Customer Service Skills For The New Franchisee

Customer Service Skills For The New Franchisee

What’s the number one reason for repeat business? Not price. Not convenience. It’s great customer service. Conversely, poor customer service is the number one reason for losing customers. Think about the number of choices you have for every possible need or want you can think of. Oil change? There may be a dozen options within 10 miles of you. Hair cut? Same. Quick lunch? More than you can count. So why do you go where you go?You make choices based on how you are treated.

NOVUS Glass, with over 45 years of windshield replacement and repair experience, has perfected customer service. Their franchisees understand that customers have options and when an automobile needs windshield replacement, they need it quickly and efficiently. Here are some of the ways NOVUS franchisees strive to provide great customer service, and it is great advice for any new (or experienced) franchisee:

• Great communication is about listening. Not everyone is born a great communicator and really listening to your customer is the best way to ensure you are meeting their needs. They may not tell you everything you need to know so ask questions if you are uncertain. “You’d need a cracked windshield repaired right away but you have to be in a meeting tomorrow morning, correct? In that case, we can have a mobile truck come to your office location and do the repair there. Would that work for you?”

• Use positive language. There is a right way and a wrong way to delivery bad news. For example, if you say, “We don’t have that part right now. Come back later,” you leave your customer with the impression you do not want their business. You could instead say, “That part is not available until Friday. Why don’t we schedule an appointment right now so we can get you in as soon as possible?” This use of positive language emphasizes your desire to be helpful.

• Stay cool under pressure. There are some people in this world for whom nothing is ever good enough. You won’t encounter them often, but they are there, just waiting to ruin a perfectly good day. The way to ruin their day is to stay cool. An unruffled presence is calming and the more professional and pleasant you are, the less likely they will be to continue their tirade, no matter what is upsetting them.

• Pay attention to feedback. Facebook, Yelp, Twitter – they may not be places you visit but you can be sure your customers do. Take time to read any comments made, and reply if necessary. You could learn that you are doing a great job. In that case, give yourself a pat on the back and keep doing good work. However, you may learn that you (or your team members) are coming across as smug, uncaring, or unethical. You do need to read your reviews and should do so routinely. It is easy to apologize and make things right. It is not easy to get back a customer lost through miscommunication.

• Follow the Golden Rule. It’s an oldie but a goodie. Treat your customers the way you’d like to be treated. Do what you say you will do. It’s that easy.

With close to 2,030 locations in 25 countries NOVUS has representatives on nearly every continent. Their goal is to “consistently provide the highest quality of service and products in the market. This is going beyond customer expectations and doing what is right.” For more information go to www.novusglass.com or call 1-800-77-NOVUS (800-776-6887) for a NOVUS location near you. For franchise development information, contact 800-944-6811.