Delivering exceptional customer service is vital for any successful business. Being a clinic owner or aspiring clinic owner, it is more than likely you have heard the saying ‘the customer is always right’. And this does have truth to it! For complete customer satisfaction, you should always do your best to meet every one of your customer’s needs – this is achieved through excellent customer service.
Today we are going to take a look at 7 things you can start doing in your clinic right now to take your customer service to the next level. So, let’s get to it!
1. Make it Personal
Personalising the customer experience at your clinic can bring a totally different feel for every one of your customers. Whether they are a regular visitor or have never had treatment before, it is possible to make a visit to your clinic totally unique.
40% of customers say they want better human service, which makes up a large portion of your customers too. This simply means they want to feel human – not just a ticket number! In the laser treatment industry, there are plenty of opportunities to offer an individual approach for your customers.
Most of the interaction with customers will be in person, during these times try to get to know your customer as a person. Talk about their interests and what they have planned during their day, or reassure them about treatment and answer any questions they might have.
During interactions over the phone, email, or messaging it is important to try and maintain this personal approach. Though you will not be able to ‘get to know’ your customers as well during these interactions, you can still make the experience special. One of the biggest mistakes in terms of customer service is passing the customers from person to person in an attempt to solve their problem – this gives the impression no one is willing to take responsibility and help the customer directly, so should be avoided where possible.
2. Keep Your Word
Good customer relations are built on a certain level of respect and trust. And we’re sure you will agree, to maintain and build that trust you can’t let your customers down. There will be times where you may offer a particular service, offer, or deal to your customer which at some point they will be keen to redeem.
For example, if for some reason you are unable to complete a booking for a customer, and offer them a 50% reduction on their next treatment they will more than likely book again. If you don’t keep to your word, the customer is not only annoyed about missing out on the deal you have offered, but also the primary issue they experienced.
Interestingly, customers do not feel an extra level of gratitude when you deliver more than they expect. But, they do however feel angry or cheated if you break your promise or do not keep to your word. So it is worth remembering it is better to under-promise and over-deliver to avoid never breaking this important social contract.
3. Efficiency
With 66% of people agreeing their time is the most valuable thing when it comes to customer service you must be delivering a quick and efficient customer service experience. Now, this doesn’t mean rushing each customer through as quickly as possible, but rather efficiently solving their problem.
You should still value each customer and deal with them on a personal level. But, be direct when it comes to their problem, get it solved, and try to give them the most enjoyable experience while coming to a solution.
Problem-solving efficiency is important with both small and large issues. Customers will expect smaller issues to be resolved as quickly as possible. Customers are generally more understanding that larger issues will take longer to solve, but they should still be tackled as efficiently as possible.
For example, If you need to call a customer back, you should get in contact with them as soon as possible, but don’t be in a rush to get them off the phone when you are talking. Efficient customer service is a fine mixture of speed and friendliness.
4. Listen Actively
Customer feedback is possibly the most valuable information you can collect in terms of improving your customer service. What is more effective than getting real-life accounts of the satisfaction of your customers?
When you receive feedback from your customers be sure to review it and learn where possible. Customers notice when you listen to their suggestions and will respond positively to any changes you make based on their suggestions.
Paying attention to your customer’s wants and needs will help you expand your business into areas that will be most profitable with the highest demand. If you notice a few of your customers asking about a particular treatment that you don’t currently provide, it might be worth considering offering those treatments alongside the current laser treatments you offer.
Demonstrate active listening skills where possible, for example when you’re on the phone or live chat, use phrases like “Do you mean … ?”, “Let me make sure I’ve got this right.”, or “It sounds like … ”. If you repeat the problem back to them in your own words it shows you’ve heard them and have thought about what they are saying.
5. Focus on Your Customer
Your customers are the most important part of your business, they should come before everything else, including profit. Treat them like they are the centre of the world – because, in business terms, they are!
Sometimes just small changes that ‘humanize’ your business just that little bit more can transform your customer’s experience with you. Maybe your customer is going to be slightly late or can’t make their appointment on time – making an effort to help them in these situations by rebooking can generate extremely loyal customers.
6. Help Customers Help Themselves
Customers might not always want 100% of your help when it comes to an issue, instead, they may just want some advice to help them resolve the issue themselves. 81% of consumers attempted to take care of issues themselves before seeking further help, with further research suggesting 71% want the ability to resolve most customer service issues on their own.
Customer self-service is the most cost-effective, scalable way to make sure your customers are always happy. It also gives your customers the tools they need to be able to resolve their issues on their own without the need for further professional assistance from you in the future.
7. Being Proactively Helpful
Finally, going that extra mile for your customers. This means even when you’ve done everything you possibly can for your customer, you are still wanting to do more – only a few will adopt this way of thinking, but they will be the truly successful laser treatment clinics.
Being proactively helpful means, you are attempting to anticipate our customer’s wants and needs before they even have time to articulate them. Sometimes you will find customers who ask for one thing, but your expertise allows you to formulate an even more beneficial response than they initially want or expect.
When you can make your customers feel truly valued you will find they develop a very strong loyalty to your laser clinic. This not only means you secure them as a customer but means they will act as a free form of marketing for your business and spread the word without you having to lift a finger.
To Summarise
Excellent customer service is formed from a variety of customer service techniques. No customer should be treated like the last, it is the individual nature of customer service which can make the biggest positive impact on customer service. If a customer feels like you have truly listened to them to help get their issue resolved as effectively as possible they will feel like you care and have their best interests in mind. For more advice on delivering the best customer service get in touch with us today.
