The first impression is always the most important and when it comes to customer service it is of even more critical importance. There will be many clients who would like to speak face to face with the company’s representative when they have a complain and staying cool and friendly is vital to the customer experience. Here are some basic but useful tips on making great first impression and getting the customer to feel comfortable:
1. Smile – even if your day is not going so well, smiling will make you feel better and more important – make the customer feel better. The complain of the client might be a result of him having a lousy day, so a smile and a warm greeting may be the very first thing he needs.
2. Be polite – if a customer need to wait, ask him if he needs something – a coffee, a glass of water or any other refreshment. Make him feel valued and he will not come hard on you with his complain.
3. Topics – if you engage in a small talk with the customer, try to avoid personal stories or thrust you opinion on him. Try to avoid health stories or any other negative topics. Talk about positive things so you can melt down the client’s barrier. If the customer starts talking about the weather don’t reply that it is just too good to be at work, this will make him feel as an impostor.
4. Bad habits – never chew a gum when speaking with a client – it makes bad impression on him and can result in him getting offensive towards you.
5. Attention – if you are busy when the customer arrives – acknowledge their presence and inform them that you will be with them shortly. Few things are more frustrating for a client than the thought he is second of importance to the customer care representative. If you talk on the phone when the customer enters – hang up or at least make a pause to greet him.
Enjoy having customer around you. It might be difficult because most of them will contact you for complaints, but once you get to make them happy, you will turn the tide and provide a great customer experience.