Monthly Feature

NIS Monthly Feature

GOOD CUSTOMER RELATIONS

Who are Your Customers?

Customers are those persons to whom you provide information, materials, a product or service. They may be internal or external.

External customers are those outside the organization who are dependent on you for a product, service or benefits.

Internal customers are those people who you serve within the organization. They are dependent upon the timeliness, quality and accuracy of your work.

What Is Customer Relations?

Customer relation is created by customer service. It is the development and maintenance of good relationships with your customers. Good customer relations, therefore, are based on:

Win-win Relationships
Doing the right things
Understanding customer requirements/needs
Meeting customer needs

Pointers to Good Customer Relations

Today customers are becoming harder to please. They are smarter, more demanding and less forgiving. Every customer wants accuracy, prompt response time, user friendly language to feel valued. The following are some pointers to good customer relations:

Friendly Service

Provide warm and friendly responses at all times, especially when customers are upset or have concerns.

Put yourself in a glad emotional state and greet your customer with a smile

Smile when you answer the phone as this can be translated to the other person on the other line

Flexibility

Avoid adhering to rules and regulations in an unyielding manner. The customer may have an opinion or idea which is valid and so can be accommodated.

When the service delivery system is not meeting the customers’ needs, go the extra mile in ensuring that the system meets their needs.

if the system cannot meet their needs, provide them with a clear and reasonable explanation.

Problem Resolution

It’s important that you find them a solution.

If it is a work related problem, then they must be transferred to the right person or department in a friendly manner.

Do not transfer a phone call to an other person/department until you have checked that they may be of assistance

If it is not related to work, then it would be helpful if you can refer them to the right source.

Handle all customers’ complaints fully and quickly.

Recovery

Make every effort to correct a mistake quickly and to the satisfaction of the customer.

Apologize for any delay if necessary before attending to the needs of the customer

When answering complaints, do not use form letters. Write each person individually.

Reliability

Do what you say you are going to do
Do it when you say you are going to do it
Do it right the first time
Do it on time

Credibility

Have the customers’ interest at heart
Demonstrate integrity at all times
Do not deceive your customer. The customer deserves to receive exactly what we have promised.
Make them top priority of your job.
Provide them with correct, adequate and timely information

Deportment

It is important to make a good impression
Dress and deport yourself to convey a positive impression to your customers
Your work attire should be businesslike. The customers must feel that they are being dealt with by a professional.
You are an employee of your company even in your off hours. Therefore, you must project a positive image of yourself and your company at all times.

Responsiveness

Be accessible, available and willing to help customers.
Be punctual. Punctuality is a non-verbal form of respect
If you are too busy to speak or answer a query/complaint, explain this to the customer and reassure them that you will be with them in a short while.

Empathy

Put yourself in the customer’s position and see the situation from his/her point of view.
Listen to what they are saying
Listen to what they are not saying
Listen for what people would like to say but can’t put into words