There is a very special relationship between a business and its customers or clients. This is a relationship which is beneficial on both sides, but there is far more reliance upon the side of the business to meet the needs of every single customer or client.

Put simply, if a business doesn’t please its customers/clients, it fails! 

It’s really that cut and dried. 

There are many different facets which make up the entire customer service story, and it’s important to grasp the basics of each at the very least. We’re always told that the “customer is always right”, and whilst we’re going to explore whether or not that’s always entirely true, it’s an ethos you need to keep in your mind and twist a little; you need to make them think they’re right and do what you can, even if they’re actually very wrong!

This guide is going to cover the basics you need to know about customer service as a whole. We’re going to define what customer service is, why it reflects positively or negatively upon a business, and how to achieve it. We’re going to cover the important dos and don’ts, and at the end of it all, you should have a much clearer idea of how to possibly improve your current customer service routine, and ensure you maintain your current client base, without upsets or problems.

Creating the right impression isn’t all about purchasing the best executive luxury office furniture and the best marketing campaign, it’s also about how you deal with people on a human basis. 

First things first, let’s define the subject we’re talking about. 

What is Customer Service?

To break it down, customer service is the support you give to your customers or clients before, during, and after a sale or order. This can include dealing with complaints and problems, but that doesn’t make up the whole story. Customer service is also about helping customers and clients make the right choice in terms of the product or service they purchase from you, ensuring they receive their order on time, helping them with any queries or questions they have, and giving them advice if required. 

Good customer service really does come down to the basics, such as:

• Politeness
• An eagerness to please
• In-depth knowledge about the products and services you’re providing
• Knowing the type of people who make up your customer or client base, e.g. what they want and what they look for
• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills, e.g. understanding their need for privacy during a discussion and perhaps going somewhere private, such as booths or office desk pods 
• Communication skills

These are the traits and skills which every single business needs to show its customers or clients, and that means the employees who are sitting at your office chairs need to be able to exhibit these traits on a daily basis. Of course, many of those traits are probably already there, such as politeness, communication skills and an eagerness to please, but the in-depth knowledge of what you’re providing is something that will need to be developed over time. 

When a new employee joins your business, the first part of their induction should be about familiarising themselves with the products and services your business provides, so they can pass this knowledge on to customers and clients who may have questions or a problem that needs to be resolved. 

If a customer calls the office to complain about a problem and they are answered by an employee who has very little knowledge about the services your business provides, this is going to further annoy the customer. Allowing customers to see that you take your business seriously will help to resolve problems far quicker and will go a long way in terms of ensuring that they remain with your business and don’t move towards one of your competitors. 

So, to sum up, customer service is the support you give to your customers and clients, either existing or prospective. Of course, this works hand in hand with providing them with the best impression of your entire space and the business you do, such as opting for impressive glass desks and decor, but it’s also about how you interact with the people who purchase your goods and services. 

Now we have a definition, let’s move on to why it’s so vitally important. 

How Customer Service Reflects on Your Business 

Most people try their best to avoid making complaints. Despite what you may think, customers don’t want to complain! A customer or client will only call to discuss a problem if they really feel annoyed by something, or they are concerned. In that case, it’s important to allay those problems and fears by using the right language, the right tone, and offering the right solution. 

In order to do that, employees need to have specific customer service training. If this doesn’t happen, the whole issue could reflect badly on the business as a whole. 

Customer service affects the following:

• Customer loyalty
• Attainment of new customers
• Word of mouth marketing
• Business reputation 
• How many customers or clients do business with you, versus your competitors

One of the biggest issues reported by customers or clients is not being able to reach the person they need to speak to when they have a problem. For instance, imagine that you have purchased a product from a business but there is an issue with it. You want to contact the person who you dealt with during the sale because they understand your requirements best. Despite your best efforts, you cannot get past the automated system when you attempt to call. 

What does this do? It makes you angry! It further exacerbates the problem and turns a small issue into a huge one instead. As a result, when you finally do get through to someone, you’re so angry at the difficulty in actually getting to that point, you’ve either forgotten what your original, small problem was, or it’s become a real deal-breaker in terms of whether you purchase from that business again. 

As you can see, something as small as not being able to speak to someone easily can cause a customer or client to move away from your business. Can you imagine if 50 people make the same decision, or maybe 100? Those customers will go to your competitors instead, all because of an issue which could have been totally avoided. 

