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10 key techniques for excellent customer service
In the pursuit of excellence and in competitive markets where the goal is to attract customers and retain them, we cannot overlook customer service. Many times, how an employee treats you is what makes you return or what you value most about the service. A good waiter not only takes orders and serves but also offers exceptional treatment and makes you feel at home. It is those small details, or the absence of them, that makes you desire to return and stand out above the competitors.
Main advantages of good customer service
There are multiple advantages to offering good customer service:
Gain recommendations: word of mouth is the oldest, free, and most effective system for attracting new customers. A recommendation from a happy customer about your brand is the best advertising.
Improve positioning: when you create better reviews, the reach is greater and your market recognition increases. Happy customers translate into more searches and a better ranking on the list among competitors.
Foster loyalty: with good customer service, you gain more points to retain customers, who spend on average 70% more. In other words, a satisfied customer will choose you again.
Gain preference among options: a brand is established when customers spend little time choosing that brand among multiple options. The ultimate goal is for your restaurant to be the first that comes to mind when someone thinks of a restaurant.
More sales: a happy customer is more inclined to spend more money on your brand than if the service they received was terrible. When people are comfortable, they tend to prolong their buying process, which increases the likelihood that they will end up consuming more.
The 10 Best Customer Service Techniques
1. Personalized Treatment Technique: include their name
One way to approach customers is to address them by their names. This way, you make them feel valued and special. Avoid referring to them impersonally and try to remember details they mention so that the relationship developed is more personal.
When they address you by your name, you are more alert and pay more attention. There are many studies where the conclusions are always the same: when our interlocutor uses our name, we respond more positively to their business proposals. Therefore, it is important to know the name of the person we are addressing so that we can naturally address them by their name (the sooner we know it, the better). We also need to keep in mind that repetitive use can be very intrusive and become annoying.
Building connections and common points also unites a lot and makes customers trust your words more and view the product you are selling in a better light. It is a tactic widely used by salespeople 🙂
2. Kind Attention Technique: maintain a positive attitude
Maintaining a positive and relaxed attitude with the customer affects their behavior even in difficult and stressful situations.
Your positive attitude is reflected in your smile, voice, and gaze, which can influence the customer's reaction. Although complaints or negative situations may arise, it is important to remain calm and avoid becoming defensive.
In any problem, customers want to express their dissatisfaction and concerns to the company. Being positive in these situations can only help to improve them. Recognizing your limitations as a staff member and avoiding promising impossible solutions can also help to address the situation.
3. Presence Conveying Technique: use body language
The message is as important as non-verbal language. This can completely change the interpretation made of it. The body plays a very important role in communicating what you want to say through gestures. Eye contact, nodding, and taking notes during the conversation are ways to show that you are actively listening and valuing what is being said. Taking notes not only demonstrates attention but also helps recall important details and shows a commitment to continuous improvement.
It is crucial to avoid distractions while interacting with a customer. Whether during a transaction, signing a contract, or delivering products, it is vital to focus entirely on the customer to build trust and demonstrate that their satisfaction is a priority.
Moreover, consistency between verbal and body language is key to building trust. If gestures do not match what is expressed verbally, inconsistencies can be perceived that generate distrust. Therefore, it is important to ensure that both aspects are aligned coherently during the interaction with the customer.
4. Active Listening Technique: pay attention to the situation
There is a technique called HEARD. This technique includes 5 aspects (hear, empathize, apologize, resolve, and diagnose):
Listen: pay attention to all the details from the interlocutor
Empathize: try to put yourself in the other person's shoes regarding the problem
Apologize: say sorry if necessary; acknowledging the mistake humanizes you and invites the customer to empathize with you.
