Working with people requires great patience and endurance. Clients are different: someone comes with a smile and a chocolate bar as a gift, while someone is always dissatisfied with everything that happens. The employee's task is to find an approach to everyone.
Service ideology
There are no harmful clients. The golden rule of office managers, sales assistants and other service workers is that the client is a potential buyer, so he is always right. An angry client, on average, shares his opinion with 10-12 acquaintances, while a satisfied client only shares his opinion with 3-4. To reach a level of service that does not cause stress and conflicts for the client means to increase the number of customers, and, consequently, profit.
Caring for the quality of service is a priority for any enterprise that sells goods and services to the population. There are 5 criteria for quality service:
- the professionalism of employees (the ability to confidently answer any question within their competence, politeness, respect for the client, etc.)
- minimal risk for the client (strict fulfillment of all obligations by the company, reliability of the enterprise, etc.)
- avant-garde (the desire to keep up with the times, the use of new technologies, etc.)
- difference (highlight of the company)
- ratio of price and quality of goods / services
Lack of time, information, endurance, means of labor or people cannot be an excuse for lowering the level of professionalism. Many personnel errors are completely removable.
Business etiquette when dealing with clients
In order to maintain the corporate image and corporate identity of the company, employees who directly communicate with customers should follow these recommendations:
Wear clean and tidy clothes of discreet colors, designed in a strict business style (ideally, a special uniform). Cosmetics and perfume should also not be excessive.
Have, within sight of the client, a table plate or badge with the name of the company, full name of the employee and the name of the position).
Avoid advertising products in the workplace that contain the name of competing firms.
Eating food in the workplace and chewing gum in the mouth are strictly not allowed (who is pleased to look at a person chewing during work negotiations?).
During business hours, switch the personal mobile phone mode to silent / quiet / vibration mode and avoid long personal conversations
A polite smile is a cold weapon in the fight against unpleasant personalities. The reasons for client irritation can be very different: long waiting in line, personal problems, etc. The employee has no right to shout or get annoyed in response. The situation is aggravated by the fact that communication often occurs at arm's length (and the so-called comfortable zones are different for all people: it is pleasant for someone to talk at a distance of 45 cm from a person, but for someone it is unacceptable). To maintain peace of mind, psychologists advise using the "closed window" method: imagine that there is a glass partition between you and the client. Inhale slowly - exhale and prepare the memorized phrase: "Can I help you with something?".
Phrases like: "I understand your indignation, let's find out the causes of the problem and consider options for solving it," said in a calm tone, will help to cool the ardor of a dissatisfied client.
During telephone conversations with clients, the employee is obliged to answer the incoming call in time, no later than the third signal. Notation tone in telephone conversation is not recommended.
In general, a conversation on the phone with a client should take no more than 10-15 minutes and strictly adhere to 4 stages:
1. Greetings (the employee must introduce himself, name the structural unit and say hello)
2. Clarification of the client's complaint or question (carefully listen to the question / request / complaint, ask clarifying questions at the end to clarify the situation - address, name of the client, etc.)
3. Checking the correct understanding of the issue by the employee, informing about possible solutions ("So, you want … did I understand you correctly?", "The request will be redirected to …, we will call you back within …", etc.)
4. End the conversation (phrases like "Thank you for choosing us, have a good day, goodbye!")
If the essence of the issue does not fall within the competence of the employee, it is recommended to notify the client about this and forward the call to a competent specialist. If forwarding is not possible, the employee must write down the client's full name, the question of interest, phone numbers (or e-mail address) where the client can be contacted, and transfer all data to the appropriate service. The answer must be presented to the client in a detailed form no later than 3 days from the moment of the call. The client must be notified of the delay in resolving the issue.
Sometimes you come across clients who like to talk. And not only about their joys and troubles, but also about the personal life of a neighbor on the staircase, the situation in the country, etc. It is recommended to politely stop such conversations with phrases like: “You are an incredible conversationalist, but unfortunately I am limited in time. Have I answered all your questions? What services of the company are you still interested in?"
Politeness and professionalism are above all, but do not forget about your own safety. If in some way the client's actions have moved into a phase that causes damage to the property of the enterprise, as well as threatens the life and health of the employee, it is necessary to forget about decency and call the security / police.
