BECOMING A CUSTOMER SERVICE STAR ASSESSMENT
Available in both Online and Paper-Based Format
Don’t just talk about providing better customer service – make it a reality! Becoming a Customer Service Star helps both employees and managers examine their attitudes about customer service in 5 critical areas:
- Having a positive attitude toward customers
- Encouraging customer feedback
- Responding to customer problems
- Developing repeat relationships
- Seeking to exceed customer expectations
Learning Outcomes:
- Create a profile of individual customer service strengths and weaknesses
- Recognize the opportunities to improve customer service and retention
- Identify an individual action plan to enhance service in the 5 key areas
Customer service has become increasingly important in recent years as organizations have realized that the most important factor in their success is how they treat their customers.
In this Inventory you will be looking at your personal values toward customer service. You will identify areas in which you have strong customer service values and those on which you may wish to focus additional attention. By examining your values, you may be able to make a greater total contribution to the satisfaction of your customers.
FEEL POSITIVELY TOWARD CUSTOMERS
Good customer service begins with a positive view of customers. Individuals who enjoy dealing with customers exhibit this attitude in their customer interactions. These individuals provide direct and friendly relationships with customers. A positive attitude toward customers is the first step to excellent service. Individuals who have a positive attitude enjoy serving customers. This attitude shows in their customer interactions. Individuals with a positive attitude find it easy to approach customers and develop a rapport.
ENCOURAGE CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
In order to provide excellent service to customers, you must know what your customers need and want. Encouraging customers to provide you with positive and negative feedback is crucial to fulfilling their needs.
Providing outstanding service to customers is impossible if their wants and needs are unknown. The best source of information about customer needs is the customers themselves. Both positive and negative feedback are necessary. Organizations and Customer Service staffs need to know not only what customers find unsatisfactory but also what they find pleasing. Encouraging customers to provide feedback may also make them feel that you care about their input. In addition, when customers’ needs are being met, your job will be more enjoyable and satisfying.
RESPOND TO CUSTOMER PROBLEMS
Making every effort to respond to customers’ problems is an essential part of good customer service. A customer’s problem can serve as an opportunity to improve overall customer service.
Reacting quickly and responsively to customer problems is an essential part of customer service. Customer problems can serve as an opportunity to improve the level of service. Excellent service involves finding any means possible to solve problems to the customer’s satisfaction.
This may include eliminating roadblocks that get in the way of taking care of customers, determining what can and cannot be done to resolve problems, and following up to make sure problems are adequately resolved. Whenever possible, a written response is considerably more powerful than a verbal response in ensuring customer loyalty.
DEVELOP REPEAT RELATIONSHIPS
Long-term customer relationships pay the largest dividends because the value of a customer increases over time. In order to develop repeat relationships, individuals should take positive actions, such as remembering customers’ names and keeping records of customers’ personal needs.
Developing long-term relationships with customers has many benefits. Repeat customers are more valuable than new customers because the cost of recruiting new customers exceeds the cost of retaining a steady customer. In addition, repeat customers can provide valuable feedback on service. Several actions develop repeat relationships, including remembering customers’ names, their previous purchases, or their favorite items; using notes and phone calls to follow up on a sale; and inviting customers back for future business.
SEEK TO EXCEED CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS
The greatest opportunity to satisfy and retain customers is to find ways to exceed their expectations. Doing more than a customer expects makes that customer’s experience a memorable one, which can start future business.
Customers have expectations about the service they receive from you. When you make the extra effort to exceed those expectations, your customers will remember the experience. Their good feelings will not only cause them to come back in the future but may also generate additional business as they share their positive experience with others. Exceeding expectations involves looking for special ways to make customer service memorable and ensure that customers will return. This often means that you go the extra mile when serving others, look for ways to add value to the customer’s experience and remember the individual after they leave you.
The assessment can be used to measure individual performance, build a service team, or identify changes needed in policies or operating procedures. Becoming a Customer Service Star is appropriate for anyone who has contact with customers.