If you say you haven’t experienced this, I would say, “I think you might be fibbing”. 

Have you ever tried to reach a customer service representative to fix a problem with an order or issue, only to encounter one of the most prominent and frustrating aspects of the Internet era, “Where did all the people go?” Not only is there no visible phone number on some websites today, but the companies make a point of not including one. Instead, you are asked to fill out an online form and wait for a response. What happened to being able to call and speak to a human voice directly?

How important is Customer Service to you? 

-          For a Business, not only does good customer service drive sales, but it raises the bar for them in competition. 

-          For a Customer, good customer service helps the customer feel that loyalty and connection to that company.  The customer may be able to get the same “stuff” from someone else, but the service can be the differentiation.

Do you get a live person when you call for technical support or customer service? Or do you get a recorded Mr. Robot that asks you tons of questions and then does not recognize your answer so it decides to ask you again and again or eventually it disconnects you? 

When customers call a business, they prefer to talk to a live person, so make sure someone is picking up your phones.  If a customer can’t get through or they get a machine, more than likely they will hang up and call another business.  And if you are lucky, they may call back to try for that live person again.    Remember, for good customer service, the goal is to bring your customers back as well as sending them away happy.  When a customer hangs up the phone with a good experience, they will not only come back, but they will be more likely to pass on that positive experience to other customers who may need your services.  It's a fact that people can hear a smile through the telephone.

Once you get that live person, are they really listening to your issue or do you feel like you are still talking to the recorded Mr. Robot? Do you find yourself telling your issue to everyone in the office and in the end, there are still no results? 

Remember, your customers are calling you for help. They don’t care how many calls you have taken today or how intense some of them might have been. Let your customers talk and show them that you are listening by repeating their issue so they know you heard them. Don’t quickly assume you know the answer. Suggest some ways that you can and will solve their problem.

Customers do not like empty promises. Have you heard, “I will get that to you tomorrow”, “I will have your answer by tomorrow”, tomorrow comes and you are still waiting? “Yes, we can definitely meet on Friday”, Friday arrives but they don’t, and you have not received a phone call of cancellation or notice of, I’m running late. 

One key to a good relationship is reliability. If you promise something to a customer, make sure you follow up on that commitment. If you cannot resolve the issue while you have them on the phone, do not promise them something and never follow up. Set expectations; explain to them that you need more time to resolve their issue. And if you cannot resolve it, offer them some alternatives. It is better to under promise and over deliver.

Do you ever feel like the customer service or technical support rep is rushing you, and when the issue is finally resolved they are so ready to get you off the phone? They do not ask if there is anything else they can do for you, or even care to wait for you to hang up first. Why do companies forget to take that extra step? Do they not see the value in their customers; do they just not feel the extra step is required to make the situation right?

If you want to provide good customer service, take the extra step, whatever it may be. Whether it’s additional information about their services, a coupon for a future discount, or a genuine smile, people love to get more than they thought they were getting. The smallest things are appreciated. You may not hear them thank you, some will, but they notice when that extra effort is made and will tell other people about it.

Let's get back to the basics and bring the human touch back to the surface.  Remember, good customer service really is the lifeblood of any business.