Five Golden Rules of Customer Service

The Golden Rule is a guide of ethical conduct, which states “Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you”.  I often refer back to this guiding principle in life and I find it to be very helpful in my career as well.  When it comes to customer service, I always make sure to apply this same rule and go beyond what is usually expected.  Below are five methods for applying the Golden Rule to customer service. 

1.  Treat Clients As You Would Love to be TreatedRichard Branson

The hospitality industry, especially an all-inclusive resort, does the best job at providing guests with the “red carpet” treatment.  For example, during my experience at an all-inclusive resort, there was always someone in the front of the resort waiting to greet the guests.  They hold your personal effects, while you complete the check-in process at the front desk.  Once checked-in, guests get transported in a mini-shuttle/golf cart to their room and within 24 hours, they receive a follow-up call from the front desk asking to see if you have everything that you need.  I found this to be a perfect example of how a client should be treated.

2.  Listen to Clients

People go through a weekly grind and tend to get frustrated with their jobs.  If a client calls you, looking to complain about a product or service that is not meeting their expectations and it is obvious they are having a bad day, let them say what they need to say.  The client could be calling, just so they are able to be heard.  Once they finish speaking, I look to offer possible solutions, with concrete explanations as to how these solutions can make their jobs easier.

3.  Put Personal Smartphones Awaysmartphone

Remember, you are on company time and it is important to be focused when speaking to a client and addressing their needs. The “need-to-reply” can wait.  A recent study from Washington and Lee University found that heavy texting was associated with poorer sleep in freshmen college students.  This supports previous findings of a link between cell phone use and poor sleep.  One of the key causes of this relates to feeling pressured or the need to immediately respond to texts.  Please put down the smartphone, focus on the issue at hand, and avoid compromising your health.

4.  Manage Client Expectations

Don’t give clients an answer if you are not 100% certain.  Just because you do not know the answer to a question does not mean you are showing poor customer service.  Always offer to get back to the client within a reasonable timeframe.  My definition of reasonable is with a 24-hour timeframe.  The client will appreciate the fact that you took the time to research on his or her behalf.

5.  Stay Classy

Always maintain poise and put and keep a smile on your face.  Our personal lives can be a heavier grind than our professional lives.  A negative tone over the phone is can deter future business for your company.  Remember, you are the face of the company.

DSD_Adrian_circle image

Written by Adrian Lopez, Account Executive at DSD Business Systems

Categories:
CPA DSD Business Systems
Tag:
crm

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