Have you heard of the Chinese linking rings? It is a classic of illusion magic, where solid metal links appear to link and pass through each other, forming complex chains and other patterns. Similarly, you’ll be using some important tools to link and completely involve yourself with your customers. The only difference being, there are no magic tricks here.

These tools are meant to remind you that just like rings, that they can be linked together for excellence in customer service.

Competence

Customer service, therefore, should cater to the established customer as well as the potential one, respecting the great deal of research that goes into online shopping by offering a path of least resistance to important information. ~ David Callaway via bigcommerce.com

If you’re building an online business, then it’s essential that you establish competence in your field. You should have in-depth knowledge about your product or service: the benefits, prices and service. Any business revolves around providing useful and helpful information to the target audience.

You have to gain the ability to answer their queries genuinely, meet their wants and needs. Learn everything there is to know about your niche, trends in your industry and your competitors. Subscribe to some magazines in your industry to keep up with the latest happenings.

It’s your competence in every aspect of your business that’s going to set you apart from your competition. Consider what makes you unique and figure out what you can do to build on that. Challenge yourself to learn everything possible about your business. Your customers will respect and trust you. You’ll have big rewards waiting in the end.

 Confidence

Salespeople need to be confident too. Salespeople need to be calm and collected. Even in difficult situations, they need to state clearly what they can do, set expectations properly, and then follow through on their words. They need to be appropriately confident so that their prospect believes them. ~ Peter Caputa via collaborativegrowthnetwork.com

This is the key not only to a successful business, but a successful life. All successful entrepreneurs have borne testimony to the power of confidence in impressing customers.

Take the example of a public speaker. The power a confident speaker exerts upon his audience is immense. A less confident or nervous speaker makes no impact and his words carry no value, even if they’re words that can change lives.

That’s just how it is. Once you gain competence in your product, niche and business a whole, confidence will reveal itself automatically. We all know that confidence is a result of knowledge, a result of knowing that you have the ability to stand up to others’ expectations of you, which in this case are your customers.

Make sure you’re the best advertisement for your business. Brim with confidence with every action you take and this alone will give great customer service experience.

Concern

How hard is it to build trust with a customer? As a business, you simply have to provide the product or service the way you’ve promised your customers that you will. If you fail to do so, then you find a way to make it right with that customer. That’s really all it takes to establish trust – by keeping your promises, either verbalized or implied. If you do that on a consistent basis, more people will take notice and become customers. ~ Kersten Kloss via refreshedit.com

Concern for others and being empathetic can bring significant benefits to your online business. Running a business responsibly involves providing your customers exactly what they need or want, and ensuring you provide real value through the products and services you’re offering.

You should look at preventing or solving problems your prospective or existing customers face.

This concern for your customers will communicate itself to them, and you’ll generate support, loyalty and good will in no time.

There’s no way a business can go far without empathy.

Customer Service With Commitment

An important customer satisfaction objective is to ensure that you’re as accessible as your products are. All communication should be free of barriers, ensuring people can reach you when they wish to.

You can show your commitment by being welcoming so that all your customers develop a sense of security. This is a very important consideration, even more so, if you’re just starting your business. You can’t afford to go wrong, when you’re starting out and nobody knows anything about your product.

Communication

The benefits that companies reap after building Relationships in Internet Marketing are a result of the bond they successfully build with their audience. It is a simple equation that creating relationships with the audience leads to business growth. Therefore, the true potential of Internet Marketing can be availed only when there is a steady focus on building and retaining relationships with the target audience. ~ Annetta Powell via business2community.com

You must have seen people who make you feel like a circus has come to town – they are doing multiple things at the same time, they keep conversing with everyone around them and they listen. They are that irresistible energy ball that everyone seems to love so much.

You don’t need styled hair or Prada shoes to be heard. You’re online so you’re lucky, you’ll be accepted even in your pajamas, as long as you’re open and communicative.

Make sure your content and your messages, either emails or other conversations online, are clear and not confusing.

Communicating ten times a day with things that hold no value to your customers will not interest them. Valuable communication is what you should be aiming for.

Courtesy

Your customers are the life of your business. Without this, even the best product has no value. You’ll find highly demanding customers that bombard you with emails.

Learn the art of diplomacy.

What would you do if one of your customers is unhappy for some reason and threatened to write about it? Your first reaction would be to get all worked up and give him a piece of your mind. But a better solution would be to try and resolve the issue through conversations with the customer and try to fix their problem. There will certainly be an attitude change after that, but even if there isn’t, you’ve done what you should.

You can even take this a step further by sending emails on their birthdays (if you have these details) or ask them how you’re enjoying the product. This gesture will be highly appreciated and you’re strengthening your relationship with your customers in the process.

Customer Service Conclusion

There are always lessons to take away from experiences. If you’re already into business and you haven’t exactly been an epitome of a perfect business person, you can begin and apply these tools starting today.

To be an excellent customer service person, ask yourself one simple question: “How can I help others?” If you’ve been in business for a while, the question will be “How have I helped others?” Your profit will be directly linked to your customer service.