Through My Eyes

But really how hard is it to be nice to your customers?

Regardless of the type of contact that you have with customers, whether it is over the phone, face-to-face, in a restaurant or shop, in an office or financial institution, in the entertainment or tourist industries, good customer service skills help everybody. A happy, satisfied customer is likely to return and tell others about the good experiences that they had when dealing with your company - word of mouth recommendations from friends and colleagues are very valuable.Here are a few tips to help us all be better at customer relations, me included.

Smile - This is the most simple and often the most powerful tip for customer service (and most other interpersonal interactions). Smiles are contagious - usually when you smile at somebody they'll smile back at you. Do not pretend to smile, or produce a false smile since these are easy to spot and send the wrong messages. Instead relax, gain eye-contact and smile naturally. This will help the customer or client to feel at ease and welcomed, and you'll come across as friendly and approachable, setting the scene for a more positive interaction.

Make the Customer Feel Welcome - Use an appropriate greeting to make your customer feel welcome. Customers nearly always have a choice of which businesses and organisations they use, they didn't have to pick yours and they don't have to pick yours in the future.

Never complain to a customer about your organisation, your day, how busy you are, the management, your colleagues or anything else that may lead the customer to develop negative feelings. Listen - You are unlikely to be able to help all your customers effectively if you don't listen to their needs.By not listening you can become very frustrating to the customer and may lose a sale or repeat visit. Listen to the customer's needs, empathise and find the best solutions.

Learn Your Business - Be An Expert - If you are selling cars then learn the features and specifications of the models you have (and those of your competitors), if you work in a hotel learn about the business, how many rooms there are, the history of the building, when breakfast is served. If you work in a bank then learn the advantages and disadvantages of the various products you sell and which product suits which type of customer the best.

Be True to Your Word - Only ever offer a customer or client something that you are sure you can give them.It is better not to mention a delivery date and then deliver tomorrow than it is to say you'll deliver tomorrow and then don't. It is better to tell your hotel guests that the fire alarm system is being tested in the morning than let them find out for themselves. Stick to deadlines, make sure you turn up promptly for any appointments and never make promises you cannot keep. If situations change then let the customer know as soon as possible.

Be Memorable - For the Right Reasons - We tend to remember positive and negative experiences more vividly than average day-to-day ones. Try to make every customer's experience a positive one that they'll remember and talk to others about.Be helpful, be courteous and polite - give a little extra if possible, even if it is just some advice or extra information about the product or service they are buying or interested in buying."

Lets be nice to each other even if we don't have to.