Check out this infographic which highlights this problem; showing the results of a survey of 2000 British customers trying to make contact with a call centre. 

Source - https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt4f29123a87c48c8b/blt9c94571d78d320d5/5c45c018b91090e94ccb3c28/UK-Customer-Survey-Infographic_v4.png

When a customer doesn’t receive the answers to questions prior to purchase, they will take their business elsewhere. When a customer doesn’t receive the appropriate aftercare, they will probably never do business with you again, and may tell their friends and family not to either. Shoddy customer services reflects on the goods and services you provide - if your service is shoddy, perhaps your goods and services are too! 

Can you see how damaging this can be?

Put simply, customer service is a vital part of your business profitability and growth. The ironic thing is that knowing how to provide quality customer service is actually very simple. There are no difficult to learn the kills you need to obtain, it’s really about politeness, dealing with people as human beings, and doing what you can to help. Of course, you need to know about the goods and services you’re providing, but we would hope that’s a given! 

13 Traits of High Quality Customer Service

Now we know that customer service is and why it’s so important, including how it reflects back on a business, let’s get practical. Here are 13 traits of high quality customer service, with a little advice on how to ensure your business exhibits them time and time again. 

The ability to be patient 

Sometimes when a customer calls they will not get straight to the heart of the problem. They may need to blow off some steam and perhaps rant a little before they tell you what the issue is at its very core. It’s vital to be patient and allow the customer to tell their story completely, even if it is very long-winded. 

Really listen to the issue

Customers want to know that you’re taking their problem seriously. It may not be the world’s biggest issue in the world to you, but to them, it’s a massive problem. With that in mind, use the patience we just mentioned to really listen and show the caller that you’re doing exactly that. Nod your head, keep eye contact, make agreeable noises, and reassure them that you’re taking in everything they’re telling you. 

Communicate clearly and carefully 

When a customer is irate they’re going to be extremely sensitive to anything you say, or the way you say it. With this in mind, it’s important to be mindful of your language and your tone of voice, as well as body language if you’re physically next to the person, perhaps listening to their problem on the other side of the blue glass reception desk. 

You should also be very mindful of making promises that you cannot fulfil, as this will further infuriate the customer. 

Understanding the products and services you provide 

Employees need to understand every single product and services provided by the organisation, in order to best help customers with problems or questions. They are going to see very clearly if your employees are lacking knowledge and as a result, they won’t have faith in your ability to solve the problem at hand. 

Remain calm under pressure 

It’s very likely that from time to time you’re going to come into contact with an irate customer or client. It’s important to remain calm and not either become irate yourself, or allow them to see that you’re intimidated or affected. Staying calm under pressure is vital, and this in itself could be enough to diffuse the situation, so you can get to the heart of the problem and do your best to help. 

In addition, it’s also important to have a calming attitude and presence. This will help to calm down the customer or client, and therefore help you get to the bottom of the problem much faster and more effectively. 

Positivity at all times

Positivity is infectious. When a customer or client has a problem or they have a question, positive language will help them gain trust in you as a business, and believe that you’re going to solve the problem or give them the information they need. 

For instance, if the customer is trying to order a product but it’s out of stock, rather than just telling them the product isn’t available and ending the conversation, say something like “I’m afraid the product is unavailable right now, but it will be available next week. I could place an order for you now so you get it as soon as it’s back in stock if you would like?” You’re then resolving the problem positively whilst ensuring that the customer doesn’t have unrealistic expectations. 

Able to read body language 

In some cases, body language won’t be an issue, e.g. if you’re sat on your designer office chair and you’re taking a telephone call from a customer. However, if you are speaking face to face with a customer or client, it’s important to be able to read their body language, as this will give you clues into how they are feeling and what the real issue may be. 

We’re going to dedicate a section to body language shortly, to help you know what to look for and diffuse any situation before they erupt. 

Understanding what your customers and clients want

Whilst you can’t know every individual, it’s important to understand your demographic. What do your customers usually want? Why do they purchase your goods and services? What type of age group are they? What is important to them? By knowing the answers to these questions and understanding your target demographic, you’ll be able to calm the waters of any problems and give your customers and clients the service they need from start to finish. 

The ability to think on your feet

You might be surprised with an issue which is presented to you, something you’ve never dealt with before. As a result, you need to be able to think on your feet and show the customer or client that you’re completely professional and understand their query. 

