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Use Your Knowledge Skills To Improve Customer Service
Author: Carole Nicolaides
We live in an increasingly service-oriented economy; a better phrase might be an "attention-oriented economy". And while we all understand the importance of serving our customers well in order to retain their repeat business and referrals, we often misunderstand how to apply that knowledge, or teach our employees how to apply it.
From building trust and rapport with clients to becoming experts in our field, great customer service begins with harnessing the knowledge we possess.
Think back to your own customer service experiences. How many times have you called a company and had to enter your account information into an automated system only to be transferred to a company representative who asked you for the same information?
Then, after being greeted by that company representative, you were transferred again and had to provide the same information to the next representative! How did it make you feel? Irritated?
This is an irritant for most people.
By collecting information regarding the complaints of your customers, you will be able to overcome such inefficiencies and provide better customer service.
Below are a few key points to help you propel ahead of your competition:
Create A Collective Database
By using simple software, you can create a basic knowledge management program that revolves around the availability of customer information and keeps all the information about your customers in one place.
In your program allow room for information about conversations you’ve had with your customers: their likes and dislikes, birthdays, important dates, preferred shipping methods, and any special considerations regarding the company. The more you know about your customers, the better you will be able to serve them.
Sun Microsystems, a multi million-dollar corporation in California, implemented such a program and estimated that their sales and marketing force saved millions of dollars in training new hires alone.
Sales people had all the information they needed in order to provide great customer services and because each person, within the organization, participated in adding database information, a complete picture of the customer was obtained.Use The Database To Solve Customer Problems
Get into the routine of bringing up client information as soon as you establish contact.
By having your customer's past history right in front of you, you will be in a better position to assist them.
Furthermore, by understanding the particulars of your customer's likes and dislikes as well as needs and wants, you can offer better customer service and quite possibly increase sales by recommending products and/or services.
And by keeping a track record of past orders and customer complaints, you have the ability to prove to your client that service comes first.Use The Database To Improve Your Processes
Create a special field, within your database, for customer complaints.
Instruct your employees to input even the smallest complaint, then once a month (or quarter) review the complaints to see how your company might improve in order to be more customer-friendly, to improve product quality, and to improve the company’s bottom line.
According to the U.S. White House Office of Consumer Affairs, the most serious complaint regarding customer service is that corporations are perceived as being uncaring.
This simple knowledge management effort will greatly increase that perception with your own clients and show them that you do value them. But most importantly, you will create an environment where each customer feels as if they are being shown preferential treatment.
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