![\"Customer](\"http:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/bestprac.jpg\")
\nThe results of a brainstorming session where the attendees came up with 65 customer service best practices.<\/strong><\/p>\n 1) How can we make it easier for our customers to do business with us?<\/p>\n 2) Online message board to better communicate calls that are received<\/p>\n 3) Questions and answers online – online help<\/p>\n 4) Instant chat lines set up to answer customers concerns<\/p>\n 5) Increase one stop shopping – get call answered<\/p>\n 6) Technical staff should get out and meet customers<\/p>\n 7) Have a profile and complete record of each customer.<\/p>\n 8) Checklist for people who are at help desk for answers to frequently asked questions and for what questions to ask the customers<\/p>\n 9) Customer rep for each floor<\/p>\n 10) Focus groups\/Brainstorming sessions with customers<\/p>\n 11) Very clear instructions for customers. (i.e. little card for instructions)<\/p>\n 12) Effective service level agreements<\/p>\n 13) Call back after assistance to see if problem was solved<\/p>\n 14) Pleasing personality – work on SOFTEN and phone personality<\/p>\n 15) Have 800 telephone numbers<\/p>\n 16) Support off hours and weekends 24\/7<\/p>\n 17) Onsite support for each floor and field office<\/p>\n 18) Develop a pamphlet and online directions on how things work – step by step<\/p>\n 19) Be accessible to customers<\/p>\n 20) How do we meet and exceed expectations?<\/p>\n 21) Good timely response<\/p>\n 22) Have meeting with staff to outline and discuss what excellent customer service means. (Can’t just say quality, but explain what exactly quality means)<\/p>\n 23) Go beyond solving to explaining and educating the customer<\/p>\n 24) Acknowledge customers – give full attention and listen<\/p>\n 25) Contact after the problem has been solved – follow up<\/p>\n 26) Customer advisory board<\/p>\n 27) Anticipate problems and solve them before the customer complains<\/p>\n 28) Underpromise and overdeliver<\/p>\n 29) Do what you say you are going to do<\/p>\n 30) Do it when you say you are going to do it<\/p>\n 31) Do it right the first time<\/p>\n 32) Train and educate customer base on what we can and can’t do<\/p>\n 33) Think outside of the box<\/p>\n 34) Customer surveys\/focus groups<\/p>\n 35) Reward exceptional performance for meeting and exceeding expectations<\/p>\n 36) Determine customer expectations<\/p>\n 37) Set guidelines for being more reliable, responsive and credible<\/p>\n 38) How do we overcome an attitude of indifference on our part towards the customer?<\/p>\n 39) Listen to them<\/p>\n 40) Follow up<\/p>\n 41) Empower customers – Give them the tools to do things themselves<\/p>\n 42) Get more customer involvement<\/p>\n 43) More educational opportunities for the staff<\/p>\n 44) Prompt assistance<\/p>\n 45) Ask the right questions to find real problems and concerns<\/p>\n 46) Customer focus groups<\/p>\n 47) If cannot resolve customers problem direct it to the right place<\/p>\n 48) One stop shop – one person should know answers or manage the response to make sure customer gets an answer and is not “tossed around”<\/p>\n 49) Be sincere and genuine – not just insincere “smiles”<\/p>\n 50) Don’t add burden to customers frustration<\/p>\n 51) Don’t take it personally<\/p>\n 52) Incentives for the staff<\/p>\n 53) Customer relations training for everyone at all levels<\/p>\n 54) Make everyone feel like part of the organization – connecting to the core mission<\/p>\n 55) Don’t think of customers as being a nuisance. If you do you will inadvertently treat them that way<\/p>\n 56) How do we make the workplace a more positive place to work?<\/p>\n 57) Improve managers knowledge about the real work environment<\/p>\n 58) Empowerment for employees to make decisions<\/p>\n 59) Rewards and strokes – appreciation<\/p>\n 60) Teambuilding sessions with the whole team<\/p>\n 61) Open communication<\/p>\n 62) Clear guidelines<\/p>\n 63) Say “NO” less often<\/p>\n 64) More recognition for both internal and external customers<\/p>\n 65) Showing the flag – get in front of the customer more often – visit<\/p>\n