The Importance of Customer Service – Keytek Academy

Good Customer service is the heart of any successful business, regardless of industry. Finishing a job and leaving your customer satisfied, feeling valued and most importantly that they got value for money is crucial for your business to be continue successfully. Customer service comes naturally to some people, while others need to work hard to master the art of customer small talk. However, it’s worth working hard to give great customer service, as you will reap the rewards long term.

 

What is customer service?

The official definition is “The assistance, advice or aid provided by a company to customers that use or buy the companies products or services” however there is an argument to be made that customer service is so much more than this.

Customer service is the support that you offer to customers, it is the actions taken that allow customers to have a good and enjoyable experience with a company and ultimately it is ensuring that the customer is happy.

 

What are the Qualities of Good Customer Service?

Good customer service will differ slightly for different industries, situations, and people but ultimately good customer service is providing a timely, attentive service that would reflect positively on the company or business.

Have a good attitude

You must never be rude to a customer; your attitude always needs to be positive and courteous. This is especially true if your customer has been a victim of a break in, they might be emotional or upset, so a kind and friendly attitude will work wonders for them. Not only is it the polite way to be, it’s also important if you want repeat custom, or more work through word of mouth. A person won’t recommend you to their friends if you are rude or intimidating. It’s not just the words you say that convey your attitude; your tone of voice, facial expression and body language also give you away. It’s important to keep all these factors in mind when communicating with a customer.

Respond Quickly and On Time

If you market yourself as an ‘emergency’ Locksmith then you need to be prepared to take jobs at any time and be able to get there fast. Don’t advertise out of the areas that you can cover, as this could lead to slow response times, which doesn’t look good for you. Also, don’t promise a time you can’t make. It might be tempting to promise you can be at someone’s home by a certain time if you think it will secure you the job. But only promise if you know you can make it at that time, it’s better to be honest about your arrival time than have the customer waiting because you’re late. If something does come up that delays you then it is best practice to phone the customer and inform them, they might be annoyed, but they will probably be angrier if you show up late with no explanation.

Listen to your Customer

This is important as a Locksmith, as it could affect what lock you install. If you have an older customer who tells you she struggles to open the door, you may want to offer to install a new handle or an easier to open lock. Or if your customer tells you they have repeatedly been broken into, offer them a free security check or show them high security lock options. Not only could listening to your customers actually gain you more work, it also leaves them with a good impression and more work through word of mouth.

Have good communication

Remember, you have had Locksmith training, but your customer hasn’t, you may need to talk them through what you are doing. Explain why you are using a certain technique or why you have chosen a specific lock to install. This is their home after all and they need to be confident in what’s been done. It might be that you need to come back on another day to complete the job; you will need to explain fully to the customer why this is. Unhappy customers often come from lack of communication and confusion, so this one is an important one to remember.

 

The Importance of Customer Service

Create and maintain customer loyalty

Good customer service is essential in retaining customers and creating brand loyalty. Providing a customer with first-class customer service will make it more likely that they will want to use your services again should they need to, and they would be more likely to also recommend you to their friends and family.

Customer service represents your brand

However you may want your brand to come across, actions will always speak louder than words and leaving a customer with a good impression from great customer service will always promote the best image of your brand.

Customer service helps to boost your reputation

A good reputation for local businesses who generate work on word of mouth is essential to remain competitive with local competitors. Providing a first class service to customers will build your businesses reputation and will encourage other customers to engage in your services.

Good customer service leads to good customer reviews

Having a wealth of reviews for any business is essential in today’s world and gives you a competitive advantage above competitors, giving the customer a reason to choose your business. Receiving a glowing review will help to give other people confidence in your business and service.

 

What can I do to improve my customer service?

The best way to instantly improve your customer service is to have a positive attitude, you might be having a bad day, but customers will instantly pick up on your mood and it will be reflected. Turning up to a job with a smile and positive attitude will ensuring it is set off on the right foot!

Stay Positive

It may be hard if something isn’t going right but a positive attitude goes a long way to improving customer experience and will undoubtedly ensure your customer service is first class.

Understand your customer

Take the time to listen to your customer and understand what they are looking for or the issue they are having. This helps you to better tailor your service to each customer and ensure they walk away happy with their service.

Make them feel at ease

No matter the issue, making the customer feel at ease is a perfect way to provide great customer service. Has something broken? Are they locked out? Not a problem! Making the customer feel at ease during any situation will help to turn a bad situation into a more pleasant experience.

Provide fast and efficient customer support

Customers will always have questions about a service or a product, ensuring that you answer those questions to your full ability allows a customer to feel supported leading to customer satisfaction.

Ask for feedback from customers

Whether glowing or constructive, gaining feedback from your customer will help you to better understand how you come across and improve on areas which you may not be as strong it. This will help you to improve your customer service to future customers.

Respond to reviews

Responding to reviews left on Google, Trustpilot or any other service will help your customers feel heard and appreciated leading to better customer loyalty. Likewise, responding to negative reviews gracefully allows for other customers to see that you are willing to try and improve your customer service wherever possible, whilst also giving yourself the opportunity to explain the issue given the review/complaint context.

 

Bad customer service can cause a business to fail, so it’s important that you work on having good customer service skills. It is vital in the Locksmithing industry that you leave customers feeling happy and secure. For more advice on having a successful Locksmithing career, visit our Locksmith Advice hub.