It might also be that you read their body language or their tone of voice incorrectly and they simply don’t react in the way you predicted. As a result, being able to quickly change tactics will help you solve the problem at hand. 

The ability to persuade

Marketing overlaps with customer service and that means you need to be able to persuade the customer or client that you’re the business they should be dealing with. You may also need to persuade someone that their problem isn’t actually as bad as they’re assuming. 

Remember, customer service isn’t all about fighting fires and solving problems, it’s also about providing support to a customer or client before or during a purchase too. In that case, you may need to take their potential doubts and turn them into a sale by persuading them you’re the best people for the job.

The ability to sympathise with their problem and show empathy 

At the end of the day, you’re dealing with human beings and it’s important that you treat your customers and clients as such. This means showing sympathy to their problem, showing you understand, putting yourself in their shoes, and showing empathy. 

Much of the time, a customer may just want you to acknowledge understanding of the problem, and perhaps that could be enough to solve the issue. It could also be that they want you to understand their needs, so they can decide whether to purchase from you or not. In that case, sympathy and empathy will serve you well. Thankfully, this is something that most people already have, it’s just a case of knowing how to show it to others. 

 

 

The ability to learn from problems

It could be that your business is simply wrong and the customer is completely right. In this case, it’s important to be able to acknowledge this and learn from the issue. This helps you to do better next time and avoid the same issue arising more than once. 

Regular assessments of common problems is a good learning tool, and this can be done via collaborative sessions around the modern boardroom tables. This can also help managers to identify training needs for employees. 

Availability 

In our last section, we highlighted an infographic which showed the frustration that people feel when they can’t get hold of someone to talk to. Having a line of contact which his regularly checked at the very least is vital. This could be an email inbox, a specific telephone number, or a messaging service, perhaps via social media. Whatever the contact link is, it needs to be checked on a regular basis and someone needs to always get back to everyone who calls. This will reduce frustration and ensure everyone has their needs attended to. 

Is The Customer Always Right?

There is a saying “the customer is always right”, but is this a truth? Is the customer never wrong? Is the business always wrong instead?

This saying isn’t actually a truth and it’s not always the case that as a business you need to apologise. Admitting fault and issuing an apology is something which should be done with caution. Of course, that doesn’t mean point-blank refusing to help or acknowledge the issue, but it does mean being careful with language and what you do to diffuse the situation. 

For instance, if a customer comes to you and complains about a product which has broken quite easily, do you need to apologise profusely and admit complete fault? No. First, you would listen to the issue, you would find out the fact, delve a little deeper and you would tell the customer that you’re going to investigate their problem and get back to them. By investigating this, you may find that the product was broken through excessive force, perhaps a child threw it over the other side of the room, or someone dropped it accidentally from a two storey building. This is not something you should apologise for as a business because the product was subjected to extreme force. 

In this case, you would acknowledge the problem and apologise for their inconvenience, but you would not apologise for the product breaking. 

Can you see the difference?

Admitting fault when there is no fault to admit to can cause your business to develop a poor reputation and may even result in loss of profits. What you can do however is build up your rapport with customers by acknowledging their problem and doing what you can to rectify the situation. That may mean giving the customer a percentage off their next purchase, or maybe even replacing the product, if the cost isn’t too high. 

By all means, apologise and admit fault for issues which really require it, but don’t hand out apologise and fault admittance simply because you think you have to. 

The Dos And Don’ts of Dealing With Customer Issues

Customer service is a large ranging subject, but it’s also one which could go very awry if dealt with in the wrong way. Remember, customer service isn’t all about complaints and problems, but we tend to focus on that part of it, because dealing with someone who is irate or upset can be quite challenging. 

In order to deal with problems or queries in the right way, you first need to know the specific dos and dont’s. 

Check out this video which outline the top 10 phrases to avoid in customer service conversations. 

Do’s 

• Ensure the customer understands that you’re listening to them and taking their query or complaint seriously 
• Show empathy and put yourself in their position
• Watch your body language, but also watch theirs, if they are visiting the office
• Make the customer or client comfortable if they are in the office space
• Make notes, so you do not forget any details but always tell the person what you’re doing, so they don’t simply think you’re distracted
• Remain calm
• Inform the customer or client that you will investigate the problem and get back to them, giving them a realistic timescale of when to hear from you.

