by: Nicholas Lord  -  Marketing Analyst

    So you’re at the checkout of a major retailer, and your cashier doesn’t bother to acknowledge you as you approach. Instead, he continues his conversation with his co-worker at the next register, throwing in a “Here ya go” as he hands you your receipt and doesn’t hand you your bag.

    Or maybe you’re having a bad day and the phone rings. You pick it up, greet the caller, and find it’s a customer with another “stupid” question. You’ve heard it before, so you’re not really listening, and as you answer that question for the 20th time that day, your voice sounds monotonous, bored, and annoyed.

    Because customer service is a significant component of your overall marketing strategy, improving this area is a necessity. It bothered me that I had not always given my customers the best service possible, and that it was not always pleasant when I was the customer. I started thinking about the whole customer service arena and asked for input from other sources. What I discovered was a problem with the entire idea of customer service.

    Fortunately, I don’t witness good customer service at work on a daily basis. Yes, you read that right. What I do see day in and day out are my coworkers providing a great experience for our customers, and that is the difference. Instead of offering plain old customer service, get in the frame of mind to give the customer a great experience. I’ve outlined some steps to help you do just that.

    Introduce yourself with a smile. Sounds cliché but it works. So many people don’t do it. Make smiling the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning. Smile at everyone you meet. Smile when you answer the phone—it really is noticeable in your voice. As you approach your customers, verbally welcome them. Introduce yourself. Get your customer’s name, repeat it, and remember it. Shake hands. There are some who aren’t comfortable with a handshake, but most people enjoy being greeted like this, and smiling while you do it will make your customers feel welcome and appreciated. It’s tough to be upset with someone who looks and sounds happy to see or hear you.

    Whether directly involved or not, your team is also a big part of your customer experience. Appropriately compliment your co-workers. Tell Jane you like her earrings. Acknowledge Bill’s haircut, or just wish everyone a genuine, “Good morning.” This helps to set a positive tone for the workplace, and when your experience team is happy, customers can feel that energy.

    Listen to your customers. Provide them with what they need, rather than what your customers say they want. Taking the time to make sure your customer understands your product, service, or situation helps even further down the line; this ensures everyone is on the same page, better informs the customer, and eliminates confusion, hiccups, and headaches that would otherwise follow.

    Now add a genuine “thank you.” In my experience, this is all too often overlooked. Thanking clients for their business should be automatic, but these two words are not used enough in customer service today. Expressing a genuine “thank you” is another great way to let your clients know they are important to you.

    Finally, get some observation time. Do this when your employees don’t know you’re looking, and you might be surprised at how different some of them may treat your customers. Performing observations and offering feedback will help ensure your team is consistent.

    Once you have these steps working together, you’ll have the foundation to build a great experience for your customers—one that they’ll come back for again and again.