Tips for Building a Great Customer Service Experience
If you work in the hospitality industry, it comes as no surprise that one of the most important qualities for success is building lasting relationships. How do you build a strong relationship with a stranger or an acquaintance in the industry? Or even with someone that was a referral to your venue? Well, it’s no different than building a relationship with someone outside of the work environment. A good relationship is built on the foundation of communication, respect, boundaries, trust and support, both in your personal relationships and your professional relationships. Here are five tips for building a great customer service experience.
1. A Positive Attitude
Be positive no matter what, even if you are having a bad day or dealing with an unexpected situation at your venue. When initiating your first conversation with the potential client, speak in an upbeat manner, focus on your venue’s best assets, this can mean your service, your unique experiences that your team offers, and/or your amazing amenities. Ask questions first before sharing knowledge, this will allow your client to feel like their needs are top priority and you are creating a customized response to help them with what they need.
2. Responsiveness
As soon as you receive an inquiry about your venue, respond immediately. According to a Harvard Business Research study, replying within one hour makes it seven times more likely that you’ll close a sale, compared to responding within two hours. That initial call or email will set the tone for your entire relationship. If you are held up and are unable to respond in a more thorough manner, a simple email letting them know that you’ve seen their requests and will make time in your calendar to meet with them eases their mind. Now that you’ve set the expectations, it’s time to deliver. Be timely with your responses or proposals. Responsiveness can make or break the relationship you’ve built or are trying to create. Even after the initial introductions and meetings, make it a point to respond to their emails and phone calls right away – consistency is effective in maintaining a professional relationship.
3. Listen
Be the best listener you can be when conversing with clients or potential clients. Understand what they need first before providing information or rattling off statistics about your venue. By listening to your potential client’s needs, wants, concerns, and ideas and then providing information about your venue’s services, you are beginning to establish and build trust. They will feel appreciated and be encouraged by your knowledge and enthusiasm that their event is going to be a success, putting their mind at ease.
4. Communication is Key
Now that you have the relationship off to a good start, correspond with the potential client regularly in the beginning by checking in often and reassuring them that you are interested in providing the service(s) they are expecting. Don’t be afraid of rejection, instead be confident in knowing that they are as interested in you and your venue as you are in hosting their event. If they are nearby in proximity, offer to schedule a walk-through of your venue and sit down for a face-to-face meeting, providing your undivided attention. Mail an informational packet or brochure of your venue with a handwritten note, little details like this set you apart and show that you are detail-oriented. Additionally, if you or your team makes a mistake, be honest. Do not try to hide your mistake, own up to it and make it right. Communicate what went wrong and most importantly how you will make it right.
5. Be Intentional with Your Conversations
Clients are people too, so make it a point to get to know them. It’s okay not to be all business all the time. As time goes on, you’ve secured their business and the relationship moves to the next phase, it is important to make a well-organized plan of checking in. Checking in “just because” could be sending a card over the holidays or when a baby is born, following through social channels and commenting on posts, or even a simple email saying hello. While having conversations, ask questions and be relatable by sharing stories and information about your life and experiences that may boost your interaction. Soon, you will start to know little bits of information about them, too. Be sure write down or take little notes about each client, like a child’s name or a pet’s name, a milestone date (if the client is expecting or if they are getting married soon). By taking little notes for each client or potential client you interact with helps you to engage with them on a personal level and shows that you genuinely care about hearing how their wedding planning is going, or how virtual schooling is going with their son or daughter. Again, small details in conversations express that you and your venue pay attention to the small details when hosting their events. This helps maintain the trust that you worked so hard to build in the beginning stages of your interactions.
Building a great customer service experience takes time and nurturing at all stages of your client interactions, but as long as you have a positive attitude, respond quickly, listen intently, communicate thoroughly, and are intentional with your conversations, you will be well on your way to creating a trust-worthy professional relationship with your clients. In the future, chances are that you’ve created a relationship that will provide referrals that will send others your way, too.
Need more tips on stellar customer service? Check out this Customer Service webinar from Unique Venues’ CEO, Chuck Salem.