Inside Sales Reps: Principles of Customer Service – Part 2
In continuing with a previous blog discussing the principles of customer service, this blog highlights the last five principles that can help increase customer satisfaction.
Keeping customers satisfied can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be if you form the right habits. The following principles are ones that XANT practices with their customers and have found effective. The first six principles of customer service from the previous article are available here.
Below are the last five of the 11 Principles of Customer Service:
7. Principle: Be two minutes early to all meetings. Do you want to leave a good impression? Here’s a hint. Get there early. People notice when you’re late. They also notice when you’re early.
8. Principle: Seek to know the “why” so you can understand the “what.” Try to understand “why” your customer is upset and then try to diagnose the “what.”
9. Principle: Aim for loyal customers, not just satisfied customers. A satisfied client will leave you if a better deal comes along. You want to have loyal customers who are so happy with you they won’t even consider leaving you. Loyal customers know that no other company will give them better service and products than you.
10. Principle: Circle back to fix the cause of problems. One way to keep customers happy is to always try to fix the cause of the problem, rather than just the problem itself. It’s like fixing the leaking pipe rather than just sticking a bucket to catch the drops.
11. Principle: Speed matters, but not at the expense of quality. You never want to drag your feet in getting things done for customers, but at the same time you don’t want to sacrifice quality. The trick is practice and balance of the two. Hire good people and instill a company culture of excellence.
Following these additional five principles can be a challenge if you’re not used to it, but worthwhile if you complete them all. If you combine the customer loyalty cycle with the 11 customer service principles (discussed in both this blog and part 1) you will have a powerful way to interact with your clients.
What are some of your own ways to keep customers happy and loyal?
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