3. Know Your Business

A fairly basic concept for employees in customer service is that you should know your business. Do you? Are you completely knowledgeable about all that your company has to offer? To find the best solution for your customers’ problems, you need to know what the best solution is.

Performance Prompts

• Learn all you can about your products and services, as well as those of your competitors.

• Learn about your entire company operation.

• Always search for the best solution for your customer.

• Be a problem solver, not part of the problem.

• Be prepared to offer an alternative solution if the customer is not satisfied with your first option.

• Effectiveness is important to customers. To be effective, you must be knowledgeable.

• Efficiency is important to customers. To be efficient, you must be productive.

• Finding the right solution, but taking too long, is as ineffective as handling the customer’s request quickly, but not finding the right solution.

• Strive to balance effectiveness and efficiency by finding the right solution as quickly as you can.

When This Happens ...

You consider yourself knowledgeable about your products and services. After all, you feel comfortable describing particular products to customers and telling them where to locate them in your store. Take the example of Mr. Barkley, a frequent customer at your home supply store who asks if you carry a new type of glue he saw advertised on television.

Try This

Knowing your products and services requires more than a descriptive response about a particular item. If you answer Mr. Barkley by saying, “Yes, that’s a new extra strength glue that just came out. Let me show you where it’s located,” he will be satisfied. You told him you carry it, described it, and showed him where to find it. Imagine if you answered Mr. Barkley by asking, “Yes, we have that. It’s a new extra strength glue that just came out. What are you going to use it for?” When he says he needs to glue a china dish he broke, you say, “that glue isn’t made for porous items like china. We do have another product that will work well. In fact, I’ve used it myself successfully at home.” When you take the time to ask, customers will take the time to talk. Their answers may clue you into a better solution. Had Mr. Barkley left with the glue he asked about, he would be dissatisfied when the product failed to work as he expected.

Ask questions. Pay attention, and listen to the customer’s answer. Being knowledgeable about your business means finding the right solution for each customer’s need. That is the best way to satisfy your customers.

Learn your job well.