When was the last time you experienced top-notch customer service – and what made it great? Perhaps you found a last-minute wedding outfit but your size was out of stock and a shop assistant tracked one down at a nearby store. Or maybe your laptop died just as you were completing a big project and the IT whizz at a local repair shop stayed late to fix it.
A positive customer service experience is memorable. As a small business owner, good service can gain you loyal customers and boost income. But research suggests UK companies are falling behind. Satisfaction levels are at their lowest since 2010, according to the Institute of Customer Service.
Mike Petrook, director of communications and corporate affairs at the Institute of Customer Service, says consumer expectations are high. “We are now living in an environment best described as a relationship economy. Consumers want choice, convenience and speed of service – they are no longer interested in a transactional approach to their purchases and are happy to look elsewhere if they feel they are not getting any of these three key elements.”
John Lewis came out top in the institute’s satisfaction index and has a long-standing reputation for putting its customers first. Its “never knowingly undersold” slogan assures shoppers that they won’t be missing out on a good deal if they don’t have time to shop around.
Lessons for small businesses
In a recent survey by Which?, John Lewis was second in the rankings for best high street shop. Quality was shown to be an important factor – customers felt they could rely on its products. However, cosmetics retailer Lush beat the chain to the top spot. The Which? survey’s main criteria included customer service and respondents called Lush staff “helpful” and friendly”.
Small businesses should be encouraged by this – a smaller retailer with more specialised stock can trump a department store by ensuring staff are well trained and approachable.
Dan Moross, director of customer service at MOO, says: “Without the right people you’re doomed to fail. Previous experience in customer service isn’t always the most important thing. Finding people who mirror your customer base (somewhat) and are empathetic ‘people persons’ is invaluable in my experience.”
The Institute of Customer Service report found that speed and responsiveness, complaints handling and staff behaviour have all deteriorated in the last two years. To avoid these pitfalls, make sure you always have enough customer-facing staff to cope with demand, whether that is in a shop, over the phone or through your social media channels.
Investing in staff training is a must. One example of a business where intensive staff training pays off is Pret A Manger. The coffee chain enrols every recruit in its Pret Academy before they serve a single customer. They are tutored in the Pret culture, characterised by speedy and friendly service, and once they start work they have regular refresher sessions. And it seems to work – Pret was far above rivals Costa and Caffè Nero in the ICS list of top 50 organisations, scoring 83.4 for customer satisfaction.
‘Train your team to put your customer first’
As important as training is, staff should be allowed to use their initiative, says Cheryl Adamson, co-founder of online fashion school Mastered. “There’s nothing worse than dealing with employees who trot out lines like ‘I’m sorry, it’s not company policy’ or ‘My manager doesn’t let us...’. This comes from the company, not the employee. Employ and train your team to put the customer first.”
Moross agrees: “Hire good people and trust them to find the right solution for that particular customer, in that specific situation.”
Adamson has some more tips for small businesses looking to ramp up their customer service: “One of the easiest ways to make customers feel important is to ask questions, (and care about the answers). Show an interest in people and then follow up with what you’ve discovered. If someone tells you they are in the shop as they’re visiting the area, stop and give them some of your favourite recommendations for things to do.”
Be honest when a problem occurs
Petrook says businesses should be honest about their capabilities, particularly as today’s internet savvy consumers are so well informed. “This means communicating with them in an open and transparent manner,” he says. “Be upfront when problems occur.”
Moross recalls a recent trip to a restaurant when staff admitted their mistake and dealt with it swiftly. “Our fries arrived with sugar on, instead of salt. No quibbles, they took them back, re-cooked them with salt and gave them to us on the house. We also had a little laugh with them along the way.” He adds that small firms account for many of his best customer service experiences. “I think smaller businesses tend to be more sympathetic to the needs of their individual customers, whereas a lot of larger organisations focus on overall numbers, spreadsheets and measuring performance.”
Adamson describes what’s been most effective at Mastered: “Having a superb product or service is crucial, but customers really start to love a brand when they feel loved in return. It’s about being different, being personable, understanding who they are and what they need, going above and beyond.”
Her tips for helping your business stand out include adding thank you notes if you make customer deliveries, and rewarding customers who recommend you to their friends. She also suggests giving your team a small budget to surprise customers on an individual basis. “Encourage them to be creative,” she adds. “Even £20/50 per month could mean sending numerous personal thank you cards, or they could choose to use it once to pay for a taxi for the customer who is overburdened with bags and small children.”
This advertisement feature is paid for and produced to a brief agreed with MOO, sponsor of the Guardian Small Business Network’s Branding hub.
