You decide to eat out this beautiful evening with your spouse, and you order for your favourite. It is probably a meal you always cherished from childhood.
But then, this doesn’t taste as exactly as the one you know you’ve eaten elsewhere. Why?
According to food scientists, this could be attributable to different variables such as the cooking process itself, some hidden chains of flavour, and yes even the personality of the person cooking. Yes, that too.Professional cooks will tell you that two cooks can prepare a certain meal individually and both will come out differently; same ingredients. same timing, same recipe, Yet a somewhat different taste.
Well, this is not a food article. But we’d draw the parallels with the above.
Often, organisations in a bid to standardise professional conducts when it comes to service, come up with operational guides or manuals which spell out in black and white, everything down to the details, from dress code to expected process time, even mode of greeting, among others. And these serve the part for most of the time.
However, when it comes to exceptional customer service, while it is a great idea to have a customer service policy, your best bet would be to go beyond and exceed what has been set as a standard. In other words, add your flavor to your service.
Ever wondered why you were impressed by a particular staff in an office you visited recently? This is because he or she learnt to personalize his or her service process. In other words, I’d call that the flavour in service.While pretty much everything can be standardized in a formal business setting, there’s one thing no one can ever dictate, and that’s the art of personalized service.
In my customer service trainings in organisations, I advocate for personalized customer service. And the reasons are clear. A customer will never forget how special you made him or her feel. And that can only come through when you own the service process yourself. As a one liner, I’d say, “personalise your process.”
According to Help Scout, “There’s no substitution for knowledgeable, human service”. This will definitely stand your business out from the competition.
When a customer stands before you, or speaks with you on phone, he expects a humane and personalized interaction, and not just some form of programmed responses.
So, as you serve your customers going forward, do well to add your personal flavour to your service. Be nice, polite and amiable in your interaction. Address the customer in the exact way he or she prefers to be addressed.
Ensure you carry off on a good landing as you seek to connect with the customer. Find some common grounds with him or her.
Revolve the discussion round the customer, his or her problem/needs, and your solutions to solving them.
Be timely as you find a solution, so you can move unto the next person. However, be tactical about this so you don’t come off as someone in a rush to see them out.
Flash your natural smile in greeting, just the way you were built to share. And in service, be real. Be you. Be exceptional.
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