I am a rebellious cook at my best, and a bomb as a baker. I attribute that to my “expressive social style of preferring not to be limited by rules and procedures!” Truthfully, to me a recipe is tantamount to being told what to do, not at the top of my how to have a good day list. However, while baking without following the directions mostly results in inedible yucky stuff, cooking can be successful when I look at lists of standard ingredients but allow myself to customize to my personal preferences for the end result. Case in point: my family’s favorite recipe…some ingredients, no set amounts.
Creating good customer service experiences is a lot like cooking.
Some aspects of good service are standard, and can never be left out of any customer interactions: friendliness, empathy, listening, repeating and solving the problem. I wrote earlier on the importance of always giving this kind of service. It’s the way you mix it all together that makes each service opportunity special. Knowing your clients personally, researching their particular use of your products, and being sensitive to possible problems before they have to contact you, are all ingredients that can be added in different amounts to each service experience to create successful results.
Want to create a successful customer service experience? Follow the rules of cooking — not baking. Don’t limit yourself to exactly what’s written in the recipe, instead take all the best ingredients and personalize it for a great result. Your clients will keep coming back for more!
