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7 Ways to Provide Top-Notch Customer Service
Published on August 15, 2022
You may have heard the phrase “the customer is always right”, but many entrepreneurs don’t truly understand how important it is to provide customers with exceptional service if you want to succeed in business. Customers want to feel heard, they want to be valued, and they want to know that their opinion matters. From how you treat them on the phone to how quickly and effectively you solve their problems, providing the best possible customer service is essential in growing your business.
When you run your own web design agency, you want to ensure your clients are pleased with your services to help cultivate a good relationship, build their trust, and loyalty. To build customer loyalty, ramping up your customer service efforts is the best place to start. In a recent study, customers overwhelmingly agreed (83%) that they feel more loyal to brands that respond and resolve their complaints (source). So, how you communicate with your customers has everything to do with whether or not they stay or return to do business with you again.
To provide top-notch customer experience that sets you apart from your competitors, read through these seven tips and try to adapt them into your customer service strategy.
1. Provide Quick and Informative Responses
Customers want quick and informative responses, whether it’s via email or phone. The standard business etiquette is to respond within 24 hours of receiving a message from your customer or client. Show them you care and want their business! As part of your reply, always make sure your responses include a time frame for when they can expect a resolution. In other words, set an expectation that you’ll resolve their problem quickly and offer an estimated time when you can provide them with more information on what you plan to do. It shows that you have their best interests in mind and it is much better than saying we’ll get back to you soon with no time frame. Customers will appreciate your attentiveness to their request and leave them feeling satisfied.
Try this: Pick 2-3 times a day when you can focus specifically on responding to client emails or phone messages. This way you aren’t constantly getting bogged down by replying to customers throughout the day but you are still responding to them in a timely manner.
2. Be Knowledgeable About Your Product or Service
If you don’t know how to answer questions about your product or service, how can you give the best advice? Knowing all the ins and outs of your business makes providing great customer service that much easier. Whether they’re asking for a complete redesign of their website or quick update to their homepage, offering the best advice comes from understanding your business so you can give an informative response. Strive to be an expert and always know the most current options available. A happy customer means more business for you—the process is that simple. So make sure you're knowledgeable about your product and/or service offerings so you can help others navigate through their choices and select the best option for them.
Try this: Ask a few friends and family members to quiz you, or role play, asking questions as if they were your client. It will help feel more confident and also allow you to identify what aspects of your business that you need to familiarize yourself with more.
3. Demonstrate Active Listening
Active listening is the act of acknowledging and confirming your understanding. The idea is to demonstrate that you are paying attention by observing verbal and non-verbal cues that are being sent as well as, by paraphrasing what the other person has said for clarification or elaboration when needed. When they talk, nod at the appropriate times and hold eye contact; when you talk, wait until they finish speaking before moving on. This makes it easier for the other person to get their point across and helps them feel understood, which can be a powerful way to help facilitate problem solving. Ultimately, when it comes to customer service your job is to understand their perspective and find an appropriate solution that they are willing to accept.
Here’s a tip: In addition to your body language and verbal confirmation to what the customer is saying, consider jotting down some notes while they are speaking. Doing so could help you remember and obtain the information better as well as allow you to reference key points about your conversation at a later time.
4. Be Attentive to Your Customers Needs
In order to provide your customers with top-notch service, you must be attentive to their needs. Many people forget that customers aren’t looking for a product or service—they’re looking for an answer to a problem. To understand your customer’s problems, ask plenty of questions and listen carefully to their responses. Is there something they need from you? If so, how can you help them? What steps do they need to take before they get what they want? Use these answers to anticipate how your customer will react to certain information and decisions. Also, be patient and mindful of your client’s preferences, even something as simple as requesting to receive an email reply rather than a phone call. The better you are at understanding your clients needs and communicating that empathy back to them, the more effective you will be at solving their problems and creating lasting relationships with them.
Here’s a tip: Consider investing in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program such as Salesforce to keep track of information, conversations, and details about your clients. Having this information documented can come in handy when assisting your client and possibly to upsell them on services you think they would benefit from.
5. Be Friendly and Personable
Friendly and personable customer service can go a long way towards sealing deals with customers, answering their questions, and resolving problems. If you’re in sales, developing and using strong relationships will ensure you get top referrals in exchange for being pleasant to deal with. And if you’re a service provider, constantly demonstrating how friendly and personable you are will make it much easier to resolve issues if they arise. It will take time to master, but if you’re providing these services effectively it can completely change how your clients perceive your business.
