According to a Salesforce study, 80% of customers say the experience a business provides is just as important as its products or services. If you want to establish a loyal customer base for your small business, you need to level up your customer service.
Customer service is one of our top priorities at Lendistry, so much so that our CEO Everett K. Sands says the customer is our boss. Here are some top tips for providing phenomenal customer service from our Customer Experience Center team.
- Serve with a smile. Nothing says customer service like brightening a customer’s day. Show customers that you’re happy to help and spread positivity in every interaction.
- Let customers speak. Making sure customers feel heard should be a top priority. Give them a chance to fully express their concerns, feelings, and needs before jumping in to provide solutions.
- Make sure you understand the customer’s needs. After a customer shares what they’re looking for, repeat what they said back to them in your own words. This shows that you’re really listening and gives them the chance to correct you if there’s anything you forgot or misunderstood.
- Follow the three-step process: discover, label, and understand. Learn what a customer needs by listening to everything they say. Work with them to label their needs to confirm you’re on the same page. Then, consider their needs from their perspective and empathize with them.
- Provide honest and accurate information. Customers can see through phony sales tactics and attempts to put business needs above theirs. Be honest when serving customers and give them all the information they need to make purchase decisions. Trust goes a long way toward building relationships.
- Be thorough and efficient. People are happy when their needs are addressed, but they’re especially happy when their needs are addressed quickly. Take as much time as necessary to completely fulfill a customer’s requests, but no more.
- Be respectful and empathetic. When a customer is upset, they may turn to you to share their feelings. If they become emotional, remember that they are upset with the problem, not you. Give them space to say what they need to, maintain respectful and calm communication, and show that you understand and care about their concerns.
- Take control of the customer’s issue to solve it. When a customer has a problem, don’t try to blame others or shift responsibility away from yourself. Focus on what you can do to find a solution and take whatever action you can.
There are many factors to creating great customer service experiences, but overall, it’s about going the extra mile to meet each customer’s individual needs as best you can. Experience Lendistry’s superior customer service for yourself by calling our Customer Experience Center from Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 7 PM PST, at 888-594-7270.