During his time working for Panera Bread, Dylan Bednarz has learned
an enormous amount about customer service, which he believes will prove
useful as he moves forward in his career. He notes that many companies
neglect customer service to an extent and points out all of the
following mistakes as ones to avoid if you want to maintain a consistent
customer base.
Poor Staff Training
Any customer-facing staff in your company need to be properly trained so that they understand the importance of being professional at all times. A poor training program will fail to instill the various values of the company into an employee, which may lead to them doing things that could negatively impact the reputation of the company in the eyes of the customer.
Never Argue
Many of your customer service interactions will involve dealing with a frustrated customer who is trying to get their point across in an emotional way. It is important that team members understand that they should not respond in kind. Instead, train them to be as professional as possible, as entering an argument with a customer can be damaging, even if your staff member is in the right.
Failing To Communicate
Many larger businesses will offer customers the chance to communicate with them online, using a website or social channels. While this is to be commended, Dylan Bednarz notes that many companies fail to follow up on many of the interactions that they have with their customers, leading to frustration and poor word of mouth being generated.
Poor Staff Training
Any customer-facing staff in your company need to be properly trained so that they understand the importance of being professional at all times. A poor training program will fail to instill the various values of the company into an employee, which may lead to them doing things that could negatively impact the reputation of the company in the eyes of the customer.
Never Argue
Many of your customer service interactions will involve dealing with a frustrated customer who is trying to get their point across in an emotional way. It is important that team members understand that they should not respond in kind. Instead, train them to be as professional as possible, as entering an argument with a customer can be damaging, even if your staff member is in the right.
Failing To Communicate
Many larger businesses will offer customers the chance to communicate with them online, using a website or social channels. While this is to be commended, Dylan Bednarz notes that many companies fail to follow up on many of the interactions that they have with their customers, leading to frustration and poor word of mouth being generated.
