The 5-Star Customer Service Skills Your Team really Needs

​​

A question I always answer right from the start of any courses I deliver is why did I chose to train people when it comes to helping businesses improving their customer service? And my answer is always the same: because of the power of people. You can have the best methods in place, great customer service starts with a team feeling proud, empowered and acknowledged when it comes to successfully delivering it.

​

So when it comes to the best customer service skills and methods your team really needs, the first thing to understand is that they can only apply these methods effectively if they feel empowered and important in this role.

​

Now let’s see more in-depth some key skills your people should have when it comes to delivering an exceptional experience.

​​

Successfully managing and exceeding customers’ expectations

​​

When it comes to managing expectations, your team can only do it effectively if they understand why they are doing it. Here are some reasons you should definitely share with your team so they have the correct mindset when it comes to this key topic:

• To make sure your clients have all information related to your offer

• To provide the offer you should and want to provide

• To make sure your customers get the best out of what you provide

• To avoid future complaints

• To protect your business

​​

Now we covered the “why” (so your people have the correct mindset),  let’s cover the “what” (how to get your people to effectively manage your customer’s expectations). Here are 5 stages to successfully manage your customers’ expectations:​

1. Be crystal clear on what information you need from your customers

2. Give them all the required information you need them to be aware of

3. Target the discrepancies from what they tell you

4. Have courageous conversations accordingly (see below for more information)

5. Never overpromise​

​​​

The keys to success to effective complaints handling

​​​

Dealing successfully with complaints is all about perspective. The minute we change our perspective around complaining clients as a team, we change our approach to complaints. As you will turn a complaint into one of the best way to show genuine care, generate even more trust from customers or give yourself / your team another opportunity to set boundaries or re-manage expectations.

​

But there is one main thing which makes a huge difference when it comes to complaints handling: making the best impact on your customers’ emotional perception. Science tells us that human reactions and decision-making process is emotional first and then logical. So when we decide to handle/resolve a situation with logic only without considering and acknowledging first its emotional origin, it is a recipe to failure.

​

So let’s take 3 key stages of successful complaints handling which are active listening, paraphrasing and sympathising. The reason why you want your team to focus on these 3 stages first before even thinking of finding a solution is because by doing so, they will positively acknowledge and show care towards the customers’ perspective. Which will therefore make a positive impact on their emotional perception, so you can turn the situation into an opportunity rather than a threat. Only once your team has successfully done this can the complaint be effectively resolved.​​​

​​​

Becoming a Master in courageous conversations and objections handling​

​​​

Let’s start by asking ourselves what is a courageous conversation? A courageous conversation is a conversation you have with a customer on a disagreement. And the aim of these conversations it to stand your ground diplomatically without making it conflictual. So how to do so?

​

You need to make it about their needs as the reason behind your argument, so they are more likely to agree with you. For instance, if a client has unrealistic deadlines, your team can make it about the fact that only with your deadline will they get the full value from what you are providing.

​

But one of the best way to become a Master in courageous conversations is to be prepared before having them. Here are some powerful steps your team needs to follow in order to effectively do so:

• Be prepared: Know exactly what you want to address and what outcome you want

• Anticipate challenging questions and objections by preparing your answers accordingly

• Do not fall into the trap of becoming defensive

• On top of their needs, remember to use your expertise

• Come to a point of agreement, obtain commitment and mention the next stage(s)

​​

And what about objections handling? Well, it is first of all crucial to understand that objection handling is not necessarily about sales objections but also the objections you get in general when dealing with your customers. Though objection handling is a lot for sales, it works amazingly well both for sales and customer service. And sales being also about generating trust, managing expectations and onboarding clients successfully, all these powerful methods you want your team to have with customer service definitely need to cover the selling stage too.

​

Here is the roadmap to successful objection handling:

• Paraphrase their concerns and get them to speak more about it with open-ended questions

• Acknowledge their objection (“I totally understand where you are coming from…”

• Reminder: Use the “no-why-but approach”

• Reminder: Use their needs as your number 1 argument to justify the “why”

• Give them several alternatives if possible and applicable

• Become an Master in courageous conversations by being prepared​​

​​

In conclusion, I would simply say that when it comes to these 5-star customer service skills everyone in your team needs to have, the key to success in order to apply the above is definitely consistency. And the best way to reach consistency is by having a knowledgeable and passionate team you train on  a regular basis so they take care of your customers in the best manner.

​

Need more support in order to bring your team's performance to the next level? Feel free to reach out and book your free discovery call right below.

Feel free also to try your new online questionnaire right above and get a detailed report on how well your team is doing.​