10 Tips to Provide Extraordinary Customer Service

According to Chris Clark from Strategic Choice Partners, a lot of direct selling companies settle for letting their Customer Service department only focus on taking orders and answering calls. But they can be so much more.

Here are 10 tips to keep in mind as you look for ways to make your customer service better.

10 Tips for Great Customer Service

1. The value of personal touch is priceless. Have your customer service representatives make outbound, proactive calls to the field at least twice a day. These can be as simple as asking, “How are things going?” or “Is there anything I can help you with?”
2. Customer service should have the final approval on all communication. They communicate with the customer on a constant basis and know what is expected. Customer service can identify issues that will be helpful to everyone, and spare you some headaches that come with any unintended confusion.
3. Respond to each inquiry within 24 hours.Even if it is just, “Want to let you know I’m still verifying the information.” Each customer service rep should be able to answer the inquiry. This may require directing calls and cross training. It will also require the recording of every inquiry, so all customer service reps have access to the same information.
4. Use a task reminder system to schedule follow-ups for incomplete information.
5. Create a customer service “Did You Know?” section of your regular communications.  Customer service reps are the best resource for this information, which should consist of the most frequently asked questions or difficult situations.
6. In every response, summarize the customer’s inquiry. This lets them know you understand, and in a call situation lets the customer service representative take control of the call to get the information needed to resolve the situation.
7. Track every inquiry.Include its date, time, specific subject (example: missing item) within a general category (example: order inquiry), response date, time and result. Whether your tracking system is an Excel spreadsheet or a customer service module, tracking provides measurement for all aspects of the business.
8. Use a call monitoring system that counts the number of rings before a call is answered.Your system should also have the capability of aiding supervisor review by recording how long the call lasted, that is, how quickly the representative got on and off the phone.
9. Schedule a project hour for each service rep throughout the day. This will allow time to research and compile information without interruptions.
10. All customer service reps should be a host of a demonstration.It would be even better if they acted as the sales rep for two or three demonstrations. Doing this will go a long way in helping your sales representatives understand their customers, your sales force members.

 S4DS Software has a CRM Module that will help your Direct Selling company implement these tips to achieve an outstanding Customer Service.