Don’ts

• Make promises you can’t keep 
• Multitask whilst speaking to someone on the telephone, as they will be able to tell you’re distracted
• Put up with verbal abuse or being shouted at. You are well within your rights to tell a caller or visitor not to speak to you in that way, although you must do it in a calm and measured way 
• Forget to call a customer or client back if you have promised to do so
• Admit fault or apologise on behalf of the company if there is no reason to do so 

Why Body Language Matters

If you have a customer or client in the office who is trying to explain a problem or they have a specific question that they’re not sure about, it’s important to listen to what they’re saying but also what they’re not saying. You can do this by watching their body language. 

For instance, someone who is nervous will show specific body language traits, which may completely go against the words they’re saying. Similarly, someone who is lying may tell you one thing, but their body language may tell you something else entirely. 

Check out this video which features a former FBI agent, specially trained in body language interpretation. 

You might wonder why body language matters when dealing with customer service issues. Surely the aim is to solve the problem as quickly as possible? Yes, that’s true, but sometimes things aren’t always as cut and dried as they appear at first. Being able to read body language and listen to the words being spoken gives you a full picture of the truth of the situation, and allows you to show greater empathy as a result. 

The Importance of Your Reception Area

Whilst how you deal with a problem or a question is important, the appearance of your surroundings matters too. For instance, a customer or client may visit you in person, and the first part of your space they’re going to come into contact with is the reception area. As a result, it’s vitally important that this space is clean, tidy, comfortable, professional, and that the receptionist mirrors all of these attributes too.

Check out this useful infographic which highlights the basics you need to create the right reception area impression. 

Source - https://www.infographicpost.com/creating-a-first-impression-in-the-office-the-reception-area/2018/04/06

If a customer walks into your reception area with a complaint, perhaps feeling angry and aggrieved, having to wait too long or having to sit on uncomfortable, broken mesh chairs is not going to improve their mood! As a result, they may become even more irate, and their view of your company will fall further and further down in their own estimations. 

Whether a customer or client is annoyed, upset, or perfectly fine, the same advice applies:

• Welcome them to the building and ask how you can help
• Listen to their problem and ask them to take a seat, explaining that you will get back to them in a moment
• Ensure they are comfortable and ask if they would like a refreshment, e.g. water, tea, or coffee
• Contact the person they need to see and inform them of their arrival 
• If necessary, ask the visitor to sign in 
• Ensure the area is clean and tidy, and that there are magazines and company literature within the area, to keep them occupied whilst waiting
• If there is a slight delay to them being seen, keep them updated as necessary 

Having comfortable office furniture within the reception space, as well as a design which matches the identity and brand of the business is vital. This means comfortable seating, such as office tub chairs, and a general professional appearance to the space. 

It’s surprising how much of an effect the reception area can have on the impression a customer or client develops!

Marketing And Customer Service Links 

As mentioned briefly before, marketing and customer service overlap slightly, and if you want to ensure that your products and services are marketed in the correct way, you need to have open lines of communication with your customers and clients, so questions can be answered. 

Whenever you launch a new product or service, or perhaps change something about an existing one, it’s important that you allow people to ask questions. You can’t outline everything clearly in an agile marketing campaign, which is the current trend of reaching as many people as possible. As a result, people are bound to have queries or questions, and it could be that answering that issue can help them decide whether or not to go ahead with an order or purchase. Avoiding answer will probably mean they assume you’re not interested in their custom and they will take it elsewhere. 

There are many different customer service issues which can affect a marketing campaign, but being available and open to answering problems and issues is the biggest one. You can also change the perception and even mood of your customers and clients by ensuring that you market your products and services in the right way. For instance, did you know that the colours you use during your marketing campaign can affect its success?

It’s true!

The single best way to overcome this problem and ensure that your campaigns are as fruitful as possible is to ensure that you have open lines of communication in order to answer any problems or questions. 

Conclusion 

By this point, you should be much clearer about the many aspects of customer service. As you will see, a lot of it boils down to common sense and politeness, but it’s surprising how many businesses actually bypass it! 

The biggest frustration for customers and clients is not being able to get through to someone to vent their frustrations or ask a question. Ensuring you check your emails on a regular basis and always call back anyone who contacts the office will side-step this issue and calm the waters. It could even boost sales and orders!

Here at Calibre Office Furniture we take customer service very seriously, but we’re always open to learn more! Do you have any useful points to add? Share your ideas!