You wouldn’t think customer service could be so good it makes customers’ hearts race. But new research shows it happens.
Nearly two-thirds of people said they felt an increased heart rate when they just thought about great service, an American Express study found. When researchers really tapped in, they found that more than half of those people actually had a similar cerebral response to great service as they do to feeling loved.
Customers really do feel the love behind great service!
Service as the driving force
“If you want to combat (poor service) at your business, you have to make providing great service a point of pride for your employees,” said Ron Kaufman, author of Uplifting Service. “Service is taking action to create value for someone else and when that is the driving force for your staff and your organization, everyone will be happier.”
So how can front-line service pros make customers’ hearts race more often? Fortunately, it’s not just about giving over-the-top help every time they have contact with customers. Consistency, peppered with some unexpected or beyond-the-call-of-regular-duty actions, will get customers excited enough to talk about great experiences.
These tips will help create heart-pounding customer service:
1. Switch the focus
Many customer service reps work with the mindset of “What should I do in this situation?” Then they rely on protocols and procedures to take the next step. Reps can create ideal customer experiences by changing their mindset to “How can I add value?” It’s an empowering tool when leaders allow employees to make the value-added decisions.
2. Identify mistakes
By identifying, celebrating and learning from mistakes, all front line employees can learn to provide even better service.
Kaufman suggests a regular meeting where leaders and reps share mistakes and what they learned from them. The openness helps everyone realize they can bounce back from mistakes.
3. Cut the red tape
As the value-added environment catches on, the procedure- and policy-based one will likely feel more constrictive. Reps and managers will recognize rules that actually get in the way of providing great service.
Regularly ask reps to identify rules that get in their way of doing something that would be valuable to customers. See what guidelines can be eradicated or at least loosened.
4. Celebrate all the good stuff
The best companies don’t just reward outstanding service, they recognize and encourage courtesy and extra efforts between staff members, too.
Create a peer-to-peer recognition program with two vital points:
- It’s truly peer-to-peer. Managers don’t decide who’s recognized and when.
- There’s money behind it. Cards of thanks are nice — and an important outward sign of the program. But real rewards that employees want are more effective.
Have managers reward great work on-the-spot and with some fanfare so everyone can hear what was done so well so they can learn from it.
5. Get feedback
When reps take the time to ask, “Is there anything we can do better for you next time?” they’re sending a message to customers that they value their business and opinions. Secondly, they get customers thinking about coming back and doing business with you again, said Kaufman.
