Complacency is the enemy of positive relationships. Take marriage for example when one or both of the partnership begins to take the other for granted, it’s only a matter of time before things turn sour. The same goes for business. If you’re at the top of your game with a regular group of customers buying your products or services it’s easy to rest on your laurels and sit back and reap the profits. The trouble is, today’s consumer is a fickle soul who’s always on the lookout for a better, more cost effective service. And if you’re not tending to their every need, you’re in danger of losing them forever.
Successful people know that being great at something is never enough. Athletes push themselves to the limit to beat their personal bests, and the most renowned business leaders do the same. There is always someone round the corner who can offer just as good a service as you do, sometimes for a much be?er price. Knowing your competitors, identifying any areas of weakness in your business and going above and beyond to make your customers feel happy and appreciated will help keep those competitors at bay.
Just sending your staff on customer service training when they start a new role isn’t enough. Human beings have pretty short memories and the day to day nine to five combined with any workplace niggles can put customer satisfaction on the back burner. It’s important to bring in refreshers and work on any issues that could be impacting on staff morale and productivity. In order to be a success, you have to make ongoing development a priority. That means learning from mistakes, asking questions and setting goals.
Building in an ongoing customer service training programme will encourage your business to grow in several ways:
Improved communication skills
Customers like to feel listened to and valued and know that any complaints they may have will be dealt with properly. Customer service training will help your team develop important listening and problem solving skills which will empower them to deliver a great service.
Higher customer retention rates
Effective training enables employees to resolve any problems quickly and professionally. A well trained customer service representative should be able to deal with issues at first point of contact, improving the overall experience for your customers.
Increased profits
Happy customers are loyal customers, which leads to them spending more money. Quality customer service training allows you to grow your consumer base and look after the ones you already have; leading to increased sales.
Happier employees
If staff feel empowered and happy in their work, they’re more likely to stay. Good training enables employees to feel confident and competent, leading to increased morale and productivity. Coming together to achieve common goals is great for successful team building, and we all like to feel like we’ve done a good job. A little bit of appreciation goes a long way, so investing in your employees and your customers can only help you grow your business.
