If you’ve ever smoked a cigarette or had a cheeseburger at McDonalds, you know a thing or two about bad habits.
Though these things don’t seem TOO bad they can negatively affect your work habits.
One of the biggest mistakes companies face is allowing these bad habits to creep their way into their businesses.
This becomes extremely detrimental when your customer support team gets bitten by the bad habit bug.
Here are a few bad customer service habits you should keep an eye out for and deal with ASAP.
5 Bad Customer Service Habits You Need to End Right Away
1) Not paying attention to customer feedback
Don’t you hate it when you give someone well-constructed feedback and they just toss it to the side like it means nothing to them?
Well so do your customers… Everyone wants to be heard and feel as though their opinion matters.
In the realm of customer support, everyone’s opinion really should count for something.
You’re making a product that will change the lives of each of your customers, so who better to tell you what upgrades to make than the customers themselves.
I understand how impractical it may seem to listen to every bit of input you get but make an effort to at least attempt to do so.
If your customer feels as though what they are saying is actually being acknowledged, they inevitably feel a sense of importance.
They appreciate the effort you make to satisfy their needs. This can be HUGE for your business because it leads customers towards a sense of commitment and devotion to your company.
This is exactly why leaders within any industry get “fanboys,” who will spam the internet with remarks of greatness and gratitude that has been brought upon them by your company.
2) Throwing a customer around from customer service representative to representative, HOT POTATO!
I just love it when I call a company to get help with a minor problem I’m having with their product and not only do I spend half an hour on the phone, I also am forced to re-tell my issue to three different people.
If you want your customer to feel appreciated then have them fully engage in a problem-solving session with a SINGLE representative.
Make them feel as though they’re getting VIP treatment, because they deserve it.
A single customer experience agent needs to have a well written, detailed list of customers that only he answers to. This results in a sense of “customized” service that is unique to each customer.
This will also build a more personal relationship between the company and the customer, especially if you confront them about personal details they entrusted you with.
Heard you hired a new office assistant, how’s he working out for you? Is your dog still sick, Gary? Well, I’m sorry to hear that… Make each interaction personalized and tailored exclusively to each customer.
3) Don’t “Hit It and Quit It”
I’m talking about forgetting about your customers, get your mind straight… You just got a new customer? Great! Go talk to them!
Helping someone isn’t a onetime thing. If your customer feels as though you’ve forgotten about them, they won’t feel any ties to your company and will eventually leave you when a competitor of yours lures them in.
Subconsciously, we all love attention. What better way to give customers attention than to actually message them and ask if their customer experience is up to par, if they’re getting what it is that they were looking for.
This shouldn’t be a daily thing, contacting a customer every week or two is a great way of reminding them why it is that your service is worth every penny they’re putting into it.
Just think about the relationships you’ve built up over the years with your friends and family. You contact them because you care, you don’t want to completely lose touch with them.
Treat your customers in the same manner. An added benefit to this is that your customers will eventually become more patient with you.
If you do happen to have any unforeseen problems, they won’t just up and leave you without any notice.
Additionally, they’ll feel more comfortable contacting you with any concerns or issues they may be experiencing.
4) Being overly selective with work assignments
You can’t over think who it is you’re going to assist, the answer is obvious, everyone! Remember those late nights as a kid on
Halloween? A bag full of candy at your disposal that you would dig through to find that one perfect piece your body is craving.
Unfortunately, there’s no room for that in GOOD customer service. Your customers aren’t some disposable pieces of sugar filled goodness, they’re people… with money.
They’re paying you to be there for them when they need your help. If you’re not there then some other company will be.
Fight for you customer’s business and time by being there to offer support whenever it is that they may need it. I know… some customers may be more appealing to work with, but you cannot afford to neglect anyone.
Prioritize who it is that needs help first, but make sure to circle around and assist EVERYONE.Never forget that every customer needs to count, big or small.
If you’ve ever witnessed an act of karma, you’ll know that even that little startup you’ve been dismissing and neglecting for years can turn into a money-turning powerhouse, at the flip of a switch.
I guarantee you’ll be kicking yourself over missed business opportunities because you favored certain clients over others.
5) Not being accessible
This is one issue no customer will tolerate. Your customers are the sole reason your company even exists so give them a customer support team worthy of their money, it’s as simple as that.
If you’re looking for a sure-fire way to scare off a new customer then just try to miss their cry for help when they attempt to contact you.
I guarantee they WILL NOT come back for repeat business and worst of all you can count on them telling all of their business buddies how horrible your customer service is.
Preventing this is simple… establish several various methods of communication with customers: email, phone, fax, mailing address, Skype… use snapchat if you have to, just make it work.
On a more serious note, your customer support team is on the forefront of interaction between the company and clients.
In order for them to properly represent your institution as a whole, they need to be reaching out to customers and listening to their problems.
I cannot overemphasize how important it is to nurture every relationship you acquire within the world of business.
Bad customer service habits will not only harm your company in the short term, they will wreck your reputation in the long run.
This is preventable! All you need to do is invest the time into taking the proper precautionary measures.
Follow the rules I set out for you in this article and you are bound to improve your customer support by insurmountable amounts.
And if you’re thinking to yourself… “screw the customer, I just want tons of money”
Good customer service = Satisfied customer = Repeat business = Barrel loads of money in your pockets
Would love to hear your thoughts on getting rid of bad customer service habits. Post your thoughts below, in the comments!
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