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Customer Service Information |
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11 Ways to Get What You Want - Be a Clever Customer!
We all want great service, whether we are buying our weekly groceries from a store, or want a billing hitch resolved at our local utilities provider. Whether it's getting our car fixed, or a great meal in a restaurant. So we can holler and complain about how poor customer service and satisfaction has become - or we can do something about it ourselves, when we have those one-to-one opportunities with a real person. Busy sales staff are under pressure and they like to deal with people who are clear and know what they want - then they can get on with their next customer! So perk up, do your homework and have everything ready and clear. By adopting a positive demeanour, making eye contact and being friendly, you will be one in twenty who is. Don't try it too much, or that will irritate too, but just nice, friendly and a little smiley will work wonders! This will vary culturally. In the UK, sales people don't like to be called by their name at all. So be careful - if you know it fits wherever you live and shop, then fine - but observe and notice what is going to work and stick to it. Use the words 'I wonder if you can help me' and then be clear about what you want. This links in with their emotions - ('someone needs me'!) - which is very powerful relationship-building for you As you give clear information about what you need from them, make positive and supportive movements and sounds that encourage them onwards. This builds rapport and makes a relationship much more likely to happen. Because people like to help, the feedback indicates that is what they are doing and...they will like you - one more step forwards in getting what you want. When they are answering your questions, ask them, once or twice, a little more about what they have told you. This shows that you have been listening and value their information. This powerfully builds the bond even more between you! By asking some open (what, how, why, where, when, which) and some closed questions (those which only need a 'yes' or a 'no'), you will vary the pressure they feel under. Being able to say 'yes' or 'no', as well as giving you lots of information, means that they get a few breaks and don't feel quite so 'interrogated'. At the end of their answers, whether you have reached a satisfactory conclusion or not, thank them for their help - make them feel valued. It's great to invest time in spending a little time in 'chat' mode with your sales person. If they have time - you have to judge from their manner, whether they are in the mood to spend time with you. It varies from person to person, time of day and location. But it's worth being aware of. At the very end of the transaction, make sure that you add a smiley 'thank you' to the mix. Selling stuff all day is tough in itself, without all the extra clutter that sales people have to do for their organisation. So by 'making their day' you will be creating a relationship which will be valuable to you for years to come. Make sure that you are aware of their name, and write and tell their boss - better, their head office. This may or may not do you any financial benefit, but hey, it sure will make you feel great that you have 'made someone's day' by telling the rest of their organisation about them!Being smart as a customer can get you benefits that you never expected. Being an awkward, 'clever' or downright obnoxious customer will never help you. By using these tips, you will receive more than you might expect, not every time maybe, but sometimes - and that has got to be a win. Martin Haworth, for a long time was a retailer and now is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com. For the advice Martin shares with businesses on Customer Service, checkout the 'Customer' pages. (Note to editors. Feel free to use this article, wherever you think it might be of value - it would be good if you could include a live link)
MORE RESOURCES: Changes at Social Security Administration may impact customer service, benefit payments, experts say CNBC Cognigy Recognizes Enterprises Transforming Customer Service with AI at Nexus Summit 2025 Morningstar AI won’t fix the real issue with customer service Financial Times Aqua begins customer service line inventory to ID, replace lead lines in Shenandoah The Shenandoah Sentinel Cognigy Recognizes Enterprises Transforming Customer Service with AI at Nexus Summit 2025 Business Wire SBA opens customer service center in Paintsville for flood victims The Paintsville Herald MetTel Wins Multiple Stevie® Awards, Marking 12 Years of Customer Service Excellence - Yahoo Finance Attune Insurance honored with multiple global 2025 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service PR Newswire New Jersey American Water’s Customer Assistance Programs Township of Scotch Plains (.gov) CSPI & Nutrition Action Customer Service Center for Science in the Public Interest How SAP CX AI Toolkit Transforms Customer Service Operations Technology Magazine Customer Service & Support Hillsborough County (.gov) How to address common customer service gaps TechTarget How This Indiana Retailer Marries Celebration and Customer Service in His Store Gifts & Decorative Accessories Zomato cuts 600 customer support jobs amid AI adoption Verdict Food Service Cognigy Recognizes Enterprises Transforming Customer Service with AI at Nexus Summit 2025 Bluefield Daily Telegraph Produce Wholesalers: Solving Customer Challenges Through Service Produce Business Porsche placed first in 2025 J.D. Power Customer Service Index Study Porsche Newsroom Bullhead City leads Mohave Community College workshop on customer service mohavedailynews.com What Your Business Can Learn From Southwest Airlines Business.com Monetary Gold Achieves Record Customer Service Improvement, Climbs to #3 in Industry Rankings PR Newswire Certificate of Achievement – Sales and Customer Service (Online) Lake Michigan College Watchdog slams Australian supers' customer service Pensions & Investments Centier Bank lands No. 1 on J.D. Power customer service ranking Northwest Indiana Business Magazine Is customer service dead? Newstalk Camiral Golf & Wellness sets benchmark for exceptional customer service Golf Business News How AI Is Changing the ROI of Customer Service - SPONSOR CONTENT FROM INTERCOM Harvard Business Review Launch of New Districtwide Customer Service Platform The School District of Philadelphia Revolutionizing customer service: MaestroQA’s integration with Amazon Bedrock for actionable insight Amazon Web Services AARP Virginia Statement on Customer Service Changes Announced by the Social Security Administration AARP States My Utilities Account City of Santa Clara (.gov) Customer Service Center apps.tampagov.net Welcome to Riverside Public Utilities City of Riverside California (.gov) 311 - Birmingham’s Customer Service Center City of Birmingham, Alabama (.gov) The one metric that muddled customer service Star Tribune Will DOGE crash customer service at Social Security? Federal News Network Generative and agentic AI set to transform customer service into a strategic value driver for businesses Marketing Tech News Running our contact centers on Azure Microsoft BAM Forms Joint Committee with GPBM to Improve Bank Customer Service in Morocco - Morocco World News Changes at Social Security Administration may impact customer service, benefit payments, experts say MSN 354th FSS gains new Customer Service Portal eielson.af.mil 11 key elements of excellent customer service Business.com Customer service transformation Capgemini |
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