We all know that customer service is the backbone of any successful business. Even with the rise of social media, a full 80% of consumers prefer to contact customer service reps over the phone. With this in mind, it is crucial to invest in business answering services for your company as a way to establish and keep contact with your customers out of business hours.

But, in the realm of customer service, there are some “don’ts” to be cautious of when it comes to handling customers and hard situations. Here we explain some of best practices to follow in customer service that will have your after hours call service run efficiently.

• The Don’ts:

  Not every customer you talk to will be friendly and happy with your services. There may be one or two disgruntled customers, but they are calling to get your help with a service. We know it can be frustrating to deal with these kinds of people, but make sure never to do the following when on the phone with them:

• Don’t make things harder than they are

  Before anything else, you need to make sure your customers have an easy time accessing your answering services. Don’t make it a more complex system than it already is — meaning your customers should call in and that’s it. No transferring them, no e-mail responses, no missed calls waiting to be answered.

• Don’t be aloof

  Your customers want to know that they are being heard. Even if their actions do not affect you, being indifferent to a situation can cause anger and frustration. This can even give off such a bad impression that they will leave your business for good.

• Don’t be afraid to receive a complaint

  Instead, think of a complaint as a way to grow and learn. After all, if no one ever changed how their business works, would they really be successful? Your customers are your best assets when complaints are concerned.

• Don’t see each call as a one-time transaction

  Treating your customer as someone who has little impact on the business is wrong. You will want to ensure you establish a long-lasting relationship, as this will ensure they come back to your business again and again.

With these four don’ts in mind, you will be on your way to providing exemplary customer service with your telephone answering service!