In today's service industry, great customer service is a NEED and no longer something that can be overlooked by any organizations. If you want to succeed and receive consistent loyal support from your target market, you must be able to make them feel that their business belongs with your company beyond the goods that they are purchasing from you. Today, I want to provide with some tips that I find very important to customer service.

Your agents' interactions with customers must leave good impressions! This will greatly improve your business inside and out.

Surprise The Customer

When I am shopping, I like to usually be left alone, I never really know what I want but, when I find it I will know so I usually reject any help. When I worked retail, I was kind of similar: scared to sometimes approach customers out of fear of being rejected.

I was not very good at my job, obviously. This changed for me one day when I was in a department store. The associate gave me a complement: "I really like those jeans on you, where did you get them?" The young lady shocked me! Next thing I know, she is leading me around the store showing me shoes, jeans and shirts that she would like on me. That unnecessary kindness me made feel special.

No matter the field you are in, you want your representatives to be very observant of your customers to improve everyone's overall experience.

Think Friend – Not Sale

I tend to talk to people more if I feel like they are similar to me. There is a psychological term for this:

"Implicit egotism: People gravitate toward people, places, and things that resemble the self."

What your representatives should be looking to do is find a common ground with the customers. Yes, you are providing a service to the customer, but you should want to build a relationship as well. Building relationship develops loyalty, referrals and most of all happiness between the parties, and that's just naming a few things.

Use Positive Language

Using positive language is a great way of avoiding accidental conflicts because of miscommunication. You want your reps to avoid negative words like no, can't, won't, etc.

A great example of this situation: Your store is out of a popular athlete's jersey that a customer would like to purchase.

No positive language: 'No, we don't have that jersey, I don't know when we will receive our next shipment either.'

You have just told this person you aren't going to help them.

Positive language: 'You know what? I know we have the jersey available on our website, I would love to place an order here at the store for you if you don't need it for a specific date and shipping is free when placed through the store. The jersey can be at your home within 3-5 days.'

Yes, you are still telling the customer no, but, you are doing it without any negative impact. You have also provided them with a solution to still have the jersey purchased that day.

These are just a few things to think about when training your team or for you to use when you are assisting any of your clients.

To view the original article, visit the Tribus Group blog.