When it comes to making decisions, management needs to set up guidelines with some level of independence and flexibility and trust that their staff in UAE will follow it.
It is okay to set rules or create boundaries in any business – by it in UAE or abroad. They make sure that decisions are taken intentionally. Rules guarantee the equal and consistent treatment of employees across the board.
Although the principle of setting rules is not incorrect, there will always be circumstances that necessitate some degree of flexibility due to the fact that no two people are the same and how they act in reaction to different situations is unique as well. If your goal is to provide top notch customer service, you must apply some flexibility in replying to their needs.
So, it is not sufficient to establish rules that just tell employees the things they can or can’t do, providing them with guidelines is more important. What these guidelines do is that they provide the boundaries that let your employees make certain decisions for the customer and the organization's benefit without the need to seek approval from a supervisor all the time.
Guidelines make it possible for employees to act at their discretion which could make a huge difference between losing and retaining a customer. When customers feel satisfied, they become loyal to your organization and in turn, greatly increase your results and success.
It is not conceivable to produce rules and outlines that will oversee all probable scenarios which could take place. In serving customers, there could be situations which require an employee to apply initiative to provide solutions to a problem. However, if there is no latitude regarding refined rules they must comply with, it becomes impossible for them to perform their jobs effectively.
Empower Your UAE Frontline Customer Service Personnel
Empowering the customer service personnel with some degree of authority is very crucial. It makes no sense if every time there's a decision to be made; they have to first run to a supervisor for approval. For instance, a business may have a strict policy of no exchange or refund without a receipt, but occasionally it may not be practical for the customer to provide it.
If the is no room for some flexibility for employees to use their discretion and bend the rules in such situations, they risk losing that customer and all the other people the customer decides to tell. On the other side, if for example, a gift card, refund or exchange is granted, it will make the customer very happy and also spread the word.
Customer Service - Common Sense Should Apply
Employees ought to be trusted and respected by their employers to be able to take certain decisions based on their merit. It is quick decisions like these that often determine whether a customer is lost or retained. Instances abound where guidelines would be more appropriate.
Suppose a restaurant is late in serving meals, providing a bread basket or free drink might assuage the customer’s irritation. Also, it would be appropriate to genuinely apologize. Things will not always run smoothly. It may even be necessary to discount their total bill, and it is imperative that the frontline staff has the autonomy to do what they deem necessary.
Often, restaurants replace spilt drinks; they may have a no free drinks policy, but spilt drinks are replaced because that’s excellent service delivery. The drink may not be so expensive, but its value to the customer and their positive response is much more than the cost.
For every organization that is customer-focused, situations must be viewed from the customer’s perspective before proffering the right solution. Customers input should be sought in the solution providing process; it makes them feel valued. From experience, we know that customers don’t expect that we would be willing to offer much in resolving issues so, it's only sensible that we ask.
Do Not Use Standardized Responses
You must have some similar situations, be it on the phone or in a retail store, where customers are asking questions and receiving scripted or robotic replies from members of staff is not a right approach. When they are asked questions which they do not have an answer to, they appear confused or trapped. They often keep repeating what you’ve said or giving you the information you didn’t ask for. They are usually lost when there's no scripted response to the problem. The reason is that your employees training has neither prepared nor empowered them to apply their reasonable thinking.
You need to constantly train your staff in UAE on how to properly cope with customer service enquiries and provide them with specific words that you'd like them to use. It is not possible to cover all possible scenarios during training. Even though lots of customers' problems are alike, they all expect unique solutions – thus they can't all be treated the same way. The onus rests on the employer and employee to understand there is a mysterious human element to handling people.
In as much as staff should be empowered to make use of their initiative (within the stipulated guidelines) when necessary, it is also very important that they understand the rules. If people show that they care enough to understand the problem and get the right solution, most problems will be solved; even if it means adjusting the rules slightly while keeping within the main guidelines of the company.
Where there are no rules, chaos would be the order of the day in the organization. There’s no doubt about that. Nevertheless, there is a need for management to trust their employees adequately to set up guidelines with some degree of flexibility and autonomy when it comes to making certain decisions in the place of work.
When customer service staff is empowered to take initiatives, ask some reasonable questions and listen to the replies you get. This way you get to resolve more issues, and more customers are becoming happier with your services!
See more under the courses on customer service provided by Atton Institute Dubai.