We all know what it’s like to have a bad customer service experience. When you’re a business owner, your customer service can either make you stand out or give you a horrible reputation. Make sure that your customers are always top-priority and feel heard, cared for and prioritized with these tips.

Say “No” to Scripts

Guiding questions can be helpful for your customer service reps, but avoid sticking to a list of generic phrases that only irritate people on the other end of the line. The most important aspect of customer service is personality. When you take an organic approach to customer service, you humanize your business and come across as more sincere, compassionate and authentic.

Instead, spend the time educating your representatives so they know how to help customers. Provide your customer service experts with the resources and tools they need to craft viable solutions and meet customer expectations. Rather than telling them exactly what to do every time, allow them to gauge situations as they arise and craft custom answers to real-world problems.

Follow Up

Customer service doesn’t stop when you hang up the phone. Create a positive feedback loop that helps your business improve by following up service calls with emails or texts. You only need to send one per customer, but this extension of communication demonstrates attention to detail and attentiveness that won’t go unnoticed. People may not feel the need to reply, but they won’t forget that you took the time to thank them for reaching out and connecting with your business.

Take Advantage of Technology

You might think that tech makes you seem cold and robotic, but modern customer service is all about accessibility. Customer service technology makes it easier for people to get in touch with the proper rep ASAP. Things like automated phone systems and chat bots can help your customers get the answers they need

Email is a great tool, but even better is a live chat service on your website that makes it possible to communicate directly with your company from a phone or PC.

Customer service isn’t just answering phone calls and responding to emails. There are a wide range of skills that go into top-quality customer care, and you should make sure that all of your employees offer the level of service your customers deserve.

Employ some team-building exercises and skill-building training to ensure your customer service division is always on top of its game and that no customer ever goes unheard.