By Victoria Onehi
Recently,the Managing Director of Doxa Group, a Global Enterprise Communicator as well as an  astute entrepreneur Mrs Dayo Benjamins Laniyi, was Guest Speaker at the Maiden Edition of the Customer Service Week forum of the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA). She spoke on the topic ‘The Professionalisation of Service Skills and Capabilities’. Here are excerpts.
Eye Service should translate to true service.
Manage your relationship. Were it is not managed, it will be damaged and one damaged customer relationship, cost us too much down the line.Hence, go and find your offended customer. Reconnect with him and re-engage him/her. Find that one celebration, one event, that will re-engage them because it’s for our collective profit.
You know, I have been challenged in business/customer service. But you know, when I get tempted to the point I want to say, ‘do you know who I am,’? I navigate and come around it, then eventually I will come up with a friend instead of a ‘fiend’. Many of those demonised customers end up becoming angels only because you became the first angel on duty.
Don’t damage customer relations, Manage it
I have always found out that its always better to find a way to be the bridge to bring a customer back rather than saying ‘whatever’. There is no such thing as whatever. Everyone is important. Keep trying even if they walk away. Never forget that you kept trying. And so, in that space and in that place, where you have been offended, arrange yourself, don’t damage the customer relationship, manage it.
As you provide and create that experience, you are creating a lifecycle, of start-up to follow-up to stay up.
Customers do not care how much you know but how much you care
Customer service is about care and tne care begins with you. How do you care for what you do?When people walk into your space, do they see a space cared for? Environmental management for customer service delivery is so important. A stuffy desk room or engagement point is a complete no, no. Its shows institutionally, you are not prepared. When this person comes in, there is something inspirational that happens to them. They like the room, the engagement of the person with them, they look around the room , the different messages you have around you in the room.Don’t let it be pictures of you and your family members in the room, but greater is the reason why you are there. Let there be messages of what you do. Let it be a mini exhibition, of what is it you have done, you are doing and will yet do. It just inspires the engagement with your Customer.
Satisfy the need of your customer
Delivery is the seal of satisfaction. Not just having that seal of satisfaction but being able to identify the need of your customer.What is needed now? What is the necessity? What is the priority? What is the expediency now? Then, being able to deliver it within the time frame.Meeting customer needs and satisfaction beyond expectation. Remember, excellence is not by chance but by choice. Choose excellence.
Make your customer happy
So when you understand a customer to be that one person, not just someone, who is coming to buy your product or service, let them leave happy. Establish a transaction that creates a transformation in that person. Why, every transaction happens first in the mind, it’s a perception before it becomes an action- A Trans-action. That is what it is. There are various categories of customers but your ultimate customer becomes your legacy referer.He or she will refer others to you because of the way you engage them, help them to become more than how they first met you.
Customer service is served. It is not demanded and it is not imposed on. Customer service is a delivery. You are the deliverer.
Remember, building on existing customers, simply means building on what you believe and can deliver.
Facts about Customer Service
80% of businesses believe companies are doing a great job in the way they treat customers, but the fact is that only 8 percent agree.
54 to 70 percent of customers who complain will do business with you again, if they feel their problem is resolved. Like I said, engage them, diagonise and bring some respite. Even if you don’t have the answer you don’t just have the answer yet.
Now that figure jumps to 95% once the customer feels that their complain has been resolved promptly , so providing a quality or service is great. But understand , you are the brand, and the first reflecton for that customer of the product that they are seeking to buy.
Always remember this, the customer must always leave, Happy .
