Posted by Public perception of your business is key to its reputation. A positive image helps you to attract and retain customers, thereby boosting your sales. There are lots of ways to generate positive publicity, such as through advertising, but one of the most effective methods is practising good customer service. This allows customers to form a favourable impression of your business, meaning they’re more likely to come back and buy from you in the future. It also increases the chances of them leaving a good review of the business online, where others will see it and take an interest in your business themselves.
Ready to find out more about the benefits of good customer service? Read on for three of the best customer service tips and discover how they can enhance your business’ image.
Listen and be empathetic
When customers contact your business, it’s always for a reason, whether that’s a question, a complaint or a suggestion. They’re much more likely to form a positive impression of your business if they perceive your customer service team as empathetic, active listeners, leading to your business gaining a reputation for really caring about its customers and valuing their opinions.
Active listening can be demonstrated in a number of ways – for example, by double-checking what the customer has said to make sure you understand them. This reassures the customer that you’re taking an interest in what they have to say and helps you to avoid any miscommunication or misunderstandings.
Empathy is particularly important when a customer is making a complaint, as the customer may be frustrated or upset. When you remain calm and empathise with their situation, it lets them know that you’re keen to resolve the issue. They’ll remember this, which should lead to your business developing a reputation for being helpful and solving problems quickly.
Make it easy for customers to get in touch with you
Clearly signposting ways for customers to contact you is a great way to let the public know that you’re happy to hear from customers and want to know their views. Place your contact details, such as your phone number and email address, somewhere easily visible on your business’ website and social media pages. To help ensure that customers can get through to you, you might want to install unified communications in your offices. Unified communications make it easier for the customer service team to keep in touch with each other and keep each other informed of what customers want, making it perfect for your communication system.
Follow up with customers
Whether you’ve answered a customer’s question, resolved a complaint or sold a new product, wait a few days then get in touch with them again. This is an excellent opportunity to gather feedback – you can find out what you did well and what you could improve on, all of which will be useful in the future as you continue to provide high quality customer service. It also lets them know that their custom is valued, prompting them to buy from you again and helping to establish your reputation as a customer-focused business.
And there you have it – just a few ways in which good customer service can increase positive publicity about your business.
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