Resolution of the dilemma: the way to end any complaint is usually with a real solution, and the sooner, the better
Diagnose: discovering the cause of the problem is very important to avoid it occurring again in the future
5. Solution Providing Technique: offer a reward
Offering rewards to loyal customers, such as a free dinner if they have visited 10 times before stimulates frequent purchases and satisfies the customer. When things are not going so well and problems arise, a good method to make them feel valued and heard is to offer them rewards for their discomfort. Many hotels, when receiving negative reviews, try to investigate the problems that caused the guests' anger to avoid those situations in the future. As a reward for the inconvenience, they tend to offer complimentary nights in suites or luxury rooms. This way, the customer is left with a good feeling, and the hotel ends up with a good review on their website.
Other examples of compensatory benefits can be discounts, promotions, or some free product/service. When you offer quality after-sales service and an issue arises, the customer greatly values that the problem is resolved quickly and effectively.
6. FAB Technique: identify features, provide advantages, and demonstrate benefits
The FAB technique is named after the English initials for three key concepts: features, advantages, and benefits. It is primarily used in sales but can apply in any customer interaction.
The first step is to observe and analyze the characteristics of the customer's request to identify the product or service attributes that best suit their needs. Then, the advantages of acquiring that product or service from your company are presented.
Finally, the benefits that the customer will obtain are highlighted, emphasizing the exclusive advantages that your brand offers.
7. ELI5 Technique: explain it as if you were talking to a 5-year-old
Talking as if you were talking to a 5-year-old, that is, in an easy and clear manner, makes the message reach the customer without problems.
Sometimes the customers we talk to know the product or service perfectly, and you can talk more technically with them, but other times the customer is a novice and has little knowledge of what you offer. In the latter case, speaking easily and with examples helps the understanding of those who are not so specialized.
When we interact with customers in a non-face-to-face manner, it is more difficult to express ourselves clearly. When we talk on the phone or chat, it is very useful to have tutorial videos explaining how the product works or some guide with tips. It is always important to adapt your way of communicating according to the needs and knowledge level of the customers.
8. Empathy Technique: feel, felt, and found
Empathizing with the customer is very essential for them to feel valued by the company, and if we follow the next steps of the feel, felt, found technique, you will achieve this naturally:
I acknowledge the feeling (feel): making them feel that the problem they have is real and that you understand their discomfort is the first step to make them feel comfortable.
I have also experienced this (felt): mentioning that you have also gone through that situation before, even if it is not entirely true, creates a closer bond with the other person.
I can imagine how (found): recognizing someone else's problem as a situation that has happened to you brings tranquility to the other person.
9. Questioning Techniques: ask questions
The questioning technique serves to ask various questions according to the situation to achieve a goal. First, classify the questions according to the situations in which you want to use them. For example: closing a sale, solving a problem, or answering customer doubts.
The types of questions are:
Closed questions: are questions where the answers are yes or no. With just those answers, you will have the information you need.
Open questions: these allow the customer to express themselves better.
Directed questions: when you want to steer the conversation without the customer feeling that you are leading them where you want, you can ask questions like: Do you think we can discuss this aspect of the offer?
Clarification questions: are questions asked to ensure that the customer has understood all the product details and has not gotten lost at any point in the conversation.
Approval questions: focus on offering convincing solutions. With these questions, you obtain the causes or consequences that impacted the purchase and help you provide the best option. A question of this type could be Do you prefer this alternative?
10. Automation Technique: create an omnichannel system
Not all interactions with customers have the same level of priority, but it is essential to respond to all requests. Nowadays, immediacy is key, so it is advisable to streamline this process and reduce repetitive tasks by leveraging technology. To do this, implement an omnichannel model that assigns a specific purpose to each communication channel.
Analyze user behavior to identify their preferences regarding channels. For example, you might discover that a chatbot on your website is ideal for resolving simple inquiries, while messaging applications and calls are used for clarifications or more complex complaints and email for sending notifications and promotions.
Additionally, we suggest using software that centralizes all user communications in one place. This will prevent the customer from having to repeat information already provided in previous interactions with your brand.
If you want to improve your customer service, check out our smart assistant for restaurants.