by Leah Curtis

Created on: May 25, 2009

All businesses are customer driven. The more customers you have, the better the business. Everyone who works for a company provides customer service in one way or another, but a company's customer service department generally handles the day-to-day issues that make a customer go into a store or phone a company. Customer service today is more important than ever, because it is often the only advantage a company has over its' competitors. Whether we are in a recession or a healthy economy, customers have many more choices. A person working in customer service represents his or her company and can often be the deciding factor in whether or not a customer will return to an establishment or keep using a product.

Rules of good customer service are quite simple. Hire people who like working with the public and provide thorough, ongoing training. Not everyone likes working in a customer service role and it is important to hire people who enjoy working with a large variety of people. In order to provide good customer service for a company, the following suggestions will help:

1) Effective listening skills are the most important skill you can posses when dealing with a customer. No customer wants to repeat his request or complaint more than once. He should not have to, either. After he is finished speaking, briefly recap what he has told you, so that the customer knows you have been listening and if there is an issue that needs clarification, the customer can provide it at that time.

2) Treat a customer, as you would like to be treated. When you enter a store or call a business, you are a customer and remember how you were treated.

3) Never interrupt a customer. Not only is it rude, it throws the customer off track, making him angry or frustrated, or both. You have to begin again with a customer who is already annoyed at you.

4) Never take a customer's complaint personally. They are complaining about a product or something about the company you are working for, not you personally.

5) Do not criticize the company you work for to the customer. Empathize with the customer but not by criticising the company you represent.

6) Always remain friendly and approachable. This is important when you are dealing with customers face-to-face. Talking with your friends and co-workers while the customer stands there is rude and unprofessional. When the customer finally does get your attention, he feels as though he is interrupting you.

7) Be knowledgeable about

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