Before real estate, Kim Scott spent 15 years in the hospitality industry working as both a waitress and a bartender, as well as eight years as an administrative assistant to a financial advisor, a position she still holds. “I learned a lot during those years from interacting with both happy and unhappy customers,” she says. Here’s what Scott has to say about offering superior customer service:
1. Empathy
The ability to relate to how someone is feeling and to understand what they are going through is a customer service skill that involves being able to see past your own frame of mind and see the world as someone else does. We may never see it just as they do, but trying can make all the difference.
2. Active listening
Always try to repeat back to customers what you hear them saying to you. This ensures you heard them correctly and gives the customer a chance to clarify if there seems to be a misunderstanding.
3. Problem solving
It’s crucial. Problem-solving derives from both empathy and active listening. You should be committed and have a sincere desire to solve the customer’s problems. The ability to ask the right kind of questions will be a major factor in providing a solution. You also need to prioritize your time around their customers’ needs and wants.
4. Being proactive
It’s always better to anticipate than to react. Although you can’t predict all that’s coming during the transaction process, use your experience to minimize surprises.
5. Flexibility
Being overly rigid can make customers feel like they’re just a number. While it’s good to have systems and processes in place, you never want to be so bound to them that you’re unable or unwilling to try and accommodate customers’ unique needs and wants.
6. Friendliness and courtesy
It doesn’t get any simpler than this. And these traits go a long way in earning clients’ loyalty, and their referrals.
7. Professionalism
Never forget you’re representing yourself, what you stand for, your trade, and your clients with every move you make. Regularly ask yourself: “Am I giving every client the right impression of me and my services?”
Written by RE/MAX News
