4 Biggest Customer Service Mistakes ? and How to Fix Them | 5 ...

Your customers? experiences with your business can either help or hurt your brand?s image ? and it?s your job as the company leader to identify any areas of concern. When you take the time to examine your company for any customer service snafus, you have an opportunity to improve your business and maintain a good reputation among your customer base. What are the top five customer service mistakes and how can they be easily fixed?

Mistake #1: Treating Customers Like Unknowns

Customers want to feel valued and significant. This is particularly true with long-time, loyal customers who buy frequently, refer your business to their friends, share information about your products on social networks and basically serve as your brand advocates wherever they go.

These customers require special handling, because it only takes one bad experience for them to turn on you ? and go on to share their bad experiences with their social circles.

One mistake that some businesses make is to change their business procedures and neglect to factor these customers into the new way of doing things. For example, if you have been offering a rewards program and you suddenly decide to eliminate it without warning, your loyal customers will get frustrated the next time they try to take advantage of it.

How to fix it: Always consider your customers before making any changes in your business. Look at it from their point of view, and you might find there?s a better way to make changes, trim costs, and increase efficiencies without impacting your valued customer base. Ask yourself this question: Does this change serve my customers, or only my company?

Mistake #2: Poor Communication

Your work does not end once customers make a purchase. In many ways, it is just beginning. After the purchase is the time to follow up and make sure customers are 100% satisfied. If a customer buys from your website, you also must ensure the product reaches the customer in a timely manner.

Imagine how frustrated your customer would be if, for example, she paid for a service and was promised a certain delivery time frame. What happens if once the service is completed, it is not what she wanted and there is no time to fix it? She?s going to be quite peeved.

How to fix it: For starters, make sure your due date has a little cushion. As you get closer to the date you may find that you need more time, take swift action to remedy the situation. Offer to discount it, refund the purchase, or even comp the service ? and make sure you follow up again to ensure she is 100% satisfied.

Mistake #3: Assuming All Is Well

Did you know that your customers might secretly be seething? While some customers will be vocal about their complaints, others simply will not say anything and will take their business elsewhere without a word. Unless you proactively survey your customers on their experiences, you might never know how to improve.

How to fix it: Offer regular customer surveys as part of the buying process. Many companies use online surveys (I recommend Survey Monkey), which make it easier to complete. Tie it in with a special offer, such as 10 percent off a future purchase for completing the survey, and you get not only feedback, but also repeat business.

Mistake #4: Not Being Totally Honest

You know those commercials where the announcer states a bunch of terms and conditions at the end ? way too fast, so you can?t really make out what they?re saying? This is not the way you want to handle your communications with customers.

If you have service terms, you must be sure to state them upfront. If you don?t, customers will get upset later if they have to jump through hoops to get things rectified.

How to fix it: Be clear in all of your communications about any terms and conditions concerning purchases. It?s not a bad idea to add these terms to your contract or to feature it prominently on your website.

When your customers are happy, it?s reflected in your bottom line. By identifying any mistakes you might be making with your customers, you can take swift action to remedy them ? and ensure that customers keep returning to your business for their future needs.

Source: http://5starbusmgmt.com/biggest-customer-service-mistakes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=biggest-customer-service-mistakes

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