Quality customer service is one of the key factors that distinguishes a company from its competitors. A business that provides poor customer service is at risk of losing revenue, and even going out of business. Providing great customer service will give you an edge over your competitors, help create a positive impression of your company, and go a long way in retaining current customers.
People are complicated. Every business that provides customer service knows this. Customers come in all sorts – moody, grumpy, happy, mad, and sad. But many customers are an absolute delight to serve.
You can make these interactions less difficult by understanding how people think and act on a basic level. If you find a way to understand the underlying needs and wants of your customer, half the battle is won, and you can deliver outstanding service almost every time.
Psychological tips and tricks to improve customer service
- Be available
Always be available to the customer, whether by telephone, email, social media, a service desk, or all of the above. If you completely ignore your customer’s needs or wants, they will feel neglected, and they might be less likely to do business with you in the future. - Integrate your ERP and CRM systems with Commercient SYNC
Another way to offer great customer service is by connecting your ERP and CRM systems, such as Sage and Salesforce. Commercient SYNC, the #1 integration platform for sales, gives your team a full view of customers, sales and the business, all in one place. With SYNC, your customer service team can access recent sales, customer information (such as ship to and mail to addresses), serial numbers, inventory, and more. This allows your Team to offer help to customers quickly and efficiently, with up-to-date information. - Use positive language
Language is an extremely powerful tool. Whether you communicate over the phone or in written form, such as chat or email, the way you express yourself will affect whether your message is received positively or negatively. Using positive language tends to reduce conflict, improve communication, reduce defensiveness in others, and helps portray the speaker as credible and respectable. - Address a customer by name
Addressing customers by name is part of any strategy that values customer experience. Personalization matters. Using a person’s name makes them feel important and validated. - Use customer satisfaction surveys
Using customer satisfaction surveys to solicit and utilize customer feedback is a crucial part of any customer retention strategy. This is the best way to find out how your customers feel about your products or services. - Leverage the power of the Halo Effect
The Halo Effect is a classic psychological phenomenon that has been used by marketers for decades. It’s the reason we’re shocked when we hear of an attractive person convicted of a terrible crime, or when a person dressed in scruffy rags turns out to be a millionaire. The Halo Effect is a form of cognitive bias in which the brain allows specific positive traits to positively influence the overall evaluation of a person, brand or company. Create a positive experience for your customer, and that will cast a positive impression of your entire company.
More tips:
Make your customers feel valuable and irreplaceable. Give a genuine compliment. Send a small gift, such as promo codes and discounts. Say thank you as often as you can.
Putting in a little bit of effort to caress your customer’s ego can go a long way in regards to how they feel about your company.
In addition, make sure you read our blog on ways to deal with a difficult customer.
If you’d like to learn more about Commercient SYNC, IoT Pulse or our eCommerce solutions, please contact us today.
About the Author
Anna Kinnear is a Sage Financials Consultant at Edgeware, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting Science from the University of South Africa. She has always had a passion for reading and writing.
