Attending to Clients in a Friendly Manner

Attending to Clients in a Friendly Manner

Customer service is crucial to success in any business establishment, whether a small business or a large corporation. Clients are the lifeblood of any organization, and their satisfaction should be the number one priority. This essay will outline the best ways to attend to clients to make them feel valued and happy, including greetings, positive body language, mentioning the client's name, active listening, empathy, and thanking clients for their business. It will also discuss some benefits of portraying friendliness in an organization.

Greeting clients with a smile and making eye contact contributes to a feeling of warmth. This can be done in person, on the phone, or via email. A smile conveys friendliness and sincerity. Most clients appreciate this gesture because it makes them feel valued. A study found that 71% of clients said they would leave a company because of poor customer service (Singh, 2019). Maintaining eye contact is also crucial in portraying friendliness. It shows that you are interested and focused on the customer. Therefore, corporations should train employees in customer service skills such as maintaining eye contact, smiling, and active listening. This will go a long way in ensuring customer satisfaction.

Another way to attend to clients is by using positive body language. This includes standing up straight, leaning towards the customer, and maintaining an open posture. Open body language shows that you are approachable and receptive to the customer. It also makes you appear more trustworthy. On the other hand, crossing your arms or legs conveys a feeling of defensiveness and detachment. Clients will pick up on these cues and may feel less inclined to approach or do business with you (Singh, 2019). The customers should feel they are the first concern, not just as an item on your to-do list. When employees are friendly to clients, it often positively affects the customer's mood. This can make them more likely to do business with the company and return in the future. Therefore, creating a friendly environment for clients to feel welcome and comfortable is crucial.

It is essential to use the customer's name when possible. This helps create a personal connection with them and makes them feel valued as an individual. Addressing the customer by name also makes you seem more genuine and sincere. A study of 200 retail employees found that using a customer's name can increase their likelihood of returning to the store by 60% (Ingaldi & Ulewicz, 2019). It is also essential to use proper titles when addressing a customer. Mr., Mrs., or Ms. conveys respect and helps build rapport. Additionally, it demonstrates that you pay attention to the client's preferences.

Being an active listener when attending to clients is crucial because it means giving them your full attention, not interrupting them, and repeating what they say to ensure understanding. Active listening shows that you care about what the customer says and are invested in solving their problem. It also helps prevent miscommunications and builds trust between you and the customer. Clients will often feel frustrated if they feel like they are not being heard. Engaging in active listening demonstrates your compassion for the client and their issues. Additionally, it enables you to offer the ideal resolution to the issue.

Asking questions is another way to attend to clients. This helps you gather information about their needs to provide them with the best possible solution. Asking questions shows that you are interested in helping the customer (Popovic, Bossink, & van der Sijde, 2019). However, avoid asking yes or no questions as this can come across as interrogating the customer. Instead, ask open-ended questions that encourage them to share more information. This will allow them to share their full story and feel heard. Most clients want to be heard and feel that their needs are understood. This can often be more important to them than the solution to their problem.

It is essential to show empathy when attending to clients. This means putting yourself in their shoes and understanding how they are feeling. Empathy demonstrates your concern for the client and wants to assist them in resolving their issue. Additionally, it promotes mutual respect and trust between you and the client. In a study of over 2,000 clients, it was found that 93% said they were likely to do business with a company again if they had a good experience with the customer service reps (Ingaldi & Ulewicz, 2019).

Finally, thank the customer for their business or for their time. This helps create a positive experience for the customer and leaves them with a good impression of your company. It also helps build goodwill and can increase the likelihood of the customer doing business with you again in the future. Clients are more likely to do business with a company that shows appreciation for their business.

Customer service is vital for any organization as it can significantly impact the business's success. Good customer service can increase sales, higher customer satisfaction, and repeat business. For example, a survey conducted by American Express found that 68% of clients would be willing to spend more with a company they believe provides excellent customer service (Popovic et al., 2019). In contrast, poor customer service can result in clients taking their business elsewhere. Therefore, organizations must prioritize providing good customer service to stay competitive and thrive. In conclusion, clients are the lifeblood of any business. As a result, businesses should provide excellent customer service to increase loyalty, build trust, and grow their business. In addition, most clients take time to appreciate the effort businesses take to attend to their needs, reward the business with referrals, and even turn to return clients. Therefore, it is essential to be an active listener, show empathy, use proper titles, and thank the clients for their business or time.

References

Ingaldi, M., & Ulewicz, R. (2019). How to make e-commerce more successful by use of Kano's model to assess customer satisfaction in terms of sustainable development. Sustainability, 11(18), 4830. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184830

Popovic, I., Bossink, B. A., & van der Sijde, P. C. (2019). Factors influencing consumers' decision to purchase food in environmentally friendly packaging: what do we know and where do we go from here?. Sustainability, 11(24), 7197. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11247197

Singh, R., (2019). Why do online grocery shoppers switch or stay? An exploratory analysis of consumers' response to online grocery shopping experience. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management.  https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-10-2018-0224