Mistakes happen, and customers usually understand. But they won’t likely forgive these.
Customers can deal with small business fumbles, order errors and an occasional paperwork mistake. But they won’t put up with lapses in good customer service.
The top four sins are:
- Pretending to listen. Customers want to be heard and understood. Even on the phone, they can tell if someone is listening halfheartedly. Instead, stay focused by removing yourself from distractions such as co-workers’ conversations, computer screens and cell phones.
- Over apologizing. Too many apologies sound like excuses and a reluctance to actually do something about the mistake. Instead, apologize once and move on to the solution.
- Lack of availability. Customers are turned off if they can’t get answers immediately. Instead, make “talk to an agent” an early option in the phone triage.
- Dealing with untrained staff. Customers get frustrated if the agents they deal with can’t help or don’t know where to get help. Instead, train extensively before agents can take calls.
