Customer Service lives in a specific department at many companies but the truth is that we are all in customer service in one way or another. Whether you have a customer-facing role or not, we are all connected to our customers. Do not fall into a trap that you can behave differently because you are not in a specific customer service role. This assumption will poison a company and negatively impact your bottom line. The following tips are most relevant for employees that have customer-facing roles but they should be exercised across your entire organization and even used internally (just replace “Customer” with “Colleague” where relevant). 

Feedback Is A Gift

Not all customers share feedback. Some will keep this gift to themselves and seek out another suitor who will be a better fit. However, if your customer values your business, they may give you a gift of feedback. Customer feedback is one of the best gifts you can get from a client outside of their money! If you break down what they are sharing, it would sound something like this, Hi Company, I like your business and want to keep spending my money with you. I would like to spend more money with you and if you can make this better, I will continue to support your business. Additionally, if you do it well, I will feel heard, and validated, and valued. Don’t take feedback personally! Strip away the emotions and spot the opportunity. Not all feedback is realistic so you will need to decipher if this gift is a good fit for your business. Either way, show gratitude for the gift you were given and treat it accordingly. Challenge yourself to look for opportunities in feedback as a default.

Most Customers Do Not Care About How Bad Your Day Was

Connecting with your customers is key to an authentic relationship and trust. As you build that relationship, you get comfortable and that comfort can lead to a temptation to dump on your customers with all or some of your problems (work-related or personal). Do yourself and your company a favor and refrain from oversharing or dumping on your customers. Connecting and sharing personal stories (when relevant and timing is right) is a sign of a growing and solid relationship, but make sure to keep it light.  

Avoid Using “I” Statements 

It’s easy to get caught up in “I” statements and let’s be honest, you are valid in stating them. You were the one who did the work. You were the one who followed up with them. You were the one who caught the error that prevented a disaster so you should get the credit right? The same can be said for that Quarterback who scored the winning touchdown. However, they have blockers who helped open a lane for them to get that touchdown. They have coaches who strategize how the team would line up. They have trainers that keep everyone healthy so they can be their best on game day. You get the point. Many people play a part in your company’s success. When you use “I” statements you make your company look small and your clients may interpret you as weak. Try to use more “we” statements and be proud to be part of a team. What if you are the only employee? You can still use “we” statements and be authentic. How? Well, for example, you send out statements to your clients and send them in the mail right? Someone is picking them up and distributing them through a postal system and that is not you. Sure, it’s a stretch, but the fact is that even if you are a one-person show, you are still using many people and services to run your business. 

Don’t Bring Problems To Your Customers, Bring Solutions

Anyone can bring a problem to you but really what value is that to your customer? If you want to be valued, bring them a solution! Customers support your company because you solve a problem for them. So when you bring them a problem, they will question why they are doing business with you. Sometimes problems are inevitable and maybe it requires action on their side to solve the problem. In that case, you should bring the problem to their attention but only bring it with proposed solutions based on assumptions on their side (eg, if you are unable to push a site update live due to needing login credentials, then you will come to them with the problem and the proposed solution). And guess what? Your solution does not have to be right, but it is proactive and it shows them that you are thinking proactively in their best interest. They may take your starter idea and expand on it (Can you say collaboration?). This is also a great mindset for employees to learn when bringing proposed solutions to managers (vs just bringing them a problem). 

No Need To Let Your Customers Know How Hard You Worked For Them 

We all like a pat on the back but customers do not need to be burdened with having to provide you with accolades for work that you are doing for them, that they are paying you for. When a customer continues to use your business, that is the best accolade you can get!

Be An Active Listener

Customers are a wealth of information and will tell you everything you need to know. If you fail to listen, you will be missing out on vital information that would catapult you over competitors. What is active listening? In a nutshell, it is listening to understand. Most of us (including myself) have learned to listen to respond. We are formulating a response in our minds while the other person is talking. Some of us are so anxious to say what’s on our mind that we start verbalizing our thoughts while the other person is speaking (aka interrupting). When we are doing that, we are not able to listen and we are missing out on an opportunity to gain insights. Be forewarned, when you become an active listener, you are going to start asking better questions. Then your customer is going to start feeling heard, and you are going to start reaping the rewards of this newfound skill. 

Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers

Every second you have your customer’s attention is an opportunity to understand them better and make your company more attractive to them. Don’t squander this opportunity by dominating the conversation with chit chat. Ask great questions to get the best information. Great questions spawn from actively listening to your customers and genuinely trying to understand their business and their problems (aka opportunities).

Don’t Take Things Personally

Customers do not know how great of a person you are. They don’t know that you volunteer your time at church, nor do they know the intricacies of your life. So when they come to you frustrated, and vent to you, don’t take it personally. Remove the emotions from their conversation and challenge yourself to get the root of the problem so you can solve it!

There Is No Victory In Proving Your Customers Wrong, Ever 

This one can be hard to teach because it may not make sense, especially if your customer is at fault. It may feel good telling your customer that “X” was their fault or they dropped the ball, etc. You may be 100% right that they were wrong, but I guarantee you, your customer will walk away not feeling great, and proving them wrong will not win future business. You may win the immediate victory of feeling vindicated by being right but you will lose the endgame and eventually the customer. Think about it, how often have you walked away from a situation where someone proved you wrong feeling fantastic? So how to respond if it is obvious that they were at fault? With humility of course! Share a story of this happening to you, or something like, “This happens a lot. One solution we found was…..” (borrowing from bringing a solution to the problem party!). 

Respect Your Customers Time

Time is our most precious gift. We can never buy more and once it’s gone, it’s gone. When your customer gives you the gift of their time, don’t waste it. Plan to optimize your time with them. 

Everyone in your organization is in the Customer Service business and it should be at the forefront of everything you do. Customers are the lifeline of every business. Without them, you don’t survive. Use the above tips (no matter your role) to maximize opportunities with your customers. Once the above values are cemented in your being, you will start to view your business with a whole new set of goggles and the opportunities will soon follow.