Good customer service skills are the bread and butter of any business, especially in the hospitality, events and retail industry. A bad experience with your business and poor customer service can put people off from returning.
Have you ever wondered how much business you might be losing because your team’s customer service skills aren’t quite up to scratch? Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a quick list of customer service tips and tricks so you can create the dream team. Let’s dive in!
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Be Patient
In a busy working environment, it’s important to keep your cool, especially when it comes to customers. Although it can be frustrating if your team are super busy and a customer requires assistance or is unhappy with the service, it is crucial that they remain patient with their needs and listen to what they have to say with sincerity. The trick is to put themselves in the customer’s shoes and remember that all they want is a solid experience that fulfils their needs. Show your team that it’s ok to take a moment to be with the customer and problem solve the issue. What could have been a negative experience for the customer can be turned into a positive one, simply because your staff took the time to help them?
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Adapt to Each Customer
No matter the job, whether it’s waiting tables, bartending, dealing with parcel returns or providing customers with event information, quality customer service requires the same adaptability. Every customer is different and so your team needs to be able to adapt to the task at hand. Some customers require much more attention than others but they all expect friendly and helpful service. It’s vital that you and your team are able to deal with customer queries, complaints and praise all while keeping a level head and maintaining good customer service.
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Listen
More often than not, customers only give feedback on a service when something goes wrong. The best way to help any customer is to listen to them from the start with empathy and compassion. This will not only clear up any miscommunication but they will also be more open to the solution you offer if they know you’ve paid attention to their needs. Although listening may seem quite obvious, you’d be surprised at how much customers appreciate being heard. Whether it’s dealing with complaints, listening to an anecdote or receiving praise, listened-to customers are nearly always happy customers.
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Communicate Clearly
Clear communication is just as important as listening and it can help to keep the customer journey on track. Whether it’s being clear on the price at the bar, explaining how to order food, instructions on where to sit at an event or being clear about a returns policy, clear communication is essential for ensuring things run smoothly. Being clear on these details not only helps the customer but will also make your team’s job that bit easier. To help your staff relay this information in the best way possible to customers be sure that you’ve communicated with them how you’d like them to do this.
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Follow Up
If you can build up a good rapport with your customers then you’re on to a winner. Simply by checking that your customers are happy with their meal, asking if they have everything they need and following up on enquiries, you can build a strong customer relationship. Show your customers that your business isn’t just a conveyor belt and that you care about how well you managed to help them. This leads to better trust from the customers, which leads to good reviews and continued business, and that’s the key to growing your business.
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Hire Experienced Staff
What’s the best way to instil good customer service skills in your team? By employing a great team of experienced staff. By hiring staff that embody the skills in this article, you can build a team that goes above and beyond to help your customers. This is a crucial step to building your reputation as a great business that provides quality service and cares about its customers. With Indeed Flex, you’ll have a plethora of experienced staff at your fingertips. Our recruitment platform is the fastest way to hire experienced temporary staff that will not only benefit your business but will also be a good example to the rest of your team. All employees on Indeed Flex are vetted face-to-face to make sure that you’re picking from the best of the best.
We hope these tips and tricks help you to build your dream team. A great customer service team is the gateway to a successful business. Start building yours today and download the Indeed Flex app!
