8 Basic customer service principles that entrepreneurs often forget

Are your customer support strategies tied to effective principles?

Too often, entrepreneurs get lost in the technical side of business that they forget some of the most basic and most important business principles that can help them become successful. This leads to poorly thought-out decisions and weakly conceptualized strategies that don’t work for their target market.
To build a customer-centric company, here are some customer service principles that you should always remember.
 

1.     Know your customers.

It sounds simple and obvious, but knowing your customers takes continuous effort. Unfortunately, brands skip this step and assume that they know what’s best for their customers. They then proceed straight to product development and marketing, thinking that these would suffice to gain the attention of their target market.

The truth is, you can’t build a successful product, marketing technique, or customer support strategy without knowing your customers and their needs. Also, remember that one customer survey isn’t enough. Part of getting to know your customers is understanding how their preferences and needs are evolving with time. That means regular gathering of customer data and continuous information analysis.

2.     Smile more.

There’s one reason why machines haven’t yet taken over the customer care industry: Developers and programmers are still working on a computer that’s smart enough to emulate human communication.

This is why call center reps are a vital part of your relationship-building strategy. They are the ones who are primarily in charge of building rapport with customers and forming meaningful connections with them. Thus, train them to smile more, empathize, and communicate effectively with your customers.

3.     Acknowledge what you don’t know.

For many entrepreneurs, admitting one’s weaknesses is difficult. But there are times when you have to, especially when you’ve made mistakes and your customers had to suffer because of those lapses.

Acknowledging your shortcomings gets you one step closer to addressing your company’s weaknesses. Plus, if you can be honest with your customers, you’re more likely to regain their trust and approval.

4.     Say sorry.

In relation to the previous point, always be humble enough to say sorry. Sure, customers aren’t always right, and you may have to stick up for your brand in some instances. But keep in mind that your customers should be your top priority and gaining their confidence is your main goal.

Thus, recognize when you need to apologize, and do so as soon as you can. However, make sure to back up your apology with concrete actions in order to rectify the situation quickly.

5.     Make your employees happy.

Only happy, motivated, and engaged employees can make your customers happy. The sad thing is, many managers take this advice for granted.

You can’t build a customer-centric brand without becoming employee-centric first. This is true for all brands, regardless of their industry and size. Investing in and empowering your employees are prerequisites of a high-quality customer experience.

6.     Every interaction counts.

Whether indirectly (via your website and social media pages) or directly (through in-store transactions and your customer service channels), every customer interaction matters. At every stage of the consumer journey, you must be prepared to deliver a high-quality experience.

To do this, all members of your organization must be aware of your brand’s values, vision, and goals. That way, they’ll be able to perform their tasks in a manner consistent with your core business philosophy and brand image.

7.     Listen to your customers.

Give your customers a platform to voice out their concerns and opinions, and make it a point to listen to them. Use your customers’ insights to improve your products, services, and business strategies.

Placing customers’ insights at the core of your customer support and marketing activities can help you build a people-centric company.

8.     Good customer service is a team effort.

To deliver the best customer care that you can, everyone in your organization must be part of the mission. It takes teamwork and cooperation to build a people-centric brand and ensure that you’re able to meet all your goals. That’s why leaders must continuously work on empowering their employees and making them feel that they’re a crucial part of the organization.