It’s a well-known fact that dissatisfied customers will tell 8 to 10 people of the bad service they have received from a company and only 2 to 3 people of a good experience. With odds like this, delivering great customer service should be a top priority for any business as not only does this prevent a bad reputation but helps to reduce costs.

Customer service is not only about your customers. All businesses should recognise that each department or team within the company should treat their colleagues with the same respect as customers. This will ensure that best practice is delivered throughout the organisation and is part of the company ethos.

Without a loyal customer base many businesses would not be able to stay in business as not only do they help a business to grow in size and strength but they also help bring in new business through recommendations to their friends and family. A qualified referral is a stronger referral than a cold lead as your potential customer has already received qualified information from a trusted source.

Here are some top tips to help keep your business and customer service team happy and motivated and delivering a service that your customers will come back to, time and again.

Knowledgeable Staff

Every single member of your team should have the appropriate amount of training that will give them the knowledge they need to deal with any query from a customer. This does not mean that they need to know everything but they should have a good grounding of your products and service and know who to turn to for support when needed. On-going training to keep everyone up to date should ensure that no-one gets left behind.

Passionate Staff

A motivated team that is passionate about their job will pay dividends. Keeping your team happy will help them to stay enthusiastic, which in turn will come across to your customers. Team meetings where concerns and ideas are listened too and discussed will help keep everyone on track and interested.

Over Delivery

Going that extra mile really does pay dividends. If you can over deliver in any small way, your customer will remember and will return to you more loyal then before. Even when things go wrong, you can still ensure that your customers are happy by resolving the issue efficiently and with minimal fuss. First Direct in a recent survey was given top marks for the ability of dealing with issues leaving their customers satisfied despite having a problem.

Support

Your team on the frontline need to know you care about them, what they do and how they deliver it. Investing in their training and team building will help them bond and create relationships that are supportive and helpful. Ensure that your team are also equipped with all the tools they need to do the job they do. If you are looking at improving, changing or investing in customer service software make sure that you carry out your market research to ensure you implement a system that will help and not hinder. Sunrise Software can help determine a company’s needs and requirements and offer practical support and advice to help deliver excellent customer service.

If your company is thinking about how they can improve their productivity and support their staff you may consider looking into becoming accredited through Investors in People.  IIP is a nationally recognised frame work that helps companies achieve their objectives through the effective management and development of their staff. You can find out more about how Investors in People could benefit your company by visiting their website.