Good customer service keeps customers coming back for more; bad service will undoubtedly do damage to a company’s reputation. Few clients will applaud someone who went out of their way to assist, but when poor service is extended, it’s rare that a business owner doesn’t hear about it. As it is common for entrepreneurs and supervisors to be puzzled when this sort of employee issue comes up, use these suggestions to get a mediocre employee back on track again.
Defining What Poor Service Is
Good customer service is hard work, and oftentimes difficult to define. Therefore start dealing with an employee issue regarding bad service by explaining what customer service is to the organization. If there is already a human resources policy in place – excellent. If not, try saying, “Customer service to Company EFG is about helping solve problems.”
By sharing this kind of succinct information, a business owner is saying to the staff member that poor service matters to everyone, not just the customer. Additionally, it conveys that customer service is more than just a smile and a nod; it can encompass fixing something, providing information, or just listening when someone needs to vent.
How to Talk About Bad Customer Service
When a staff member is apathetic or uninterested in providing anything but bad service to retail outlet, online cab sharing, casinos-online.co.ke or any other business, use the situation as an opportunity to explain how a change in mindset will benefit them personally. The reasoning may not be personal, as business owners want to keep their competitive advantage with attentive and friendly staff members that soar above the competitors.
But when it comes to talking to staff members about a poor service complaint, the easiest way to get the message across is to get personal. Explain to the person in question that there will be nothing more important in their career than good communication, and the only way to ensure long term success in the business world is to cultivate their customer service skills.
What to Say to an Employee About Bad Service
Start the conversation by sharing with the staff member the reason for the interaction. Explain that customer service was good at one point in time, and give an example. Then, share that things seem to have waned since then, using specific examples such as appearing uninterested or refusing to assist with troubleshooting customer problems. Then ask the staff member for their interpretation of the poor service situation. Wait, and listen carefully.
Then, ask the staff member a question such as, “It’s understood that bad service can happen sometimes. So how can this poor service be turned around into something more positive again?” Inquire more about anything that isn’t clear, and ask for specifics where applicable.
Next, explain the difference between good and bad customer service for the company, using the discussion that just occurred to drive the points home on a personal level. Explain that communication is the cornerstone to any staff member’s success with the organization, and that to stand out will require lots of learning with regards to problem solving and trying to get into the customers’ head.
End the conversation by confirming the steps the staff member suggested to remedy the employee problem, and invite them to discuss any issues or concerns that crop up along the way. This way the staff member can feel empowered to deal with poor service issues, while the business manager or entrepreneur can feel like concrete expectations can be met.
How to Deal with Unhappy Customers
Working with customers is a fact of life in many workplaces. If it weren’t for customers, businesses would have no reason to exist. Many times, employees can forget that the customers are the very reason for their job’s existence. Treat a customer right and that person will come back time and time again. Treat a customer poorly and a company will be lucky to see the return of that customer.
Certain customers can be difficult to work with and many times employees become overwhelmed with these customers. Remembering a few simple tips can ease the days when difficult customers seem to be the norm.
Remain Calm
Many times, irritated customers simply want someone to listen. That may mean an employee listens to the difficulties the customer had with the order or the service experience. If an employee is empowered to deal with customer complaints, the customer will avoid having to repeat the same scenario to other employees.
Remaining calm is a key point when dealing with someone who is unhappy. Although the customer may become angry and agitated, the employee must remain calm at all times. Empathizing with the customer and offering a solution to the difficulty will go a long way toward keeping that particular customer in the future.
It’s Not Personal
Sometimes it can be easy to assume that an unhappy customer is making a personal attack. Customers are usually upset only about the poor product or service they feel they have received. Employees that can remember it is not personal will be able to remain focused on the situation and trying to resolve it.
Documentation
Employees should document unhappy customer experiences and report any trends to upper management. Trends may indicate a service or product that needs to be changed to meet customer’s needs.
If a client poses consistent difficulties for an employee, the employee should document that as well. In some instances, clients may be calling attention to problems that do not exist.
Follow Company Protocol
When an employee receives a complaint, he or she should remember to follow the company protocol regarding handling customer issues. If a customer is unhappy about a mistake the employee made, it is best to own up to that mistake and develops a solution so that the mistake does not happen in the future.
The majority of employees do not like dealing with unhappy customers. However, keeping calm and following company protocol can ease the stress of dealing with those calls, if and when they do come.
