People will always remember how you make them feel!  

That’s a good thing to remember when thinking about fostering positive customer interactions.

If you're an employer, remember your employees are the face of your company. Treat them well, pay them fairly, and upskill their customer service via some of the many tools available so they can do their job effectively.

Working for a company that treats you poorly, pays you poorly, and doesn't give you the tools you need to do your job effectively makes it pretty difficult to provide good customer service.

Staff may present as feeling stressed, overworked, and, most importantly, underappreciated.

In contrast, working for a company that values you, supports you, and gives you the necessary resources, means you will be happier, motivated, and ready to go the extra mile for customers.

As an employer, even when everyone's under the pump, make time to show you value good work. Not being acknowledged is something that pops up time after time for us when talking to candidates about why they have left a role.

And let's remember, constructive criticism plays a massive part in bolstering a person's career, skillset, and confidence that they are on the right path and doing the right thing.

At EASI NZ, we highly recommend 3-6 monthly reviews with your team. They can iron out any niggles before they become bigger issues that can (we've seen it many times) lead to a resignation.

If you're an employee, remember that you're a valuable part of your company. Take pride in your work and do your best to provide great customer service.

Even in the best workplaces, poor customer service may occur when staff are challenged with a difficult situation.

Identifying strengths and weaknesses of staff when faced with a demanding service scenario is important. For some people, empathy is second nature, and for others, maybe not so much. Confidence and interpersonal skills also play a major part. For people with neurodivergence or learning disabilities, that may add another layer where conversing and comprehension may need support and patience.

Now, let's talk about the customers themselves.

If you're a customer, it's important to remember that the person on the other end of the phone or behind the counter is a human being. They have feelings, emotions, and their own problems to deal with. No matter how irked you may feel in the moment, try and muster up some self-control and be kind.

In situations where you are receiving unacceptable customer service, however, asking where to take your feedback is key. Business owners need to know about these situations to support positive change.

In a nutshell, good customer service stems from acting thoughtfully. It doesn't take much effort to say please and thank you, smile, or to ask how someone's day is going. And yet, those small acts of kindness can make a big difference to how someone feels - and what they remember - about your service!