The
way your customers feel towards you is important. The more you show you care
about them, the more they’ll likely want to continue working with you. With
that in mind, providing good customer service to your clients should naturally
be a major priority in your day-to-day schedule. This article lists tips and
suggestions for ensuring that you’re treating your clients well.
1. Respond to Clients as Soon as Possible
Speed
is everything, especially when a client is requesting something that’s
time-sensitive. Try to reply to your clients as soon as you can.
Procrastinating on a response to a client’s email, phone call or voicemail
doesn’t help anyone; you’re going to have to reply eventually, so why not do it
as soon as possible? Avoid that "mark as unread" button in your email
client.
Even
if you can’t work on the task they’re requesting you to accomplish right away,
at least let them know you got their request and then supply them with a
timeline of when you’re able to get the task completed. If you can’t find the
time to perform the task, it will be considerate of you to let them know as
soon as possible so that they can make alternative arrangements.
2. Keep Clients Updated
Feeling
like you’re lost and that you don’t know what’s going on is one of the worst
situations you can be in when you hire someone. Even if you don’t have anything
major to report, you can still let your employer know what you’re working on
and how things are progressing. Are you on track on milestones? Did you find
something that might become an issue later on? Status updates give clients
reinforcements that they’re involved in the project.
If
you’re experiencing trouble with something, let them know right away. It shows
that you’re keeping them in the loop and that you have things under control. If
it’s something major, communicating your concern right away allows clients to
plan for possible delays in the project’s completion.
3. Go the Extra Mile
If a
client asks for you to do something that truly won’t cost you a lot in time and
income, you have the option of going the extra mile and doing it for them. Not
only will this result in an indebted and happy client, it can also go a long
way in terms of keeping yourself in their radar for future projects.
4. Fix Your Mistakes
If you
did something that didn’t end up working, you should repair it. A quick way to
lose a client forever is not admitting that you are at fault and not fixing
your own mistakes. You should always strive for a high-quality output; it shows
that you have a high level of standards in your craftsmanship.
Not
taking responsibility of your own blunders is a sure-fire way of gaining a bad
business reputation. Transparency is important in any business; service work is
no different.
5. Listen to Your Clients
It’s
important to listen to what your clients are communicating to you. Like, really
listen. Understand what they are saying and ask for clarifications on things
that might be ambiguous. Clients might be unfamiliar with certain terminologies
in our profession, and what you think they mean might be different to what they
actually
mean. For example, they opened using JavaScript, but what they really want is a
modal window (often
called a Lightbox
window).
Listen
to what their needs are, and then offer your suggestion on the best way to go
about fulfilling their needs.
6. Keep Your Promises
If you
say you’re going to do something, make sure you do it. It’s part of being a
professional. If you need more time on something, you should let them know as
soon as possible, not after you’ve already missed the deadline. Honoring your
commitments is very important.
7. Don’t Confuse Clients with Jargon
Try to
explain whatever the problem is as best as you can without making the client
feel stupid. When proposing a solution, make sure you state it in terms they
understand. You could use analogies that are relevant to them. Read more about how to talk to clients effectively as well as how to get your ideas across to clients.
8. Be Patient
I’ve
lost count of how many times I’ve exhausted my patience on my clients. But I’ve
never actually showed them my agitation. If you feel like the client is
overstepping their boundaries, let them know in a cordial and professional
manner. You just don’t want to start yelling and cursing at the people you make
a living off of. Maintain professionalism at all times.
9. Know Everything You Need to Know
You
are a paid expert. Someone is giving you their hard-earned money to do
something they believe you have a high level of mastery of. You need to keep
yourself up-to-date with the profession and always be ready to answer questions
your client needs to know. If you exhibit signs that you don’t know your craft
inside out, you risk the chance of ruining your professional reputation.
10. Put Yourself in Their Shoes
If you
were in their shoes and were being treated the way you’re treating them, would
you enjoy that experience? If so, you’re doing a good job. If not, you probably
want to get a little better. It’s important to constantly evaluate the way you
communicate with others. Our profession is heavily reliant on communication
skills.
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