Try this: When speaking to a customer on the phone, ask questions that might spark conversation like “how is your day going”, “how can I help you,” and “is there anything else I can do for you.” It may seem like a simple gesture but it could help you develop a relationship and build rapport with your client.
6. Stay Positive
When in doubt, put a smile on your face. A positive attitude will show in your customer service skills and can even help to diffuse tense situations. No matter what’s going on around you, always stay positive. Remember, you are trying to help. Keeping a smile on your face while staying calm under pressure not only makes customers feel comfortable but it often makes coming to a resolution faster. It may seem difficult at first, but once you get into that good customer service groove, it will become easier each time.
Try this: Put in your vicinity things like pictures of family or friends, motivational or funny quote posters, upbeat music, etc. to keep any negative feelings at bay when you're facing difficult customers or handling challenging situations.
7. Follow up
It's important to follow up with a customer to make sure they're happy or satisfied with the help you provided. This helps reinforce your support, it lets them know you care about your work, and it may prompt them to rate their experience as positive on a review site like Yelp. However, don't be overly pushy. A follow up can be as simple as sending a quick email or writing a note on their account thanking them for using your service and reminding them that you're there if they need anything else. The benefit of the personal touch is worth the five minutes spent doing it.
Here’s a tip: You could automate reminders with an app like Zoho so the process is still timely without pulling you away from other aspects of your business.
Make Customer Service a Top Priority for Your Business
Making customer service a top priority in your business is crucial for success. There are numerous benefits of great customer service, some of which including:
1) Fosters goodwill with current clients and potential customers
2) Makes you more money because excellent customer service leads to more sales
3) Helps to eliminate churn and retain more loyal customers
4) Can provide word-of-mouth advertising and boost referrals
5) Build your business’s brand and reputation
With all these benefits, it's clear how important customer service is and why it's essential for your overall business strategy and long-term growth.
Now that you know how to provide great customer service, apply it to your own web design business. Following the tips in this article will help you make it a priority.
To learn more about SiteSwan or to join our website reseller program, click here.
You may have heard the phrase “the customer is always right”, but many entrepreneurs don’t truly understand how important it is to provide customers with exceptional service if you want to succeed in business. Customers want to feel heard, they want to be valued, and they want to know that their opinion matters. From how you treat them on the phone to how quickly and effectively you solve their problems, providing the best possible customer service is essential in growing your business.
When you run your own web design agency, you want to ensure your clients are pleased with your services to help cultivate a good relationship, build their trust, and loyalty. To build customer loyalty, ramping up your customer service efforts is the best place to start. In a recent study, customers overwhelmingly agreed (83%) that they feel more loyal to brands that respond and resolve their complaints (source). So, how you communicate with your customers has everything to do with whether or not they stay or return to do business with you again.
To provide top-notch customer experience that sets you apart from your competitors, read through these seven tips and try to adapt them into your customer service strategy.
1. Provide Quick and Informative Responses
Customers want quick and informative responses, whether it’s via email or phone. The standard business etiquette is to respond within 24 hours of receiving a message from your customer or client. Show them you care and want their business! As part of your reply, always make sure your responses include a time frame for when they can expect a resolution. In other words, set an expectation that you’ll resolve their problem quickly and offer an estimated time when you can provide them with more information on what you plan to do. It shows that you have their best interests in mind and it is much better than saying we’ll get back to you soon with no time frame. Customers will appreciate your attentiveness to their request and leave them feeling satisfied.
Try this: Pick 2-3 times a day when you can focus specifically on responding to client emails or phone messages. This way you aren’t constantly getting bogged down by replying to customers throughout the day but you are still responding to them in a timely manner.
2. Be Knowledgeable About Your Product or Service
If you don’t know how to answer questions about your product or service, how can you give the best advice? Knowing all the ins and outs of your business makes providing great customer service that much easier. Whether they’re asking for a complete redesign of their website or quick update to their homepage, offering the best advice comes from understanding your business so you can give an informative response. Strive to be an expert and always know the most current options available. A happy customer means more business for you—the process is that simple. So make sure you're knowledgeable about your product and/or service offerings so you can help others navigate through their choices and select the best option for them.
