Customer service and contact with a client mean that the customer will be heard

and his/her issues will not go unanswered or ignored. It also means gettings to
know your client, his/her dislikes, ideas, background, etc.
An important aspect is to listen to what the customer is saying. If people do no
t understand what is motivating the customer, they will not be successful in han
dling them. Do research on customer, their habits, and what they want and expect
.
Ex. 1: study case pe un proiect de top din cele pe care le aveti. Analizati timp
de o saptamana clientii de pe produs. De ce va scriu? Cat de des va scriu? Sunt
tineri sau batrani? Ce spera sa obtina? Este ceva vital, jenant, important pent
ru prezent, viitor, pentru ei sau pentru prieteni? Ce ii motiveaza sa cumpere (m
otivatie intrinseca sau extrinseca?) etc.
Positive communication with your customers and developing ongoing relationship w
ith them are perhaps the 2 most important qualities to strive for in customer se
rvice.
Professional Qualities in CS:
- Friendliness (courtesy and politeness)
- Empathy - the customer needs to know that the service provider appreciates the
ir WANTS and CIRCUMSTANCES
- Fairness - (attention and great answers)
- Control - the customer wants to feel his/her wants and input have influence on
the outcome;
- Information - customers want to know about products and services, but in a CON
CISE and TIME-SENSITIVE manner.
Ex. 2: exprima canned messages de la produsele voastre aceste calitati? Alegeti
un produs si editati mesajele luand calitatile enuntate anterior in considerare.
Mentionati cand ati reusit sa terminati si vom analiza rata de succes comparand
feedback-ul pozitiv de la o saptamana anterioara si o saptamana in care folosit
i mesajele noi. Mentionati produsul.
DON'T! It's very important to be able to offer the needed information. Answering
"I don't know: or "It's not something I'm in charge of"/"I can't help you with
that" etc. => disrespected and distrusted by the customers. Customers feel stre
ssed, they get angry. It's harder, even impossible to deal with an agry customer
. Below are 10 things that should never be used because they frustrate and anger
customers:
1. No (it's demotivating, discouraging, easy, cheap, unproductive, NEGATIVE = fa
ilure). It's better to avoid
2. I don't know - It's better to say "I'll find out" or "Let me look into this a
nd get back to you ASAP"
3. That's not my job/not my department - Better to say "Please contact so and so
for this because [reason]"
4. You're right, this is bad/the company is bad - Many inexperienced customer se
rvice representatives think by sympathizing with the customer's plight by laying
blame on the company or product, they win over the customer. Empathize with the
customer in a way that avoids this. Don't say "You're right, it's very bad, I'm
sorry about that". Say "I'm sorry to hear this/you're going through this/experi
encing this". Empathize with the customer and seek to solve the issue. You can a
lso say "I understand your frustration, let's see how we can solve this issue."
5. Calm down - Telling someone to calm down is belittling and often serves only
to infuriate them further. "I'm sorry to hear that..." does not mean you agree w
ith the customer, but it is a means to empathize and move beyond the emotion of
the moment and negative impact.
6. I'm very busy/I've been very busy - being "too busy" is tantamount to saying
that you don't care.

7. Contact me some other time - conveys little interest.

8. That's not my fault - If an angry customer accuses you of creating a problem,
rightly or wrongly, the natural reaction is to defend oneself. However, this is
not the best course of action. The customer has an issue that needs to be solve
d. By resisting the need to defend yourself, and focusing on the needs of the cu
stomer, you can resolve the issue faster and with less stress and confrontation.
Better to say "Let's see what we can do about this issue".
9. You should talk to the person in charge/responsible - better to say "Let me f
ind that out for you"
10. That can't be done/I can't do that - Better to say "Let me investigate that
and I'll write back a reply" and actually reply or suggest a different course of
action that CAN be done. Suggest alternative solutions as customers appreciate
the opportunity to choose the ways of problem-solving.
Customer Service = Accountability + Delivery (If you say you're going to do smth
specific by a certain point in time, you DO it) Never make the mistake of promi
sing something you are not able or won't do. Make sure the promised measures are
taken. If you do not fulfill what was promised and ignore the customer's compla
int, the issue will grow.
Information about CS:
- Customers will spend up to 10% more for the same product with better service.
- When customers receive good service, they tell 10-12 people on average.
- When customers receive poor service, they tell >20 people.
- There is an 82% chance customers will repurchase from a company where they wer
e satisfied.
- There is a 91% chance that poor service will dissuade a customer from ever goi
ng back to a company.
Thus, FOLLOW-UP is important! Check the negative feedback you have at least ONCE
PER WEEK and solve what hasn't been solved yet or offer the correct reply the c
ustomer needs. Turn frowns into smiles! Freshdesk allows a customer to rate the
support and give feedback each time we submit a ticket as Closed so you can actu
ally do it!
Time - Why 24h?
If a customer sends you an e-mail with a simple question and you take forever to
answer it, what does that say about the rest of the operation? If a customer ha
s to wait long for an answer, most likely he/she will take their business elsewh
ere. Emails should be answered within 24h max. no exceptions.
How to express you're sorry:
- "I apologize for any/this inconvenience"
- "I can imagine how frustrated you may be"
- "How can we work to solve this issue together?"
- "I'm terribly sorry for this mistake"
DO! Give the customer a "way out": Sometimes customers are wrong. You should let
them leave with dignity, without feeling embarassed. Don't contradict, but reph
rase. Never say "I told you so", "Like I told you", "I already said that" etc.
Do not question the customer's correctness: From the very beginning you should b
elieve that the customer may be right. Always be open-minded toward the customer
's opinion, make them feel they deserve to be listened to.
Customer Service Initiative
Initiative is the difference between adequate CS and CS that wins you as a custo
mer for life.
Everyday examples of exceptional CS:

- a taxi driver who opens the door for you or waits at night for you to safely g
et into your destination
- a computer technician who does computer work and then calls back a week later
to make sure your device is functioning well.
- a car salesperson who calls a month after you buy a car to make sure it's runn
ing well.
- the petrol station attendant who washes your window or checks your oil.
- the electric company that calls and checks to make sure your service is workin
g well and apologizes for any blackouts.
None of these CS people HAD to make this extra effort or go to this trouble. The
se goodwill initiatives are beyond the call of duty and make the customer beyond
satisfied. They make the customer remember the transaction or occasion fondly.
So do your best! For example, the customer says he/she would liek to purchase th
e upsell tomorrow because they only had enough money on their card for the main
program today which they've already purchased. They ask "Can I still buy it tomo
rrow?". You answer "yes, of course", but also provide the link they can use to p
urchase whenever they feel ready. This way, you not only answer the customer's q
uestion, but also facilitate their next action and make everything easier. You c
an also reassure the customer they can still buy it.