3 Easy Tips for Enhancing Your Customer Service Skills

Attentive customer service skills build customer loyalty and are important in any service related industry. Whether you’re selling items in a retail store, working on cars or working in a hotel, YOU can directly impact customer experiences. In this article, Dan shares three easy skills you can insert into your business that will directly enhance your business’s customer service levels.

Guest Author:  Dan M., Front Desk Agent 

Working for Delco Development’s Super 8 Hotel has given me a fresh appreciation for customer service and guest relations. I started working at the front desk in August of 2015 and have grown to love the position ever since. Communicating and interacting with new people on a daily basis makes my work fun. Each customer brings a unique perspective and set of needs. Over time, I have started to hone in on my skills to be able to exceed the expectations of each particular customer and here is how I do it…it’s pretty simple if you remember these three things:

You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile
The most important thing about customer service, in my opinion, is a smile. When I say smile, I don’t just mean a smile on your face. That is super important too, but when I think “Always Smile!”, it means something more to me. Having a smile at work should encompass the entire interaction between the customer and the person assisting them. When helping a customer, you should never give up trying to make them feel happy. Being as bubbly and as friendly as possible gives the customer an absolute feeling that their patronage is important. Simply asking how their drive was or how their day has been can go a long way and that welcoming feeling creates customer retention. Customers are more likely to come back to where they feel most at home. Personal relationships you build with your customers will encourage them to keep visiting you, choosing your business over others. And when other people ask them where they should stay or buy from, they’ll suggest your business because of the relationship. Because they received great service from more than a dismissive robot, they received a pleasant conversation and felt important during their interaction. To me, that smile must encompass your entire personality to make that customer feel at home and want to come back!

Clear Communication
When I talk to customers, my voice is anything but quiet or timid. I do my very best to make sure each word is said with diction and emphasis. My co-workers say I sound like a cartoon character when I talk on the phone because it sounds so clear and excited. My thought on speaking is that when a customer can hear the excitement and pep in my voice, they know that there must be something to be excited about when staying at the Super 8. Word choice is always something I keep in mind as well. Many words carry a negative connotation with them so I try to avoid any words that carry negativity. I try to never be wishy washy when describing any service we provide. Everything is accented with an “awesome” or a “spectacular” to deliver the message that we are the best at what we do.

Infinity and Beyond!
Customers always expect a certain level of quality from every business or establishment. Working in a place of business that is all about people, I understand the importance of showing gusts value in their stays. At the Super 8, we always have extra supplies behind the front desk for guests who may have forgotten something. We keep the area well stocked with things like toothbrushes, soaps, and even shaving supplies! You’d never guess how many people forget these things when they travel, and when they can get them with ease from the front desk that are so relived. Additionally, Guests will often ask for extra blankets or towels, which we keep handy in the closet next to the desk. When they ask for these items and grab them immediately, they are truly impressed and appreciate the promptness. Basically, you always want to be thinking about your business from the perspective of your customer. Anything we can do to make a customer’s stay super is something we pride ourselves on.