Almost everyone can recall a not-so-good customer service experience. In these situations, you probably walked away feeling frustrated because your needs or expectations were not met. Do you know what differentiates "good" customer service from "bad" customer service? The answer is creative problem-solving.
The best customer service experts are usually master problem-solvers. These extraordinaires are able to intuit the customer's needs, identify the problem, and artfully find a solution. They are extremely perceptive and skilled at defusing high pressure situations when necessary.
The good news for business owners is that problem-solving is a learned skill set. By incorporating problem-solving skills into your customer service training program, you can dramatically improve efficiency and productivity. By the end of this path, you can employ problem-solving tools to improve customer service in your company.
Great Customer Service Begins With Creative Problem Solving
What is your customer lacking? How can you help? By first determining your customer's needs, you can figure out next steps. Correctly identifying the customers’ needs is essential for ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty. When working with a customer, you must be an empathetic and active listener as they discuss their problem. Customers want to feel acknowledged, supported and confident that you are able to handle their issue with the utmost care.
Some customers may come to you knowing the exact problem. Others may have trouble explaining to you what went wrong. "When did the problem begin?" "Have you experienced this issue more than once?" These are example questions that you may want to ask the customer. You want to ask the right questions so that you can pinpoint the exact issue the customer is facing. Once the problem has been correctly identified, you are ready to move into the next phase of the process.
In this critical step, creativity is key. You already understand the customer's needs & expectations, and you have identified the problem. Your company may or may not have a process outlined for this specific situation. Nonetheless, the customer is counting on you to make it happen. The links below will prepare you to think outside-of-the box and tailor your solution to best fit the customer.
90% of the job is done. You have listened to the customer, identified their issue, and found a solution to the problem. The final step is to fix the problem and follow up with the customer to ensure that they are satisfied with the result. This step plays a huge part in customer retention and loyalty. Customers are more likely to continue doing business with your company when they feel that their problem was resolved and that you went the extra mile to make them feel appreciated.
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