You may think the fastest way to lose customers is by providing poor service to them. However, inconsistent customer service may be even more dangerous. When your customers don’t know what to expect from your company with each visit, they may become frustrated and angry. The potential to lose customers over inconsistent service may be even greater, since expectations are never fully met to the customer’s satisfaction.
What is Consistent Customer Service?
Consistent customer service can be defined as the delivery of products and service to your customers in a similar fashion every time. The customer learns what to expect from your company because they receive the same service level and quality every time they contact your company. It doesn't matter who answers your phone or live chat, or which employee greets them when they walk in the door of your office. The reception is always one your customer can count on.
Consistent customer service creates expectations in your customers that are met without fail. Customers become comfortable with your business because there are no unpleasant surprises. Your corporate branding even begins to reflect the quality of your service that comes through with every visit. There is no doubt consistency in customer service is an important component to happy, satisfied customers. But what is the secret to achieving that kind of consistency within your company framework?
Using Consistency to Your Advantage
Achieving consistency in your customer service isn’t difficult with a few key tips:
• Establish a customer service culture that spreads from the top of the corporate hierarchy to every employee that works for your company.
• Identify all your customers’ “touch points” (points of contact with your company) and ensure everyone responsible for those touch points follows the same customer service formula.
• Train all of your staff in your customer service philosophy and set the expectation that anyone who comes in contact with a customer follows that philosophy appropriately.
• Create an internal customer service philosophy that ensures departments within your company provide the same level of service to one another that they provide to external customers.
• Address inconsistencies promptly, both with the customer and with the employee, to ensure they don’t repeat.
• Inspire and motivate your staff through promotional posters, ongoing training and team-building projects and even contests to keep the focus on the quality of your customer service.
Of course, the best consistent customer service raises the bar on the quality of service they provide. While satisfactory service every time is – well – satisfying to the customer, offering the highest level of service on a daily basis will bring your relationship with your customers to a whole new level. It doesn’t take much to raise the bar on your service consistency. All of the steps listed above can be taken to the next tier of service quality to produce consistent service designed to surprise and delight customers with every visit.
Your customer service needs to be good, and it needs to be consistent if you are going to maintain a loyal, happy customer base. Work on consistency throughout your company and your customers are sure to reward your efforts through higher sales and repeat business.
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