How to be Awesome at Customer Service

Sorry for the ‘Barnie-ism’ that snuck into that title, I’ve obviously been watching way too much ‘How I Met Your Mother.’

But the thing is it really doesn’t take a lot to excel in the levels of customer service you offer. In fact, if I may be so bold as to suggest, it all comes down to one thing.

Want to know what it is?

The speed at which you respond to emails.

Is there anyone there?

How long does it take for you to respond to emails and enquiries?

A day?

Two days?

Sometimes a week?

OK, I think you’re missing something.

Email is great.

You can rattle off an enquiry without being stuck on the phone for ages (and have a written record of what was said). But because of its immediacy, the sender does tend to expect a similarly rapid response.

If you want to stand out from your competitors, it’s imperative you respond to incoming emails instantly – or as close to it as practical.

Let’s face it, if I get an enquiry for copywriting services, you can bet your Granny that the sender has sent the same or similar email to 2 or 3 other copywriters.

If you take 3 or 4 days to respond, but a competitor replies to them the same day, it doesn’t take Stephen Hawking to work out who gets the most brownie points.

Is all of this pretty damn obvious?

Yes?

Should I have to spell it out?

No, but I feel compelled to do so if some of the companies I’ve contacted are anything to go by.

It doesn’t take a lot – even if you just email them to thank them for their enquiry and a date by which you’ll respond in full to them.

Dealing with customer contact is one of the basic parts of being in business. Responding to enquiries quickly is one of the best ways to show:

• You care about your customers
• You’re efficient
• You’re keen to do business with them

So next time you get an enquiry, make an effort and respond or at least acknowledge the email immediately (or close to it as is practical).