‘Customer service is the act of taking care of the customer’s needs by providing and delivering professional, helpful, high quality service and assistance before, during, and after the customer’s requirements are met’. Ok, great definition, but what does it mean?
Whether your business is large or small, a one person operation, established or a start-up, quality customer service practices are crucial. It is, after all, the face and voice of your organization and often the first interaction people will have when they contact you. So, like most things in life, that first impression means a lot.
Although you may not be available to personally speak with everyone who calls or emails during the day – simply having a message that says leave a message is just not good enough in this competitive world. Your caller wants to feel recognized and ‘responded to’ and would prefer to speak with ‘someone’. I know I do. Generic answering services are probably not the best way either. They’re just too impersonal.
We all know what good customer service is and we certainly know when we’re not getting it. Everyone feels a lot more confident when they’ve talked with someone as opposed to leaving a message in cyberspace. This is particularly true for first time callers! Automation is great and has its place but nothing can replace human contact. Having someone to actually receive your calls and respond to emails and other communications personally and in a timely manner is the foundation of good customer service. The tone of the individual who answers your calls should reflect everything you want the public to know about your business.
Professional Virtual Assistants are experts in customer service and can help you manage and grow your business.
Your VA will provide that personal, professional touch that means so much to your business audience. We are vested in helping you succeed. It’s more than an answered call or email; it’s a conversation with someone who’s interested in doing business with you. We understand that. Even if your business is small, having that personal touch is very important. A well trained and courteous front line support person can make the difference between the caller getting what he or she called for or getting just enough to leave them annoyed and dissatisfied.
A good VA will help you by displaying:
- Courtesy: “Good morning,’ ‘good afternoon,’ ‘thank you,’ and have a great day’ are never passé. Good manners are a must whether the caller is a customer or a potential customer. Good C.S. could trigger solid referrals.
- Personalization: Using a caller’s name is very effective in producing comfort and trust. People like the idea that the person they are talking to has taken the time to note their name. It takes the interaction to a more personal level.
- Responsiveness: Responsiveness, timeliness and personal attention can often determine if a caller becomes a client or customer. Following through with call backs and promised actions help build confidence in your business.
Good customer service is always a good thing!
Becky Gregory is an Executive Virtual Assistant and owner of Virtual Administrative Services (VAS), a full service VA firm. Contact Becky today for a free 20 minute Discovery Session.