NEW: Don’t be a boring service provider

18 Jul, 2022 - 09:07 0 Views
NEW: Don’t be a boring service provider

The Sunday Mail

Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba
                       
“Customers are like teeth. Ignore them and they’ll go away” – Jerry Flanagan, State Farm Agent.

Frontline representatives go through a lot in their quest to serve an organisation.

They are the ones that get yelled at, scolded and in some cases, curses are thrown at them by irrate customers.

They take the fall and bullets on behalf of the entire organisation.

If only management could understand these representatives’ sacrifice, then they would give them flowers or a “Bell’s” every day.

Consistent customer service is key, and is only possible when an organisation has representatives that are resilient and blissful.

A happy representative is easy to pick out because of the effort that they put into their work.

On the other hand, customers prefer to do business with company representatives that offer a genuine human service.

Some reps act like they are doing customers a favour by serving them, when in fact the customer is the one who is keeping their business running.

Despite all the stresses of doing business, customers and representatives can still laugh and relax when transacting.

This is how service providers can chuck out the ‘boring’ tag.

Company Culture

Some companies have an organisational culture that is toxic to employees, to such an extent that the very same people that are supposed to be representing the company feel very uncomfortable building a rapport with its customers.

This is caused by management that set unrealistic goals and policies.

No matter how much the representatives can try and convince the customers to patronise their product, if the policies are rigid then the service will be poor.

Following a script when dealing with customers is not only boring, but makes them sound like robots.

Instead, they must be allowed to be creative and handle the customers in a way that brings out the fun.

A good example is the ZRP traffic cop who has managed to turn traffic control from boring into a source of entertainment for the motoring public.

His natural creative traffic control style is just fun to watch and always give smiles to the people he is serving.

Every traffic intersection that he mans is always a fun place to be, with his jolly and cheerful skills.

Loyalty Programmes

We all love to be treated like rock-stars by our service providers.

A freebie here and a discount there, strengthens our love for their product and service.

Special discounts and exclusive promotions are some of the rewards that are appreciated by customers.

Giving them points for nice reviews or feedback on the company’s social media pages is not only a great way of soliciting feedback, but also helps organisations to gain opportunities to improve their customer experience.

Use Emoticons/Emojis 

When used in the right context they can bring out the fun side of the organisation.

Some may try to argue that emoticons are not professional, but I still insist that they are, if they are used professionally. 

In customer support service, there are instances where the organisations use non-voice support.

This is harder than voice support, because it lacks face-to-face interaction where a wrong choice of wording in messaging via email or chats can come across as rude.

Thus, it requires a special tactic to select words that sound nice and that cannot be misinterpreted to be mean.

Thank God, a few emojis and emoticons can be used with discretion to lighten up live chat conversations.

Nonetheless, they should not be overused because a lot of them may present as a sign of lack of professionalism.

Invite Customers to Corporate Events

Successful companies are making it, because their target customers are giving them business.

As they say, one hand washes another, corporates should learn to enjoy with their customers.

They also want to party with their service providers. 

Your corporate anniversaries and product launches are equally important to your customers, as they are to you.

That is why they want to celebrate with you, and share their honest opinions.

Customer Testimonials

One way to boost sales is by gathering and incorporating your customer’s recommendations and suggestions.

Happy customers can even go to the extent of posting themselves on social media platforms enjoying your product, coupled with a great caption.

When customers glorify a product or service, it is likely that some prospective customers will also want to try it.

Thus, it does not hurt for a company to invest in their customers by spending money on them.

An invite to your customer to do a live testimonial for your television advert or website will not only make the customer feel special, but it will also make it more believable.

Appreciate the Faces of the Company

The face of the organisation are the frontliners, and these are fireproof.

All the stones that were thrown at the organisations always hit them, but they still have to put on a brave face and act like all is well.

Most of them keep small mirrors behind their desks.

These remind them to put a smile on their faces, even when their world is upside down.

Therefore, management should always put their all into motivating these heroes by giving them bonuses, freedom and power to do their jobs accordingly.

Appreciate them, so that they will be able to find the strength to build strong relationships, which benefits the company now and in the future.

*Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing enthusiast with a strong passion for customer service. For comments, suggestions and training, she can be reached on [email protected] or on 0712 979 461, 0719 978 335

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