Every once in a while we are given the privilege of being served by what I like to call a customer service superstar. They are the people who consistently offer an excellent experience for their customers. We will never know when we will be given the honor of being served by one of these rare gems. It doesn’t matter where we may be as they are dispersed throughout the marketplace. We will also know that we have been served by them as we walk away being pleasantly surprised by the great experience.
What is the secret that makes these customer service superstars win us over? What is their key in consistently giving each customer an outstanding service experience? One of the first and foremost secrets in their winning ways is that these superstars make their customers feel valued. These people simply treat each customer as if he or she was the most important person on the planet. Customers walk away feeling as if they were the owner of the organization.
We soon recognize that these superstars live a life that tends to focus on the needs of others. We get the impression that they genuinely enjoyed assisting us. We also feel that the service performed had nothing to do with a person simply following a job description in order to get a paycheck. The service becomes a pleasant memory that is soon told to others.
The reason that they exceed at serving others is because these superstars are sensitive to the needs of the customer. They have an innate ability to know how the customer feels and what his or her inward needs are. Their gift of making customers feel comfortable allows the whole experience to be enjoyable. The superstars also find new ways to give the customer a positive memory of the service received. Let’s now turn our attention to five simple secrets that will uncover these superstars of service:
1. Superstars are positive people
The very first key in becoming a customer service superstar is to avoid a negative attitude. Every person who consistently offers outstanding service possesses a positive attitude. The two always go together. Their personality is attractive to others. This alone makes customers want to return. Because of their attractiveness, customers remember the experience in a more positive light. The inviting atmosphere created is a direct result of the positive attitude that these superstars display.
Remember that five-star service has little to do with what we may think of the service. The perception of the customer is what truly matters. If customers feel that the service was poor, then it was poor. If we are to become better at serving others, we must periodically take an attitude check and make sure that we are seeing the cup half-full, or better yet, overflowing.
2. The superstars show enthusiasm
The poor service experiences that we remember are typically the result of being served by a person who lacked enthusiasm. This perception that the person was not excited to assist us made the overall experience below average. But our perception takes a complete turn when we feel that the person serving us was enthused during the whole process. It is important to remember that the secret is to show our customers that we want to assist them. One easy way to achieve this is to be enthusiastic about giving them our best service. This important key will instantly make customers walk away feeling that the service was outstanding.
3. The superstars know how to respond quickly
In order to keep up with our customer’s busy lifestyles, we need to serve in a manner that reflects efficiency. They want us to respect their time by taking care of their immediate needs in a way that conveys quickness and professionalism. Our goal is to show that we can be trusted by offering them service that expresses that we respect their time. By showing that we value our customer’s time, we are essentially building the trust needed to win them back in the near future. We will also consistently offer five-star service by being professional and serving in a manner that conveys that we respect their busy schedules.
Try and recall those moments when you walked away from doing business with an organization and felt that the service was exceptional. More than likely you encountered a superstar who performed the transaction is a highly professional manner. He or she gave the impression that your time was valuable and swiftly took care to meet your needs. This alone left an indelible impression that the service was terrific.
4. The superstars strive to be their best
Every customer service superstar is motivated to bring out the best in themselves while serving others. Their passion is to offer each customer an outstanding service experience. The passion and enthusiasm shown is a direct result of simply wanting to become the best in their chosen profession. This drive is inward motivated and makes all the difference in how their customers perceive the service.
It is a pleasure when I get the rare opportunity of being served by one of these customer service superstars. They always give the impression that they genuinely enjoy serving me. I leave with the impression that they truly enjoy their position. These experiences are a result of a person who simply gave 100% on the job.
5. The superstars give their customers attention
Comparable to being efficient with our customers, giving them attention also expresses that we care. By simply being attentive, we are telling our customers that they are important and deserve to be treated with respect. The power of giving attention is that it also conveys a certain level of respect. We must also remember that most customers enjoy playing this role because of the anticipated attention that they are hoping to receive.
Implement these five important traits into your training and watch your service improve instantly. Not only will your team begin to shine like service superstars, but your customers will want to come back simply because of the exceptional experience that was offered!