At university, I studied a myriad of ethical theories. Most were idealistic yet impractical, borderline impossible to actually implement in the real world. However, in my third year, one particular module really struck a chord with me as I was introduced to effective altruism. As with most popular philosophical concepts, the attractiveness of effective altruism lies in its simplicity. In essence, those who subscribe to the theory believe in context playing a huge role in ethics: donate what you can afford to charity, contribute to a positive collective, find a career that you can enjoy whilst also being worthwhile and so on.
This last point in particular resonated with me. At the time, I was working a retail job which I purely saw as a means to bring money in, an inconsequential way to be spending my weekends that didn’t contribute too much to anyone or anything. Almost suddenly though, my professional life was thrown into an entirely new perspective. It was always a big fear of mine that, come the end of my time in York, I would have no idea which career I wanted to pursue. But now, I was insanely enticed by the idea of bettering myself through helping others, regardless of the specifics of what I was doing.
Do what you can, because even that is worthwhile. It’s so obvious as soon as you see it written down, but still as important, a simple reminder that you matter. This is what I want to share with you today, a pep talk of sorts. So, allow me to try and sell you the importance of people in throughout customer service, plus the many strange ways one could improve their own assistance.
There are certain pillars that exist over any customer interaction, comprising a customer journey that begins the second an individual has a need. This doesn’t even necessarily have to be a conscious need, as any good salesperson will tell you that the ideal way to get the customer on your side is to find and grant them an unexpected wish, something they hadn’t even considered. You could easily rack up a list of these slogans, one-liners to help you as a guide: Don’t hassle the customer. Pick your moments. Avoid manipulation and coercion. Confidence is infectious. Smile! It’s the kind of thing that is drilled into you by a manager or supervisor over your first few weeks on the job. But instead of sticking to these principles as a robot would its programming throughout your career, the real key is building a genuine customer-provider relationship with a good rapport.
No scripts, no shortcuts, no cheats. Just genuine human connection. Effective altruism rears its head again here, as context is everything. Identifying your audience, understanding their knowledgeability, patience and background, goes a long way in retaining a customer.
A good way to gauge a customer is through the language they use, this shows the familiarity they have with the service they require, as well as the level of formality they’re expecting in return from you. Often, using the same terms as the customer can aid understanding to no end, ensuring they comprehend what you’re explaining and not taking something other than exactly what you mean away from the conversation. Talking about time? Break each step down to explain the process and the benefits, give a clear indication of the total. Talking about cost? Build up your price, let the customer interject if you hit a number over their budget and allow yourself the opportunity to do them a favour. Anything to provide the highest quality service at each step of the customer journey.
In the modern social media age, it is particularly true that this journey starts way before any human interaction occurs. With seemingly every product and service being ranked somewhere along a five star scale, making yourself stand out has never been harder, yet more accessible. Building a relationship online is a different art form entirely, forcing companies towards asking open questions that are usually answered before a customer would normally place a foot inside a store. Broader queries, such as “What are you looking to use this product for?”, need to be indicated through more common denominator methods. Media advertising encourages memorable catchphrases or eye-grabbing images, as opposed to the traditional, more direct approach personal shopping allows.
Usually, this conjures thoughts of impersonality; cold callers sticking to a given script or flashy television adverts with no real soul or passion. Basically, the complete opposite of the methods I mentioned which make for an effective personal seller. However, as a tool for reaching new potential customers and finding those unexpected needs, the internet has no equal.
Although, despite all these multi-million pound efforts, money cannot buy you trust. The most compelling reason to approach a business comes through recommendations from friends or neighbours, who’s opinions we value, which provide the opportunity for an organisation to end up with a reputation and reviews which spread nationwide. Whilst the product may receive the most initial attention, as people flaunt their experience or new purchase to their friends and followers, the service is what truly sticks with people over the long term. This results in a multiplier effect, either positive or negative, as custom generates custom. One solid interaction may bring in hundreds more down the line.
Say each member of your team adopts this altruistic attitude, pooling your resources to help each other during service, instead of selfishly focusing on just your own sales. The consequential number of commitments to a business you could bring, with a consistent loyal base of customers, totally dwarves any individual efforts. The quality of customer service has much longer lasting impact on a reputation than any marketing message or brochure making initial contact ever could.
Your job doesn’t finish once a deal is closed though, whether this be dealing with the return of a faulty product or simply checking up on the customer a few months down the line, aftercare can set a positive customer service experience apart from an exceptional one. At this point, the ball is well and truly in your court. Having the time to plan your approach, as well as the personal experience with the customer’s specific needs, gives you a real advantage. Aftercare can be an extension of the mantra ‘solve problems before the customer even knows they have arisen’, again giving them something they didn’t even know they wanted. Wrap it up as part of the package, when really we all know just how much this little bonus can mean.
To bring this all together then, what’s the next step, both personally and generally? Since graduating, I’ve moved sectors from retail to hospitality (not the biggest leap in the world, I know, but I’m trying!), but still attempt to implement the principles of effective altruism into my professional life. Coincidentally, I think the biggest change I need to make is also the same as the problem facing the aforementioned online-based companies; building and sustaining relationships from a position of unfamiliarity and relative distance.
With the move to Cornwall, and trying to find full-time employment, I’m enjoying the challenge of exploring this new environment whilst staying true to the parts of myself I already liked. This means having to stand my ground and sell myself increasingly often, with strangers, peers and customers alike. Poor communication kills all relationships, especially customer service ones. But, as long as you stick to your core principles, delivering on the kind of service you initially promised, you’ll be surprised by how willing people you barely know are willing to overlook almost any annoyance. You can’t build a career out of good intentions alone, but they sure are impeccable foundations.
For my pre-existing blog fans who definitely exist, I know this isn’t quite the usual content, but it felt stupidly good to write something long form again. The regularly scheduled programming will return soon, I promise, I have a lot to fill you in on.
’Til the next time
Dan
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