If you are the owner of a business, then the coming holiday season can mean rush hour. Holidays & occasions are the time when people are likely to do the shopping for their favorite products or services. A good number of businesses are found to be very busy during this time, be it malls, restaurants, retail shops, etc. Customer’s are likely to flock to your business in huge numbers. During normal days, you & your staff may have ample time to attend to the needs of every single customer. But during the busy season, this can become a real challenge. Ignoring their needs & queries will also mean disappointing them. In such a case, you are likely to lose your precious customers to your competitors. Hence, you may want to know how to improve customer service.
Tips to enhance customer experience
Customers are vital to the success of any business. Without customers, your business is likely to fail miserably. These days, there have mushroomed several companies & stores providing similar products & services. Moreover, customers make more educated decisions & have become smarter than ever before. Hence, you need to do everything within your means to satisfy your customers & keep them happy all the time.
Busy holidays will mean stressful times for both customers & employees. The holiday shopping experience can be stressful for customers. Hence, they are likely to behave abnormally like being rude & not wanting to wait. It is important for your staff to be patient & empathetic to every customer they attend.
Four effective ways to manage busy times
Customer satisfaction is paramount & there is no compromise on this aspect. You & your staff need to learn the tricks to be in a better position this busy season. You need to adopt diplomacy & handle clients tactfully.
- Hire the right person for the job: Busy season & rush will mean hiring more hands to tackle the growing demand. Avoid being in a rush when hiring new candidates for any position. Identify candidates who are suitable & skilled enough to handle stressful situations. They should have ample knowledge to ‘calm the storm’. It will also help improve better customer experience.
- Hire staff as required: Do not try to overwork your staff as they are likely to feel tired & sick soon. Staff properly. Plan for the hiring process much in advance. Hire good candidates much before the busy season & train them accordingly to manage their work & clients. Again do not over-staff as it may only mean having to bear more expenses and experience reduced profits.
- Allow your new hires to perform their task as assigned with: You don’t have to tell good people how to do their jobs. Distribute the work in a manner that for trivial things, they do not have to seek approvals here & there. This will otherwise cause unnecessary delays & unwanted situations, further annoying the customers. Delegating work & responsibilities at the very beginning of the busy season will ensure smooth workflow & increase customer satisfaction.
- Avoid taking things personally: It is quite natural for the stressed-out customer to vent out his/her frustrations on you or your staffs. Avoid taking it personally. Be customer-centric and do everything right. If so, then you are not at fault. But still, smile & understand the problems of the customer as much as bearable. Try to deliver a stress-free & frictionless experience.
Following the above will help you to know how to improve customer service. Also, you can improve the shopping experience of your customers during the holiday season.
