Giving great customer service can be a very difficult task. This is a true statement. However, it isn't impossible. Treat your customers as you would want to be treated in the same situation and you will find the key to giving quality service to your customers.

Customer service jobs are very demanding jobs. They require great people skills. Your staff will often find themselves faced with customers who are irate and just plain out of hand. Although there are customers that just want a little help, there are those that want more than what your CSR may be able to give them. When you find a good customer service rep, treat them like gold. There are only so many people that are truly skilled to handle some of the tougher customers in a way that satisfies the customer and the top dogs in the company.

I have served in the customer service role for many years. Giving your staff the training and information they need to serve the customer better is just common sense. Things will run much smoother and your CSR's will want to stick it out for the long haul.

1. Customers want to be treated with respect. This means don't talk to the cashier in the next lane while ringing up a customer's sale. Talk to the customer. Make them feel at home. After all, everyone goes home again.

2. Be accurate. There is nothing more irritating to a customer than to realize after they have already gotten home that they were charged too much or they didn't get enough change back.

3. No matter how upset a customer gets with you, keep an even temper. An angry customer can usually be calmed down if you are calm with them.

4. Go above and beyond what is expected of you. If a customer is a little slow at getting their money out of their wallet, don't roll your eyes at them. Patience is the key. You have your entire shift to wait, don't worry about the small stuff.

5. If you are ever in doubt, call a manager for help. It is better to do that than to have the customer get more upset than they already are. Better yet, it can also keep them from getting upset in the first place.

6. Managers, don't let your staff be abused by the customers. Customer service people should not have to be yelled and cussed at. Let them know that they don't have to deal with that. If a customer gets that out of hand, your employee should know that they can come to you so that you can handle it. In the instance of a call center representative, they should be allowed to hang up if the customer refuses to calm their language down a bit.

I took great pride in being a customer service person. The above tips are things that I put into action. I know that they work because my customers loved me. I even liked the ones that I had to call in re-enforcements on. Have your staff put these bits of Customer Service Golden Rules into action and watch how happy your customers will be!

Learn more about this author, Dawn Hawkins.
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