Being a working mother of 2 small children, I don’t have a lot of free time on my hands. Needless to say, I do a lot of online shopping. It just works out easier for me that way. With that being said, I have also had varying experiences where customer service is concerned.

A couple weeks ago I placed an order with Sears.com.  The online ordering was easy and the order came in the time specified.  When I received my order, the product was defective.  I called Sears.com’s customer service department and was “helped” by an unpleasant, unfriendly employee, which resulted in me having a very disconcerting return experience. Because of the treatment I received,  I will not be ordering from Sears.com again.

Around the same time as my Sears.com experience, I on the other hand had a very pleasant experience with the Disney Store online. I had ordered a toy from their website for my son’s 3rd birthday. Upon putting it together, we discovered that it was defective. I called the Disney Store’s customer service department and was greeted by a friendly, helpful and enthusiastic employee. Her demeanor immediately put my mind at ease. I had a excellent return experience and will order from the Disney Store online again.

After having such an extreme difference in my customer service experiences, it got me thinking. I have been in the customer service field for 17 years and have learned a lot of great tips along the way.

Why not share some of that knowledge?  Here are a few of my top tips for excellent customer service:

• Listen to what your customer is saying:

         If your customer is unhappy about something that has happened to them in your place of business; listen to them. Most customers just want to know that their voice is being heard. It might seem like a trivial problem to you, but to them it is a valid reason for becoming upset.  If you are dismissive, that is only going to upset them more.

• Don’t take it personally:

          While it might seem that your customer is attacking you, they aren’t. They are upset at the situation and venting their frustration.  You just happen to be the most convenient person to whom they can direct their frustration. Try to remain calm and speak in an even tone. Don’t get your feathers ruffled.  People can tell when they are getting under someone’s skin and it just adds more fuel to the fire.

• Remedy the situation quickly and to the best of your ability:

All the customer really wants is a solution to the problem. Try to fix the problem in a timely manner. This will make your customer happy and they will hopefully return to your place of business again.

• Don’t Argue:

The worst thing you can do is get into a verbal argument with a customer. Remember the saying “the customer is always right”? Of course there are always exceptions to every rule: verbal abuse and threats are not acceptable. If it does come to that (and I hope it never does), excuse yourself and hand it off to your supervisor. If you are the supervisor cut your losses and call it a day.

•  Remember your regular customers:

Try to remember the names of your regular customers. Make them feel special when they walk through your door. Get to know them. Be genuinely interested in what they have to say. Remember little things about them. (I know it makes me feel good when I go to my favorite restaurant for Sunday breakfast and our regular waitress  has my coffee and a fruit plate for my son ready.)Remember we all serve customers everyday whether it be internal fellow employees or external customers.