The Art of Customer Service

I often hear people say that there is no customer service anymore. Most of us snicker when we hear the infamous "your call is important to us" line. Phone trees, recorded calls and automated emails add to the feeling that businesses no longer care about their customers as people. Business owners themselves may struggle with providing optimum customer service in a technological world. Fortunately, there are effective ways to improve customer service, even if you've slipped up in the past.

Here are some tips to improve your customer service style:

• People before calls: This is one of my pet peeves. Oh how I hate standing in line for help and have the person behind the counter take a phone call and talk for five minutes. This should never, never happen. Well, maybe if it's the president of the United States. Most of the time, though, people take precedence over phone calls. The best way to handle incoming calls is to quickly answer and ask the person to hold. Remember to thank the person for holding when you get back to them. 
• Answer emails and contact form questions immediately: I've covered this before, but it bears repeating. Answer emails and contact form inquiries as soon as you receive them. If you have to do some research first, at least acknowledge receipt immediately. A kind, "Thank you so much for contacting me. I need to do some research and will get back to you as soon as possible," promotes customer confidence. Oh, and, one more thing - get back to them as soon as possible.  Never blow someone off. (Are you listening DISH Network? You are so outta here!) 
• Personalize each customer experience: If you know the customer's name, say it. If you don't, find out. Introduce yourself.  If you use automated email responses, make sure the responses are set to use the individual's name. Make each customer contact, whether in person or through email, a personal, friendly experience.
• Send handwritten thank you notes: Old school? You bet! At a time when many elementary schools are debating the elimination of teaching cursive writing, which I am wholeheartedly against, sending handwritten thank you notes is one of the best ways to build customer loyalty. Handwritten correspondence is especially beneficial for local businesses.
• Train employees well: You may find an employee who is a natural at customer service, but most employees require some training. It never hurts to have customer service refreshers from time-to-time, either. Refreshers are also a great way for employees to share different experiences, discuss what worked and what didn't and offer practical suggestions to one another. 

Practicing the art of customer service really comes down to one thing. Customers are not numbers. Customers are people. As soon as you start treating them as people, the better your customer service practices become.