Go beyond the ordinary with service

If you are engaging customers with good service you have to offer better than good service. Good is just not good enough. If you want your company to be the best, you have to go beyond ordinary service, and instead be significantly better than your competitors. If you aren't, you won't be able to sustain your market position. If you are not telling your customers that you are promising them great customer service it still matters, but it matters even more if they expect great service. Here are some ways to go beyond the ordinary with your service, and wow your customers in order to create loyal, happy customers who talk about your brand, tell their friends, and help you gain more market share.

Staff your customer service well- The first thing you have to do is make sure you have adequate customer service staffing to handle the questions that come in. No one wants to be put on hold for more than a couple of minutes. Staff well so that people get their questions answered and answered fast.

Train your customer service well- Your customer service team is the one interacting with your customers, and this means that they should receive a lot of attention and training so that they represent the company well, and know how to handle unhappy customers, solve problems, and know what they are talking about. The better trained your customer service representative are, the more cared for your customers will feel. It is not fun to call into a center with a problem and get a generic answer from someone who doesn't know any more than you do about the product, service, or problem.

Designate your "A" team to handle the most complex questions- Not every customer service rep is going to be able to handle complex or technical questions, no matter how well you train them. Thus, you should designate a team of people who know the product or service you are offering inside and out and that are on staff to handle the most complex and technical questions. This way those questions get answered, and the customer is satisfied, and you have qualified people that can then problem solve to make your product better for future customers.

Real problems should get real attention. That attention should be received really fast! Customers want to know they matter to the company, and when they do, they spread the word about the company.If you can remember this, and remember that spending money on great customer service will give you a high return, even if the metrics for measuring it are difficult, you will see a growth in market share and profits. People want to be treated well, and will often be willing to pay more if it means better service and attention, faster problem solving, and real results.