When it comes to customer service, every interaction is important and how employees behave will have a direct impact on the customer experience. At Performance in People, we have created the Behavioural Measurement Score® (BMS®) to help businesses improve the performance of their customer service teams, or any employees dealing with customers.
This unique methodology focuses on six behaviours that are essential to providing excellent customer service. These behaviours are not just traits but strategic approaches that, when implemented effectively, can transform interactions with customers. In this post, we have provided an overview of each of these key behaviours of customer service, discussing how they can enhance the customer experience and drive business success.
Friendly
Having a friendly demeanour is undeniably important when interacting with customers. It sets the tone of the conversation, making customers feel welcomed and valued right from the outset. When employees approach customers with a warm greeting and a genuine smile, it helps to establish a good rapport and puts customers at ease. This makes the interaction more enjoyable and can help to encourage repeat business and build customer loyalty. A friendly approach can also diffuse potentially negative and challenging situations, turning complaints into opportunities to demonstrate the brand’s commitment to customer care.
Enthusiastic
Enthusiasm shows that the employees are not only present in interactions with customers but also eager and excited to assist them. It reflects a positive attitude towards the brand’s products or services too, encouraging customers to feel more confident in their purchase decisions. This type of behaviour can be contagious too, an enthusiastic employee can boost the customer’s mood and enhance their overall experience with a business. Not to mention, enthusiasm can make a memorable impression, leaving customers with an experience they are likely to share with others, increasing the likelihood of word-of-mouth recommendations.
Professional
Professionalism in customer service is essential, regardless of which sector you operate in. Customer service teams should come across as knowledgeable and be ready to handle any situation with integrity. This professionalism can assure customers that they are in capable hands, building trust and credibility in the brand, both of which can influence a customer’s decision to invest in a business. This key aspect of customer service also ensures all interactions are consistent and reliable, reinforcing brand reputation and ensuring standards are uniformly met across all customer touchpoints.
Interested
Showing genuine interest in the customer’s wants and needs demonstrates that the business values them, proving that they are more than just a number. By actively listening and asking relevant questions, employees can better understand and address the customer’s specific requests, personalising their experience with the brand and increasing overall satisfaction. This type of focused engagement helps create a tailored experience for every customer, making them feel valued and understood, and it can significantly impact the perceived value of a brand’s products or services too.
Attentive
When dealing with customers, being attentive is crucial to ensure all interactions are handled efficiently and thoughtfully. This involves noticing, understanding and responding to both expressed and unexpressed needs or concerns, ensuring the customer feels heard and understood throughout the interaction. An attentive employee can quickly resolve issues and prevent potential problems from escalating, improving customer satisfaction. Attentiveness can also lead to better anticipation of customer needs, improving service delivery and reducing the likelihood of errors or complaints.
Helpful
Helpfulness goes beyond providing basic assistance to customers, it involves going the extra mile to ensure they are satisfied with the service they receive. Whether it’s providing additional information about available services or offering recommendations for products based on individual needs, having a helpful attitude can significantly enhance the customer experience, creating a positive image of the brand. This proactive approach not only solves immediate issues but also builds long-term relationships with customers, encouraging them to turn to the brand for guidance in the future.
Measuring Success Through Mystery Shopping
Implementing these key behaviours of customer service is only the first step, it’s crucial to ensure you’re measuring their effectiveness. This is where mystery shopping can be useful. Through physical mystery shops, customer service teams can be evaluated and each behaviour can be objectively measured on a scale of 0-5, enabling businesses to gain an insight into how their employees interact with customers on a day-to-day basis.
The feedback received from mystery shoppers is invaluable as it provides information that can be used to improve training programmes and ensure effective customer service is provided at all times. Mystery shopping not only helps measure customer service behaviours but it can also be an effective tool for tracking improvements and celebrating achievements, boosting employee morale and encouraging customer service teams to go the extra mile.
Find Out More About the Key Behaviours of Customer Service
Ultimately, the six BMS® behaviours identified by our experts at Performance in People are instrumental in ensuring quality customer service is provided at all times. When these behaviours are deeply ingrained into service delivery and consistently measured through methods like mystery shopping, businesses can exceed customer expectations. This can have a knock-on effect on customer retention and ongoing success in the competitive market.
To find out more about how BMS® behaviours and how they can benefit your business, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today. This methodology has been adopted by over 100 organisations in the UK and it’s proven to work. It’s even award-winning, we won Gold at the UK CX Awards for the ‘Best Measurement in Customer Experience’ category and also Bronze for the ‘Best Innovation in CX’ category. With the help of our expert team, you can measure and improve the key behaviours that impact customer experience. We look forward to working with you and helping you achieve positive results.
