Customer Service Tips

Customer Service Training:
5 Star Customer Service Tips

Most people sell to make money, which makes absolute sense and certainly helps the bank balance. But in order to really succeed you need to approach selling from a different angle. Making an extra few pounds here and there in the short term is great, but in order to sell repeatedly to people you have to give them a reason to come back. The key to this is how you approach your business - don't think that you are in it for the money and every last penny you can squeeze out of people - you are in it to provide people with something they want and to do that really well. If you think like that, the by-product of making money will be enjoyable, but so will the method by which you get it.

Customer Service Tips: #2. Go out of the way for your customers

How many times have you e-mailed or phoned a company to be told you need to ring another number or send your e-mail to a different address? Why do they not make that call or write that e-mail for you and then give you your answer? I have found the most effective way to keep customers happy is to solve their problem for them, not give them more work. If they ask you "Do you sell that item in orange?" don't reply with "Yes we do, check the shop." Hunt the exact link down yourself and send them that. A customer who doesn't have to put too much work in is a customer who is more likely to buy from you - think of how much you appreciate it when you know a customer service person is doing everything they can to help you rather than trying to get you off the phone as quickly as possible.

Customer Service Tips: #3. Swift response

If you only check your messages every evening at 8pm you are missing out on a lot of potential trade. With mobile technology these days it is possible to check your webmail on the go, so if you are selling part time, your 10 minute tea break at work could convert you a few sales. We are all short of time these days and we want things NOW! So a swift response to your customer's queries is essential.

Customer Service Tips: #4. Terms and Conditions

I never buy from a seller who has a list of terms and conditions that take longer than 5 minutes to read! When you have to wade through numerous rules and regulations stating exactly where and when you must do things, how different postage combination's will work and complicated returns policies, it just starts to become too much trouble. Yes, have a list of terms and conditions so people know exactly what to expect from you, but make it as short and simple as possible so again, you are not requiring work from your customer in order for them to buy.

Customer Service Tips: #5. Don't treat the 99% like the 1%

Yes, there are crooks looking to scam your business. But if you treat your customers like they are all a potential thief you are going to put them off. Aggressive returns policies, refusal to post until a check for $2 has cleared (sending out unique items before a check has cleared would obviously not be advisable!) and huge terms and conditions as said above, all create an atmosphere of doubt. If you are selling low priced items that you have plenty of, give people a chance. You might lose the odd item to someone of dubious morality (we have) but if that keeps the other 99% of honest buyers happy and buying from you again and again because they know you trust them, have you really lost money?

Customer Service Tips: #6. Guarantees

People like a comfort blanket. If you are 50/50 on buying an item and someone says to you "Tell you what, take it away, have a good look over it and decide if it really is the thing you want. If not, bring it back within 14 days and I'll give you every last penny back" you'd be more inclined to take it away. If you are confident in the products you sell then you should be safe in the knowledge that 99% of people will keep them. And if they return them, what have you lost? (A bit of postage actually, but that goes back to the point above - if it means hundreds more people buy from you because they feel safer then you're still in profit!)

Customer Service Tips: #7. Spelling

This is probably too obvious, but when you get an e-mail from somebody that contains lots of spelling mistakes I think that says a lot about the care with which the person is treating your inquiry. It goes back to the "get rid of this person as soon as possible so I can get on and make some money" mentality, when you don't quite grasp where that money is coming from. Check over what you send out - it could be the difference in making a sale.

Customer Service Tips: #8. Smile