Ask yourself what it was that made you want to start your business. Did you do it simply to make money? Because it’s your dream? Or do you desire to enrich the lives of those who buy your products or services? Apple is well regarded for the look, feel and quality of its products, which is one reason why those products are so popular. Are your products or services improving the lives to those who buy them or making their lives more efficient? If so, you’re well on your way to creating great customer service.
Hire the Right People
You don’t always have to be a tech genius to work at Apple. The company hires employees who care more about helping people rather than employees who can rattle of every features of the newest iPhone in fewer than 50 seconds. While hiring people who are familiar with your type of services or products and industry is important, those employees should also be familiar with providing the best customer service possible.
Focus on the Product or Service
You can have the best customer service in the world, but your wares will remain on the shelves if they aren’t just as good as your level of customer service. Make sure that while you’re creating great customer service you’re also constantly working on improving whatever it is you sell. Needs can change from time to time, and your product or service should change so that it’s always meeting a specific and current demand. Just look at how many different iterations the iPhone and Macbook have gone through.
Hire Diverse Employees
Because your company attracts customers from all walks of life, your staff should be made up of employees from all walks of life. Apple is known for hiring employees who have tattoos, mohawks and piercings and even former teachers and artists. Each employee brings something new when it comes to creating great customer service, and you may find that different employees are better able to connect to different segments of your target audience. Take a look at your customers to determine the type of employees you should have working for you.
Give and Receive Feedback
What better way to find out how to improve your customer service than to turn to your customers? Make sure you have a way to let your customers give you feedback about their buying, browsing and delivery experience and even how they liked their return and refund experience, just like Apple does. You should also listen to feedback from your employees about how they enjoy their jobs and ask if there are any changes they might make before you offer them feedback on their overall performance. It makes no difference if an employee has been with you for two months or two decades, a constant stream of feedback ensures he or she doesn’t veer off course, become complacent or settle into habits that inhibit the practice of creating great customer service.
Teach Your Customers
If a customer buys something from you, think about teaching him or her how to get more use out of your products or services. For instance, Apple teaches customers how to build websites, edit pictures and how to create a presentation. If customers know more about how to use your products, they’re also more likely to fully enjoy your products and use them to their full potential, which can translate to improved customer service and loyalty. One thing to bear in mind is that Apple offers these educational services for a yearly fee, so you may or may not want to do the same.
Focus on Simplicity
If you have older parents who are baffled by technology you regard as second nature, then you understand the need to keep your products or services easy to use and understand, and so does Apple. While you can always include an instruction booklet, it’s even nicer if your products are intuitive and can be used without heavy reliance on provided instruction. When it comes to Apple, even a toddler is able to understand how an iPad works. Be sure to check out more articles and tools for creating great customer service from the pros of Mighty Recruiter.