Customer Contact

Face to face

Use appropriate, ‘open’ body language and remember to smile
Be a good listener and repeat back (in summary) the details of what the customer wants, to show that you have understood and care
Make a judgement about where best to conduct a conversation with the customer – would they benefit from being seated or in a less busy environment, for example if they are elderly or have a hearing impairment?

By telephone

A National Consumer Council survey in 2007 found that being kept endlessly on hold on the telephone ranked as the top consumer complaint. 46 per cent of consumers complained - an increase of 41 per cent since 2006.

Automated telephone answering also annoys customers, wherever possible; try to provide a ‘human being’ to answer customer calls quickly and efficiently.

When a customer calls the wrong extension, offer to forward their call to the correct extension rather than make them go back via the main switchboard. If they’ve already been put through to several numbers or have been kept on hold, take their details and pass these to the correct person, requesting they call the customer back as soon as possible.

Answering calls

Answer promptly – best practice suggests within three rings
Greet the customer with a ‘good morning/afternoon’, the company/organisation they have rung and your name
Be pleasant and polite – remember your telephone manner reflects the attitude of the business as a whole
A smile can be heard down the telephone line – try it!
Listen carefully to the caller, make notes as this will help you to concentrate and may be needed as a reminder
If you are not the right person to deal with the call, give the customer the option of being forwarded to the correct colleague, or for you to take a message
At the end of the call, give the customer your name again and direct dial number for future reference in case they need to come back to you
If you are unable to get back to the customer in the time you had promised, ring them to let them know you have not forgotten and to keep them informed
If you are away from your desk, make arrangements for your calls to be answered. Can a colleague answer your calls? Is your phone set-up with voicemail or can calls be diverted to another extension?

In Writing

Letters

Letters to customers should be clear, respectful and should use plain English. Avoid using jargon as this may confuse
If responding to a letter, make this clear in your own letter ie ‘regarding your letter dated 15 September 2006
Avoid sending letters backwards and forwards, if you have not been able to deal with the customer’s request or concerns in writing, try resolving it with a telephone call or invite them in for a discussion if possible.

E-mails

E-mails are a good way to speed up communication and also save on paper, but they need as much thought and care as any other type of correspondence
Establish a daily routine for checking and answering your e-mails
If you are out of the office and can’t access your e-mails use the ‘Out of Office Assistant’ in MS Outlook or a similar system that will advise the customer when you are back and who to contact in your absence if their enquiry is urgent
Keep the subject heading relevant and the message short
Sign all e-mails with your name, job title/department and full contact details.