Try this: Ask a few friends and family members to quiz you, or role play, asking questions as if they were your client. It will help feel more confident and also allow you to identify what aspects of your business that you need to familiarize yourself with more.
3. Demonstrate Active Listening
Active listening is the act of acknowledging and confirming your understanding. The idea is to demonstrate that you are paying attention by observing verbal and non-verbal cues that are being sent as well as, by paraphrasing what the other person has said for clarification or elaboration when needed. When they talk, nod at the appropriate times and hold eye contact; when you talk, wait until they finish speaking before moving on. This makes it easier for the other person to get their point across and helps them feel understood, which can be a powerful way to help facilitate problem solving. Ultimately, when it comes to customer service your job is to understand their perspective and find an appropriate solution that they are willing to accept.
Here’s a tip: In addition to your body language and verbal confirmation to what the customer is saying, consider jotting down some notes while they are speaking. Doing so could help you remember and obtain the information better as well as allow you to reference key points about your conversation at a later time.
4. Be Attentive to Your Customers Needs
In order to provide your customers with top-notch service, you must be attentive to their needs. Many people forget that customers aren’t looking for a product or service—they’re looking for an answer to a problem. To understand your customer’s problems, ask plenty of questions and listen carefully to their responses. Is there something they need from you? If so, how can you help them? What steps do they need to take before they get what they want? Use these answers to anticipate how your customer will react to certain information and decisions. Also, be patient and mindful of your client’s preferences, even something as simple as requesting to receive an email reply rather than a phone call. The better you are at understanding your clients needs and communicating that empathy back to them, the more effective you will be at solving their problems and creating lasting relationships with them.
Here’s a tip: Consider investing in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program such as Salesforce to keep track of information, conversations, and details about your clients. Having this information documented can come in handy when assisting your client and possibly to upsell them on services you think they would benefit from.
5. Be Friendly and Personable
Friendly and personable customer service can go a long way towards sealing deals with customers, answering their questions, and resolving problems. If you’re in sales, developing and using strong relationships will ensure you get top referrals in exchange for being pleasant to deal with. And if you’re a service provider, constantly demonstrating how friendly and personable you are will make it much easier to resolve issues if they arise. It will take time to master, but if you’re providing these services effectively it can completely change how your clients perceive your business.
Try this: When speaking to a customer on the phone, ask questions that might spark conversation like “how is your day going”, “how can I help you,” and “is there anything else I can do for you.” It may seem like a simple gesture but it could help you develop a relationship and build rapport with your client.
6. Stay Positive
When in doubt, put a smile on your face. A positive attitude will show in your customer service skills and can even help to diffuse tense situations. No matter what’s going on around you, always stay positive. Remember, you are trying to help. Keeping a smile on your face while staying calm under pressure not only makes customers feel comfortable but it often makes coming to a resolution faster. It may seem difficult at first, but once you get into that good customer service groove, it will become easier each time.
Try this: Put in your vicinity things like pictures of family or friends, motivational or funny quote posters, upbeat music, etc. to keep any negative feelings at bay when you're facing difficult customers or handling challenging situations.
7. Follow up
It's important to follow up with a customer to make sure they're happy or satisfied with the help you provided. This helps reinforce your support, it lets them know you care about your work, and it may prompt them to rate their experience as positive on a review site like Yelp. However, don't be overly pushy. A follow up can be as simple as sending a quick email or writing a note on their account thanking them for using your service and reminding them that you're there if they need anything else. The benefit of the personal touch is worth the five minutes spent doing it.
Here’s a tip: You could automate reminders with an app like Zoho so the process is still timely without pulling you away from other aspects of your business.
Make Customer Service a Top Priority for Your Business
Making customer service a top priority in your business is crucial for success. There are numerous benefits of great customer service, some of which including:
1) Fosters goodwill with current clients and potential customers
2) Makes you more money because excellent customer service leads to more sales
3) Helps to eliminate churn and retain more loyal customers
4) Can provide word-of-mouth advertising and boost referrals
5) Build your business’s brand and reputation
With all these benefits, it's clear how important customer service is and why it's essential for your overall business strategy and long-term growth.
Now that you know how to provide great customer service, apply it to your own web design business. Following the tips in this article will help you make it a priority.
To learn more about SiteSwan or to join our website reseller program, click here.