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Customer service general tips from Graves County Schools

Written by Paul Schaumburg from ideas created by the district’s faculty and staff

A few years ago, the Graves County School District administration asked faculty and staff to suggest general customer service tips. We collected tips from and distributed them to all employees. I now share them with you either for use as they are or to inspire your organization’s own similar project.

Attitude

1. Follow the Golden Rule: treat others the way you want to be treated.
2. Set a positive tone to start each day.
3. Learn as much as possible about your field and what our organization can do.
4. Capitalize on your personal strengths in serving customers.
5. Choose to be positive.
6. Celebrate successes.
7. Remember without problems to solve and needs to meet, we wouldn’t have jobs.
8. Remember that customers do have options other than our organization.
9. Remember no matter what, it could be worse.
10. Motivate yourself by keeping a photo of loved ones in your work area.
11. Value your customers, their goals, and their time.
12. Provide the same great service to people with small concerns as large concerns.
13. Provide the best possible service, realizing “what goes around comes around.”
14. Develop relationships and good will regularly so that if problems occur, a positive connection already exists.
15. Develop empathy with and respect for the customer by relating to his or her perceptions and point-of-view.
16. Find the good in everyone.
17. Thank people.
18. Compliment people.
19. Provide prompt service.
20. Extend hospitality.
21. Think before you speak.
22. Foster a sense of belonging for everyone.
23. Don’t discriminate because of appearance.
24. Keep our buildings looking good. Remember they reflect on us and our entire organization.
25. Appreciate your job and show it.

The Telephone

1. Answer the telephone within the first three rings, if at all possible.
2. Speak on the phone with a smile in your voice.
3. Identify yourself when you answer the phone.
4. Ask the caller to identify him- or herself, when necessary, in a polite manner such as, “May I ask who is calling?”
5. Be prepared to take notes on a phone call, if that becomes beneficial.
6. Personalize your communication even if you must convey pre-planned points so that your communication sounds human, not robotic.
7. Respect the customer and his or her time. If waiting is necessary, explain, apologize, and/or provide an alternative to waiting such as a return phone call.
8. Make sure the person to whom you transfer a phone call is available to answer or that the caller knows he or she might need to leave a voice mail.
9. Reconnect within one minute of putting a phone caller on hold with a status report, transfer, or to get information to return the call with name, number, and convenient time.
10. Return phone messages and answer emails as soon as possible.
11. Minimize automated phone system irritations. Make the phone system as user-friendly as possible.
12. Refer callers to the web site, when appropriate, and guide them through the process to reach the information they need.

Visitors and Callers

1. Meet and greet in a positive way. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
2. Acknowledge visitors as soon as possible, even if only to say, “I’ll be with you in just a moment.”
3. Avoid a mentality of shouting “Next!” Instead, make eye contact, if possible, to bring the person into conversation or ask, “May I help the next person, please?”
4. Tell the customer your name to make the interaction more friendly and personal.
5. Acknowledge, respect, and honor children in the company of adult customers. Call them by name, when possible, and offer them compliments, conversation, and even appropriate ways to pass the time of waiting.
6. Promise to find answers that aren’t immediately available to the customer’s questions. Provide that information as soon as possible, even if the customer says, “don’t bother.”
7. Take brief notes, when possible, to follow up on your conversation with a customer. Summarize your conversation to that customer – cover what you discussed, what you will do, and when.
8. Invite your customer to come back, always.
9. Thank customers and volunteers. Occasionally surprise them by sending a note or by providing some special treatment to show that you value the relationship.
10. Advocate for customers, if appropriate.

Question of the Week

What general customer service tips can you add?