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Good customer service is a service experience that meets the needs of customers and leaves them with a positive feeling about a business. The following are the basic elements of good customer service followed by concrete examples.Adaptability | Apologies | Authenticity | Awareness of Competition | Competitive Spirit | Creativity | Cultural Competence | Customer Advocates | Customer Experience | Customer is Always Right | Deep Change | Exception Handling | Extra Distance | Friendliness | Initial Response Time | Packaging & Presentation | Passion for Service | Plain Speaking | Polish | Politeness | Professionalism | Rapport | Resilience | Respecting the Intelligence of the Customer | Solving Problems | Sympathy | Talent | Tolerance & Inclusion | Transparency | Treating Customers as Individuals | Turnaround Time |
AdaptabilityA hotel that works hard to handle special customer requests such as a late night request to move rooms due to perceived problems.ApologiesA call center employee who apologies immediately when the customer is inconvenience or complains of a perceived problem.AuthenticityA restaurant that intensely cares about food, dining experience and service as opposed to end-goals such as profit.Awareness of CompetitionA large IT consulting company that doesn't become arrogant and complacent about the competition such that they retain a sense of humility and urgent need to deliver customer results.
Competitive SpiritAn airline that thanks customers for their business and acts with knowledge that customers have many other choices.CreativityFront desk staff who can't fulfill a customer request for a room change but find another solution to the customer's problem with the room.Cultural CompetenceAirline staff who speak multiple languages and are good at dealing with customers from any nation and background.Customer AdvocatesA customer service representative who reports a common design complain to the business unit and product design team that can fix it.Customer ExperienceA cafe manager who politely asks a disruptive customer to leave as they are ruining everyone's enjoyment of the cafe.Customer is Always RightA restaurant that takes the pragmatic stance that something is a problem if the customer perceives it as a problem. For example, if a customer thinks your best table isn't good and wants to sit near the bathroom, don't argue.Deep ChangeAddressing the root cause of low customer satisfaction as opposed to the symptoms. For example, an airline that upgrades to newer, more reliable aircraft to improve service levels.Exception HandlingThe process of making reasonable exceptions to policy to benefit the customer. For example, an airline that only accepts payment by credit card for food that has a policy of giving food for free to children traveling alone and others without a credit card.Extra DistanceA mechanic who provides customers with detailed answers when they ask for advice on a separate problem with a vehicle.FriendlinessA mover who maintains a helpful, approachable and friendly demeanor towards customers such that they regularly achieve high customer ratings. Initial Response TimeA real estate agent that gets back to a customer in minutes after an email inquiry.Packaging & PresentationA department store that offers gift wrapping that is professional to the extent that few customers could wrap as well.Passion for ServiceEmployees at a call center who enjoy their work due to an unusually positive team culture and leverage to solve customer problems such that dissatisfied customers are uncommon.Plain SpeakingTechnical support that explains a problem without dumbing it down or engaging in needless technobabble.PolishA waiter at a restaurant who has refined every detail of service such as proper placement of things on tables such that they help to create a fine dining experience.PolitenessA waiter who addresses customers with respect and polite distance.ProfessionalismA salesperson who is professional such that they dress well, speak well, act well and are knowledgeable about their industry, product and customer.RapportA banker who easily establishes rapport with customers due to their personal presence and inherent charm.ResilienceA bouncer at a nightclub who handles difficult people in a reasonable way without loosing their composure or becoming stressed out.Respecting the Intelligence of the CustomerTaking customers seriously when they request information. For example, an airline that provides passengers with detailed reasons for a flight delay and conveys an estimated time of departure with the acknowledgement that there is still some uncertainty around the estimate.Solving ProblemsAn airline that immediately presents all customers with a useful list of options when a flight is cancelled including an immediate refund, rebooking, compensation, hotel bookings and so forth without a big hassle. SympathyTrying to understand the situation of the customer at the emotional level. For example, a customer who is angry after being billed incorrectly as they feel they are being cheated. In this situation, a customer service representative may immediately apologize and clearly state that the money will be immediately refunded if the bill is wrong before quickly working to identify the billing error or confusion.TalentCustomer service is a talent that involves difficult to acquire skills such as emotional intelligence, communication, personal resilience, self-discipline and personal presence. For example, a talented bartender in a busy establishment who achieves high order throughput while dealing with a large number of communication issues without losing their friendly and professional demeanor.Tolerance & InclusionService representatives who treat everyone well regardless of their background, identity or language abilities.TransparencyTransparency is fair and open communication. For example, a hotel that communicates a renovation project at booking time with precise details on how the customer may be impacted by the work.Treating Customers as IndividualsTreating customers as people as opposed to a faceless crowd, stereotype or wallet. For example, a theme park that avoids the sense that crowds are being herded by staff.Turnaround TimeFulfilling obligations to customers quickly. For example, a restaurant that has food on the table quickly during the lunch rush as many customers have a short and strict lunch break.
Customer Service
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