Customer service, or lack thereof, can make or break a business. Harbortouch, one of the nation’s leading point of sale (POS) system providers, knows this well. Based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the company has been in business for over two decades, earning a gold-star reputation for exceptional customer care as well as first-class products. The Harbortouch team offers a few tips on how to keep customers happy and coming back for more.
4 Tips for Better Customer Care
- Hire Wisely
Hiring an all-star team is the first step to ensuring great customer service. Whether you’re in retail or food service, excellent customer service skills should be a fundamental hiring qualification for front-of-house and customer-facing staff. When deciding between two potential candidates, select the one who’s most personable and positive. While experience is great, it isn’t everything. You can train someone in particular skills, but you can’t necessarily make someone more friendly or authentic. - Promote Positive Speech & Body Language
Teach your staff to be conscious of their body language and speech. One of the simplest but most important aspects is to maintain good eye contact. Also, ensure your employees guide customers to find items, rather than simply pointing them in the right direction. Encourage employees to answer the phone within two rings and with a standard greeting in a pleasant tone. Remind them that even over the phone, people can hear a smile! Likewise, ensure staff is visible and available to help when customers are around. Few things are more frustrating for a customer than not being able to find help when they need it. - Ensure Everyone Is On the Same Page
Make sure your staff is on the same page regarding your business’ policies about returns, exchanges, coupons, and layaway procedures. Being consistent provides better customer experience and enhances efficiency. Train employees to inform customers about the return policy during their interaction and consider putting the return policy on the bottom of your sales receipts. - Invest in the Right Technology
Technology can greatly enhance your business on every level, from marketing to customer care. One potential way to step up customer service is by administering a customer satisfaction survey through a platform such as Survey Monkey. You can also offer your staff customer service and sales training opportunities, such as online courses or webinars. Investing in a solid POS system with software tailored to your business needs is also helpful. For example, your POS system can enable you to administer a customer loyalty program to incentivize repeat patrons.
More on Harbortouch
Harbortouch has served more than 400,000 small to mid-size businesses, providing first-class POS software and hardware and earning numerous stellar Harbortouch reviews from satisfied customers. From secure payment processing to cloud-based reporting and management tools, Harbortouch’s model makes its products affordable for any budget. Harbortouch’s ground-breaking free POS program is regularly featured on the hit TV show Bar Rescue.
