Customer Service Excellence Manual (2)

Ask Probing Questions to Identify Customer Needs
Your customers are more nervous than ever about tapping into their budgets to spend their hard-earned dollars. If they seem hesitant about purchasing or act aloof, there may be something bothering them about your organization's products or quality of service. In order to build solid customer relationships, you need to ask probing questions to help you zero in on their concerns. Asking relevant questions is an excellent way to let them know you sincerely care. Too often, typical customer interactions involve asking customers two predictable questions:
"How can I help you today?"
"Is there anything else you need?"
While it is essential to ask your customers these questions, don't stop there, because their responses will rarely give you any valuable insight into what is most important to them. You need to dig deeper to help you identify potential warning signs of dissatisfaction or potential opportunities to introduce your customers to new products and services.There are several different types of questions that you can use when trying to understand the needs and concerns of a customer. Avoid closed-ended questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no". These types of questions will not give you an accurate picture of how your customer feels about doing business with you. Instead, ask opportunity questions. For example, after you have explained a new product or service to a customer, you can ask, "What do you think about this option as a possible solution?"Asking your customers probing questions will help you to gain greater insight into their decision making process. For example, a banking customer may express fears about the stability of the funds they have in various accounts. Your customer will probably resent it if you respond, "I know how you feel." You probably don't know how that person actually feels until you've probed deeper into their concerns. Ask your customer, "Can you tell me about the types of accounts that are causing you the most concern?" You can also ask for more details, "What steps, if any, have you taken to safeguard against risk with your other investment accounts?"Sometimes customers keep their emotions in check but you still sense that they are frustrated or annoyed. Address the issues head-on to show your customer that you care enough to acknowledge their signals. Asking about their frustrations may prevent them from boiling over to the point where they choose to take their business elsewhere. Very kindly ask, "You seem unhappy about our service today. May I ask why?"Of course, any time you ask your customers questions, you need to actively listen to their responses. Pay careful attention not only to their words, but also observe their tone, body language and facial expressions. Show empathy for their concerns even if you don't agree with what they are telling you. In this economy it's more important than ever for customers to feel that service providers are sincerely interested in their opinions and feedback.
source :Debra Schmidt [newsletter@loyaltyleader.com]