“Do unto others” is a good principal to follow when it comes to dealing with people in general, though it may come off bit like an over-generalization when it comes to creating a positive customer experience.  For this reason we’re going to go over the key points of importance regarding how customer service agents should go about handling clients, in order to establish maximum efficiency, customer satisfaction, and client retention.

1.            Listen Carefully

Customers either come to your business or call your hotline.  If you’re providing a service that fixes a problem, then the fact that the customer is contacting you means they most likely have one.  People aren’t typically happy when they have problems, but a customer service agent must keep their cool and hear the customer out completely.  They’d do well to also confirm what the customer is requesting to show that they’re paying attention.

2.            Express Interest

We’ve gone over why people don’t like dealing with machines and automated systems – they’re mechanical and don’t express any sincere interest in their problems.  This is where the human factor resides.  Showing legitimate interest for a client’s concerns contributes heavily to customer retention, because people want to do business with people they like.

Part of showing interest also means keeping communication with the client open.  Even if a customer service agent has no real progress to report, simply reminding the customer that their problem is being worked on and is a concern to your business is a powerful relationship building gesture.

3.            Empathize

Even as customers come to your business with complaints, you and your staff need to empathize with their problems.  Founding a business on anything but empathy and a desire to provide people with an effective solution for their problem is a recipe for long-term backsliding.  Remember, this is a game of trust and relationship building, and empathy quickly builds both.

Ensure that your employees are delivering the maximum benefit to your clients, going the extra mile to ensure complete customer satisfaction.  Your clients aren’t used to being treated so well by other businesses, so do everything you can to give them a truly remarkable customer service experience.

4.            Achieve Complete Clarity

If a customer service employee isn’t sure what the customer’s issue is, they should always ask questions to pinpoint the problem. Businesses of all sorts suffer financial loss and customer relationship strain by not delivering what the customer requested.  In the auto industry, the wrong tires on a car might be replaced, and in pizza delivery, the wrong order might be taken, or delivery address could be miswritten.

Employees should be trained to double-check the client’s request.  It’s common for fast-food industries to read back a customer’s order to ensure accuracy, and it’s a practice that should be adopted for all client interactions for all types of business.

5.            Follow Up

Do you know why most customers fail to return to a business?  Because they feel the business is indifferent to them as an individual.  So if you’ve designed your business to deliver a wonderful customer service experience, the best way to “seal the deal” with your customer to ensure maximum retention rate and customer satisfaction is to follow up with them.

You can give your customers a form that requests feedback on how they thought your employees performed and how your services were delivered.  You can have a marketing employee send out letters of thanks and coupons for discounts on their next visit, which further incentivizes the customer’s return.  All of it comes down to providing a positive customer experience, and if you can do that, you’ll keep them coming back indefinitely.