5 Quick Tips to Give Better Customer Service
We all like to be taken care of by the business we are buying from – that’s normal. However, not every business gives a good customer experience. This is despite the fact that it can be the difference between keeping a customer and losing them. What’s more, while online shopping continues to grow hugely, businesses who have exceptional customer service count that as being a major advantage to the less personable and customer-friendly internet shopping experience.
Let’s look at some ideas that you can implement in your business easily to show your customers that they are important to you and give a boost to your repeat and word-of-mouth customers.

1. Ensure every customer is greeted by a staff member
What we mean here is not that you must have a specific person to meet and greet customers but rather that all staff should be ready to acknowledge customers when they see them. While a staff member may be busy with other customers, a simple nod and smile are all it takes to ensure a customer is satisfied with your welcome. This is a really easy way to make a customer feel welcome and at ease in a store. They will also be more likely to ask for assistance if they have been greeted.
2. Acknowledge those in a queue or waiting for service
Similar to greeting, a simple acknowledgment saying “Hello, I will be with you in a moment” or “There will be another staff member here shortly” will ensure most people won’t be annoyed at waiting. If someone feels ignored or insignificant, they are far more likely to be a difficult customer so this approach of a simple acknowledgment is in every staff member’s best interest.
3. Have a process for dealing with customer issues
When you have a process or method in place it gives everyone a lot more confidence and satisfaction in the experience. The staff member knows what they can and can’t do, how to handle the issue and what the likely outcome will be. Their ability to communicate this clearly and confidently to a customer will generally lead to acceptance of the outcome by the customer. When there is no process, there is confusion and delays which inevitably lead to further frustration for the customer.
4. Back up your staff and see the results
It is often easy to simply do what a difficult customer wants, for a quiet outcome. However, this can lead to frustration on the part of your staff who may be made to look bad or incompetent. If you choose to back up your staff, it creates a positive work environment and when staff is happier, productivity and service levels increase too. Besides, is it worth giving in to an unreasonable customer or are you perhaps better off if they don’t come back?
5. Make sure your business’s signage and decor is well done and informative
When it comes to signs, banners, posters, decals, and layout of a business, it can happen that over time, the original design may have been lost a little. A couple of years of small adjustments, over-enthusiastically putting up signs and decorations, etc can change how a business looks. When it comes to customer service, having clear signs and banners can greatly help customers in navigating their way around. It can also be an idea to include a specific area of a store for customer service so a small stand or counter where this can take place ensures you do not clog up the checkout areas unnecessarily.
At Colorado Canopies…
… we pride ourselves on our customer service and strive to help our clients improve theirs through a variety of quality products. If your business signage and banners need a rethink, talk to us to discuss what we can do and how we can restore your business’s appearance through our innovative ideas and solutions.