Companies like the ones mentioned above share some core competencies, such as the focus on identifying what their customers expect, and constantly improving this process as well as the outcome of their service.

So, to get started in understanding your customers’ expectations, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you know how satisfied your customers are with your products/services?
• Do you have any proof of this?
• Do you operate a Customer Satisfaction Policy?
• Do you hold customer satisfaction reviews?
• To what extent do you think you are meeting or exceeding customer expectations?
• How does customer satisfaction feedback drive your customer service planning, new product development, and/or marketing strategy?

Even if this is something you haven’t focused on in the past, simply by asking yourself and your team these questions will start to make you more customer-oriented and discover ways to improve your service if there are any issues identified. For example, take the opportunity to research where the gap is between your existing quality of customer service, and:

• The minimum quality required by your customers, and/or
• The ideal quality required by your customers, and/or
• The quality of service that would encourage your competitors’ customers to start buying from you!

Then, work out if increasing the quality of your service would be cost effective, and what actions will profitably build your business.

Profitable Customers

Speaking of profitably building your business, what’s important here is to determine what a ‘quality service’ means to each and every segment of your audience. In particular, understanding what it means for your most profitable customers, who:

• Generate 80% of your profits
• Make up a large proportion of your business advocates

So how can you manage customer expectations?

You need to get a more accurate reflection and understanding of the needs of each customer segment, ideally each individual customer. You can do this by:

• Encouraging regular customer feedback – this could be done on the phone with customer service employees, or via an email survey, for example.
• Actively encourage customers to complain – then fix the problem, and make sure they go away fully satisfied.
• Set your business a service promise/service agreement – and then tell every customer about it! For example:

o Commit to delivery deadlines (Remember not to over promise and under deliver – this should be the other way round!)
o Guarantee accuracy of information on your website
o Respond to emailed enquiries within a set number of hours
o Include return guarantees
o Include personal security/personal data guarantees (if appropriate)
o Include a price promise

Improve Customer Service with Ripley Training

If you would like to find out more about how to manage and understand customer expectations and how this can increase and improve your business then our Excellent Customer Service course is right for you. Alternatively, if you would like to improve how you interact with customers by becoming a better listener, asking effective questions and developing robust negotiation skills, then our Assertiveness Skills course may be what you’re looking for. If you’re not sure which course is right for you, we provide a range of high quality and accessible training to suit your business’ needs. Get in touch today for more information.

The post Do you know what your customer expectations are? appeared first on Ripley Training.

Everyone has come across difficult clients at some point in their career. Knowing how to deal with this person can be tough. Whether you aren’t delivering to their expectations or they’re anxious about what you are doing, by following these five ideas you can be sure to have a smooth relationship. The day you sign a client could actually become the start of a wonderful and prosperous relationship!

1. Trust

It is up to you to convey to the client that you know exactly what you are doing. It’s your job to complete the task or job agreed and let the client know they are in good hands whilst doing so. A client will become very uncomfortable and anxious if they don’t understand exactly what you are doing and why. This could make them seem overbearing and picky when they are actually just passionate about the project and take their work seriously.

If you have a client like this, try taking a couple of hours to educate and inform them of the work you are doing for them. It could make all the difference.

2. Only Solutions, Not Problems

If you feel that a client is being difficult, take a step back and think. Maybe the client is not being difficult, maybe they are just raising a genuine problem with the work you are doing with them. Even if you don’t see the problem, you have to find a solution to put their mind at ease. It is your job to do so.

Counter any problems, and even those that you may think of as non-problems, with solutions. However simple or complex, the way you deal with it should be the same; efficiently and politely. Most importantly never let them think it was any trouble.

3. Pre-empt any issues

In a similar vein to the above, when dealing with any client you should always be aware. You should be able to recognize when and what a client may have an issue with. For example, if you are sending a monthly report and it isn’t as good as expected, offer an explanation of why this could be. Don’t wait for them to ask. You will seem on the ball and confident and they will be satisfied with the work. Everyone’s a winner.

Trust your instincts with this one. If you can see a potential problem they could raise then they probably will. Find a solution to this problem before it becomes one.

4. Keep in Contact

It’s important that you are in regular contact with your client. Regular updates about the work you’re doing and keeping them in the loop will go a long way into how comfortable the client feels. A client who is not informed about a key change or update in your company or work will become dissatisfied. As well as the usual contact regarding work, make extra time for face to face meetings if necessary. The first way to improve client relationships is to nurture them.

Remember, when dealing with any client it is vital to remain professional and polite at all times. They are paying for your service and you therefore have a duty to keep them satisfied.

5. Personality Clash

Sometimes the source of a bad client relationship could be as simple as a personality clash. It happens. There are too many people in the world for everyone to get on great. In the short term when dealing with this client, it is best to be polite, civil and professional. The longer term resolution would be to assign another member of staff to the client. This needn’t be obvious and awkward. You can simply say the change was due to internal adjustments.

Ripley Training

At Ripley Training we offer a wide variety of courses to help you improve your customer service and personal skills. Learn more about dealing with difficult clients on our Communicating with Confidence and Personal Impact Course. If you need help dealing with unsatisfied customers our Handling Difficult Callers and People on Reception Desks Course will help you gain confidence and offer a better service.

We also offer bespoke training to suit any training needs you may have.

The post 5 Ways to Deal with Difficult Clients appeared first on Ripley Training.

Staff need to be encouraged and empowered to apply Best Practice by being pro-active and taking pre-emptive action (or report to a manager depending on the issue) to address sub-standard service. By nipping issues in the bud early there is higher possibility you will reduce complaints, improve customer satisfaction, improve sales and increase staff motivation. Part of your plan needs to be assessing the skills, knowledge and experience of your staff in providing excellent customer service and managing complaints effectively. In addition all businesses need to have simple and accessible procedures to encourage staff to respond promptly and sensitively to the concerns of customers.

We also need to ensure that our customers are dealt with impartially and without unlawful discrimination and prejudice.

If you would like to know more about our customer service training simply click here.

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