Show Off Your Professionalism
What separates great customer service representatives from the mediocre ones? Professionalism. If you think and act like a professional, your customers—and your managers—will take you seriously and treat you that way.
Here’s how to distinguish yourself from the pack:
• Project confidence.
Inject positive words and phrases into every conversation. Customers like to hear you say “Consider it done,” “I’ll handle that immediately,” and “I’ll take care of that for you.” Eliminate the following words and phrases from your vocabulary: “But,” “Maybe,” “I’ll have to see,” “I can’t” and “I’m not sure.”
• Dress the part.
Whether you like it or not, people judge you on your physical appearance. But dressing for work can be tricky these days. “Corporate casual” means different things depending on your job, your industry, the part of the country you live in and your organization’s culture. One good way to determine what to wear to work is to observe your managers. Strive, as far as your budget allows, to copy them. You may be thinking “But they’re managers; I’m an employee.” That’s true, but your career will advance much quicker if you dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.
• Treat customers with respect.
Respect often comes down to paying attention. If a customer has a difficult name, ask how to pronounce and spell it. When you’re speaking to a caller who sounds rushed or distracted, ask the customer how the day is going. The largest part of being respectful to customers is recognizing that they have problems and challenges of their own. If you can tune in to their lives, they will reward you with loyalty and increased business.
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J. Ford is the Editorial Director for Manager’s Edge, Organized Executive, Team Management Briefings, Trend Letter, Communication Briefings, American Speaker and Leadership Strategies. These newsletters are published by Briefings Publishing Group. To learn more visit:
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Tags: confidence, Customer Service, Customers, Professional, Respect