5 Customer Service Tips that Work

So you landed the job you really wanted or maybe you’ve had it for a while now—either way, brushing up on some customer service tips is always a good idea. If you’re making customers happy, your boss will hear about it, whether it’s a glowing Yelp review that mentions you or a compliment a customer gives directly to the owner. To help you become more of a rockstar at work, here are the top customer service tips.

Smile and Be Friendly

You’ll meet a variety of people in your day-to-day role and greeting everyone who walks in the door with kindness will start the interaction off on the right foot. Sure, everyone might not be chipper back to you, but showing that you’re in a good mood and genuinely happy to help them will improve the chances of things going well. Make all customers feel welcome.

Communicate Honestly

Sometimes things get really busy and you know you won’t be able to get to a customer for a bit. Greet them nicely and let them know you will be with them as soon as possible. No one wants to wait around and feel ignored. Customers likely can tell when you are running around and trying to meet everyone’s needs, but just make sure they know that you see them, appreciate them being there, and will help them in a timely fashion. The key to this customer service tip is to be honest about the timing. It’s often best not to give a specific amount of time, just in case another transaction takes longer than expected. Be on the safe side and say you’ll be with them shortly, instead of a particular number of minutes.

Get to Know Customers

It feels nice when someone remembers you, so do the same with your customers. If a certain customer has been in a few times, learn their name and what they usually order. Or maybe if they came in shopping for a special occasion last time, ask them how it went. They’ll appreciate the personal touch and the business you work for may gain a customer for life.

Ask if They Need a Recommendation

Not all customers will be interested in this, but if you see someone circling the store, staring at a few products over and over, or looking puzzled at the menu, a recommendation could be really helpful. If you’ve tried an item on the menu or worn a product in the store before, tell them what worked well for you. Customers will enjoy your candor and the fact that you spoke from your personal experience. If they happen to need help with a product you haven’t tried yet, let them know what’s popular or what you’ve heard good things about. Those moments of social proof will get you closer to a sale and your customer will feel supported.

Don’t Make Assumptions

Each customer who walks through the door should be treated like your top customer. Even if they only ever come in to browse, you never know when they’ll jump the gun and make a big purchase. You can’t judge a book by its cover and decide that someone will or won’t make a purchase based on what they’re wearing or any other external factor. All customers should be treated with respect, but still be aware of customer behavior, as not everyone enters a business with good intentions. These are just a few of the top customer service tips that will make you better at your job.They might even help you get on your manager’s radar for a promotion. Do you have any other customer service tips that you swear by? Share what works best for you in the comment section below. If you’d like to simplify the employee scheduling, timesheet, and communication process at your business, sign up for Homebase for free here.