Are your customer service skills up to par? Do you need a refresher in your business? Even if you don’t, reviewing these 7 tips can be beneficial. Just to know that you are on the right track gives you more confidence in dealing with those uncomfortable situations that crop up from time to time

1 – Never be afraid to say you are sorry

Apologies are miracle workers. A simple “I’m sorry for your inconvenience” right off the bat will often smooth a customer’s ruffled feathers and make it easier to find a workable resolution to any problem. Whether the problem is your fault or not, care about your customer enough to apologize — and waste no time in offering it.

2 – Listen to the customer

Give the customer time to explain what happened and air their frustrations. First of all, if you don’t find the time to listen, they’ll find someone who will. And you probably don’t want that. Second, you need to know exactly what happened in order to prevent it from happening in the future.

3 – Address complaints quickly

Learn the art of small business triage. If you’ve got an unhappy customer at the counter and the phone rings, let someone else pick up the phone or let it go to voicemail. If you receive a customer complaint via email, don’t wait three days to reply. Negative comments and complaints need your immediate attention, so treat them like the emergencies they are.

4 – Remember what they say about an ounce of prevention. If you meet your clients’ expectations at every turn, you can avoid many problems in the first place. Also, if you promise a free meal for your customer’s trouble, don’t hand them a coupon for 10% off. Say what you mean and keep your promises.

5 – Deliver on your promisesNever assume your customers are blind to what’s going on behind the scenes. Don’t blame others for your mistakes or make excuses for your errors. To do otherwise is to add insult to injury. Just acknowledge the mistake and do what you can to make things right.

6 – Gives your employss powerNothing is more frustrating for a customer than to hear that nothing can be done to rectify the situation. Give your employees the power to make your customers happy whenever possible. Don’t force customers to go to a manager when a small freebie or immediate discount can be offered by your cashier or waitress.

7 – Realize some customers will never be satisfied

Some customers will never be satisfied no matter how many times you say I’m sorry or how many ways you offer to fix the problem. Don’t let these people affect the way you do business with the rest of your customers. Let go of what you can’t change, and greet the rest of your customers with a friendly smile.

I hope this quick refresher in customer service skills for business has been beneficial to you. Is there anything you would like to add?

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