectation is an investment into the future of your business. You may not see the return today, but implementing customer focused practices (like Nordstrom’s policy that allows everything to be returned) will certainly earn your company brownie points that keep people coming back.
Next to putting profits aside, walking a mile in your customer’s shoes is another great tool for designing an extraordinary customer service experience. When was the last time you went through the service process from start to finish as a customer? Have you found areas that could use improvement? What about your support systems? FAQs, Online Self-Help, Call Center, etc. Take a page out of online shoe retailer Zappos’ book. By empathizing with the customer Zappos was able to avoid a misstep that could have ended their business idea. By making returns simple and easy, Zappos provides extraordinary customer service.
Whether online or off, a spirit of helpfulness is necessary for customer service professionals. The title in itself is an indication of what the role will entail – service. It is imperative that representatives of your company take a caring approach to interacting with customers. By putting forth the energy it takes to care about a customer’s needs and desires, service professionals can curtail many negative interactions. When an individual is frustrated because a product didn’t work as expected or an item of clothing shrank in the wash, they contact the company to seek a resolution. Expressing sincerity when empathizing and quickly providing a valid solution will cause the customer to reevaluate the experience they have with your company.
Every customer deserves to be treated as a VIP of your business. They have chosen to spend their money with your company. In a world that is spoiled for choice, respecting and appreciating their decision to spend with your company is a great compliment that should be shared back onto the customer through white glove interactions. Despite the informality of society using Ms., Mr., Sir, or Ma’am can go quite a long way to expressing respect and gratitude. Whether they have purchased the cheapest product or most expensive service, remain engaged in the conversation, listen to their concerns, and provide extraordinary customer service.
At Your Service Consulting is prepared to provide you with extraordinary customer service training tools allowing you to provide extraordinary service for your customers. Contact us today for your customer service assessment.
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