Customer Service Ethos
I’ve worked in customer-focused functions for many years, and whatever the role -support, pre and post-sales, or devrel- I’ve observed and applied specific approaches that improve the customer experience and help build stronger relations with customers. I have distilled my learnings in this list of 10 principles. Please reach out if you can help me improve this list!.
Image by 1. Customer Centricity
The customer is at the centre of every decision and action. Sacrificing it for anything else -revenue, goals, processes- usually means sacrificing the long-term success for a short-term nominal gain.
2. Active Listening
Pay full attention to what customers are saying, take the time to understand their points and ask questions for clarification. Validate your understanding with the customer to ensure you captured it correctly.
3. True Empathy
Demonstrate genuine care and understanding of the customer’s situation and context. Building a relationship is more important than completing a transaction.
4. Clear and Tailored Communication
Communicate clearly and tailor the language to the customer’s preferences. Avoid jargon and technical terms unless the customer is familiar with them. If customers have their own jargon, aim to understand it.
5. Responsiveness
Respond promptly to customer inquiries and complaints. If it’s impossible to respond immediately, acknowledge their query and set a clear timeframe for resolution or follow-up.
6. Personal approach
Document past interactions and customer preferences and consider them in your future interactions. Customers interface with multiple functions within a company, so share this information to provide a consistent experience.
7. Proactive Attitude
Identify opportunities to enhance the customer experience and anticipate potential problems. Don’t wait for a customer to raise them; be proactive and in constant search.
8. Relentless resolution
When problems do occur, dedicate as much time as needed to ensure they are addressed at the root. The same exact problem (identical conditions, symptoms, impact, outcomes) should not occur twice if there is an opportunity to prevent or mitigate it.
9. Continuous Improvement
Be open to change and continuously look for ways to improve. Seek feedback and ensure it is used to enhance the customer experience.
10. Transparency and accountability
Take responsibility for your actions and the quality of service delivered. Earn customer trust by owning up to mistakes and taking steps to rectify them.