Being a newbie to customer service, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, or what was expected of me. However, after hundreds of phone calls and chats with FeeFighters users, I’ve learned some general guidelines make customer service one of the most satisfying parts of my day. Here are some tips from lessons that I learned:

1) What is your personality?- As face-to-face interaction decreases and digital communication increases, a lot of behavioral cues taken from body language and human contact are lost. This means that language used in email is critical for getting not only your message across, but projecting whatever attitude or personality your business embodies. I had to tone down my professional speak a bit for FeeFighters, since we like to be seen as casual and approachable.  On the telephone end, voice cues are your way of getting personality and message across. I like to smile before dialing a user, it just makes the whole interaction more pleasant. Even when you’re discussing something as seemingly mundane as credit card processing (trust me, it’s actually fascinating!) that extra bounce in your voice lets the users know you actually care.

2) Politeness and Energy Go a Long Way- Think extra polite in your interactions with users. Making jokes and laughing are always appropriate, but having that extra bit of respect will make you stand out. Adding more “thank you’s” is an easy way to show your appreciation and concern for your customer’s problem. Use your voice to show how excited you are in helping your customer deal with their issues and see value in your service.

3) Think Like the Customer- When customers ask questions, try to understand their context. Why are they asking this question? Maybe there is a deeper issue they mean to address. If you can get at this deeper concern, you’ve done your job. You’ve also assuaged the customer because they feel that you understand and care for their issue to be resolved. Another approach is to make sure you do not sound salesy. Speak to your customer with phrases that imply agency vs commitment. For example, “feel free to check out this feature…”  ”we have a cool iPhone App that is free to download…if you want.”

4) Speak to Your Customer- Especially in an industry as technical as merchant account services, knowing at what level to speak to your customers is critical to their happiness. Try to gauge their level of understanding from what they tell you, and make them feel knowledgable. For example, it’s nice to say “As a dentist’s office, I’m sure you already know that accepting a variety of credit cards is important to meet the payment needs of your patients, but did you know….” Or end with…”but you probably already knew that.”

5) Make Sure They Are Satisfied- Always end your interaction by asking if your customer is 100% satisfied with your service, and ask if there is anything else you can do. Doing this ensures your customer will hang up the phone feeling particularly comfortable with your service. Asking this may also bring to light other issues they might have.

6) Go the Extra Mile- Follow up with your customers; show them you care. Speaking with customers is an important way to drive innovation, referrals, and keep your business in check. Working in your bubble can make decision making narrow sighted, but by broadening and really getting to know your customers, you will understand your business more completely.

Are you completely happy with this post? If not, feel free to email me at Stella@feefighters.com  

Image thanks to http://www.flickr.com/photos/10159709@N07/2566010605/