When it comes to good customer service, we all have expectations. Often times the right place can far exceed what one would expect as good service. However, on the other end of the scale, sometime service falls far short of the mark. What makes customer service a good experience for all involved is to keep in mind that it is a two-way street. Customers also have a responsibility in the relationship between business and customer. Here are a few tips on how to be a good customer:
1 – The Golden Rule Still Applies
It is important to remember to treat others as you would want to be treated yourself. That is the Golden Rule and it is a simple one to follow. We all have bad days but taking it out on someone you expect service from is not really the best solution to your problem.
2 – The Policy And The Person Are Two Separate Things
There is no doubt that some company policies make little, if any, sense. However, whoever is sharing it with you has nothing to do with the content of that policy. They are expected to enforce it even if it makes no sense to them. It’s their job and they have to do it.
3 – The Performance And The Person Are Two Separate Things
Mistakes happen. Plus, the difference between an accident and negligence is huge. Sometimes something doesn’t go quite as it should. We are human. We are doing the best job we can and every now and then there’s an error. It was not done on purpose.
4 – The Threat Maker
Making a threat because something didn’t go quite as expected is never a good idea. It borders on bully behavior and suddenly makes you a bad customer. We’ll fix the problem if you’ll let us. Tossing around threats don’t help the situation at all.
5 – The Rule Breaker
Rules exist for a reason. They give us all the guidelines to follow. So, for example, if a discount coupon or a super sale ended last month, it no longer exists. Don’t be surprised if we don’t honour the old offer. There’s probably a better one coming.
6 – The No Break Stance
C’mon, give us a break If there is an issue discuss it with us and give us a chance to fix it. If we can’t resolve it, we’ll be upfront about it. We’d rather have you leave happy that we did something special for you but in order to do that, you have to at least let us try.
Customer Service Builds Good Business
There is no doubt that without good customer service, businesses would be closing left, right, and center. The key to good customer service comes from a good working relationship with customers. It also comes from those who know how to be good customers when in need of service.