How to Improve Service Quality at Your Business Colorado

Steps

1. Learn to listen to your customers first. Really listen to them - ask what you can do to help them. This is the most important step in preventing problems and the only way you can solve complaints if they come up.
2. Look at all complaints about your service as an opportunity to improve. Aim to resolve any complaint quickly and efficiently.
3. Establish an environment where great service is recognized and rewarded and poor service is challenged and rectified.
4. Have weekly fun staff meeting where good service elements are discussed.
5. Ensure that your staff feels they are an important part of your success.
6. Lead by example - show respect for every person at every level in your company.
7. Do things regularly to improve the workplace - this does not have to be an expensive exercise. For instance, if you have a small group, order pizzas one day for lunch for no particular reason, put a candy jar on the reception desk for anyone to access, put a new coffee pot in the staff room or buy some gourmet coffee. Little things get noticed and mean a lot. Happy staff = happy customers.
8. Give your staff a reason to come to work with a big smile on their face and a great attitude. Paying them competitive wages so they can live comfortably in the area is a good start. The customer service industry is rampant with poor pay. The jobs are pretty difficult at times. Be sure you show your employees you care by giving them a decent wage.

Tips

• There's a story about a man who worked in a toll booth, one of the most boring jobs in the world. Yet the man made his job fun. He took pleasure in smiling at the people in their cars and made it part of his job to make their day, while taking their money. The line for his booth was always much longer than the lines for the other toll booths. Drivers took the time to go through his line because he made them feel good. It's this sort of enthusiasm you want to inspire in your employees. Their enthusiasm will naturally pass on through their service.
• Be sure your employees are aware of your expectations. Clear service guidelines and knowledge of the company's mission are necessary.
• Hire the right people for the right job. Ensure your interview techniques get the right answers, not the answers you want to hear. Some people are just really good at interviewing, but may not be the best people for the job.
• Look outside the box and employ people who have a love of service - people with little experience in your field, but lots of service experience (e.g. retail or hospitality experience) may be able to learn the intricate details of your business and also provide the kind of service you need. A service professional with no specific experience might be better than someone who knows the field, but has no people skills.
• Don't fear asking for advice from management chances are someone has had to deal with situations that may come up.
• Have your goals, policies and practices clearly visible to customers.
• The effectiveness of service mission statements is debatable. Some argue no employees read or care about them, while others claim it focuses people.
• Laminate the mission statement on a business card size paper and give one to each employee.
• Also have your customer service goals in clear view for customers to see.

Warnings

• You'll need a thick skin. Recognize that most of the time, if a customer isn't happy, it isn't personal. He just wants and needs someone who will solve his problem.
• Sometimes it's not just a matter of thick skin though. Remember to illustrate to your employees that they must set personal boundaries, when interacting with customers and to never let a customer cross the line. Service quality or not, it is never right for an employee to endure verbal abuse simply because a customer wants help.
• Stand behind your employees. Nothing ticks off an employee more than a manager who caves to every customer request. Happy employees are just as important as happy customers. Happy employees help establish a repeat customer base.
• A simple "How are you?" goes a long way in establishing customer rapport. Even in a fast-paced environment the least a greeting will do is show the customer your employees care enough to take an extra second to welcome them.

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