When we do something bad or cannot fulfill a certain action, we usually look for Advice in other people who we trust and consider more prepared than us. Children ask their parents, teenagers look for help in their friends, students ask their teachers and the list goes on. But who do business owners ask when something is not going right? Who are the ones companies turn to for advice? The ones that have gone through situations similar to yours and have gained knowledge and experience necessary to help you.  They come under different names: your competitors, the top players from the market, old businesses etc.

You as a business can receive the best customer service advice from top companies. Looking at how they treat their customers, how they deal with crisis situations, the elements they are commonly known for can help you understand why they are successful when it comes to customer service.

Also, it gives you a chance to determine what you can improve in your customer service strategy. By comparing efficiency of your strategy to theirs, you can see what they are doing different from you and why it is working for them. There may be some gaps in your strategy that cause some customer service issues.

In order to understand how you can learn from great companies, here are a few pieces of advice we selected to help you with customer service.

Customers’ problems are your problems as well

When an Amazon customer’s order was stolen, he called customer service and asked for them to help him with his problem. Add that Christmas was approaching and the package, which contained a PlayStation, was the gift for his son. Amazon sent another one and did not charge the customer for the second package.

Customer service advice: Usually, businesses do not intervene in such situations. Their responsibility stands in taking a correct order and delivering it in a safe manner to the destination. What may be considered the customer’s fault is out of their duty.

Amazon somehow broke this approach and showed here how important empathy is. Understanding what the customer is asking from you and the importance of that request can make a difference between good and excellent customer service.

There are, of course, customers who may be interested in obtaining free products and may appeal to unethical methods. Make sure you implement ways to distinguish this kind of behavior and you keep them away from making future purchases from you. In this example, Amazon had a specific set of questions that helped the representative figure if the customer had ever come into contact with the PlayStation.

Making your customers happy is your main duty

In 2011, Apple launched iPad 2. Little did they know that this product would help at the creation of a memorable customer service story. A product was returned with a note on it saying “Wife said no.” The funny story escalated and reached the ears of a couple Apple VPs. They refunded the customer and send an iPad with the note “Apple said yes.”

Customer service advice: Although it was perceived as a funny story, Apple understood that the customer would have been happy if he were able to keep the iPad. They decided that the happiness and satisfaction of the customer is very important to them.

The action brought the company several benefits. First of all, if the customer was satisfied with buying Apple products, imagine which brand he will choose next time he needs a smart gadget. Apple, indeed. One great impression may be enough to remain in the mind of a customer.

Also, Apple is a good example of a company that puts emphasis on customer retention. Businesses improve their customer service and this has direct implications on the customer retention rate.

Be unique and your customers will remember you

When customers contact support representatives, they may know what it follows. A dull conversation in which one party is explaining a problem and the other one is looking for a solution. However, this Netflix representative had different approach when a customer contacted him with a problem. Check the full conversation here.

Customer service advice: When people have a problem with a product or service they purchased from you, they may be angry, frustrated and eager to get out of the situation. Going for a funny relaxed, yet still solution-oriented conversation can be a great way to change their mood.

People do not encounter such approaches often, so you may have an advantage. They may find it a pleasure to speak with you and this can have a positive impact on your reputation as a business.

Looking at how great companies perceive customer service and its importance in the business growth process is a good way of determining the efficiency of your customer service strategy. It can help you decide if you need to improve it and if you need to take any actions that can impact how your business grows.

We are gladly inviting you to share with us your customer service experiences!

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