As a company, the way you communicate with your customers always sticks. It is therefore important to continuously look for ways to improve service orientation, for example by collecting and analyzing customer feedback. Also in various positions at HeadFirst Group we have daily contact with customers. In this article we give more tips for improving your service orientation, so you can build and maintain a strong relationship with customers.

Why is service orientation important?

Service orientation is important to businesses because it has a direct impact on customer satisfaction. Customers who are satisfied with the service they received are more likely to return and recommend the company to others. Research shows that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. A good customer experience can also lead to a higher Net Promoter Score (NPS), which is a measure of customer loyalty. Companies with a high NPS generally have higher sales growth than those with a low NPS.

What levels of service orientation can be distinguished?

By being service-oriented, you first and foremost adopt a helpful attitude to customer inquiries. You quickly and adequately take concrete actions in response to customer questions. You can go a step further by coming up with suitable proposals on your own initiative and actively thinking along with the customer. You show that you can actively help and advise. You are on the right track when you also encourage others to optimize customer service.

How can you increase service orientation in yourself and your team?

Here are some tips on how to serve customers even better:

1. Develop your service skills

First, it is important to make sure you have the right skills to meet customers' needs. What skills should really not be missing? Consider empathy and patience. It is important to be able to deal with all types of customers and serve them all in the same way. Also, every customer is different and may react differently. Therefore, it is important to be flexible, be able to understand the customer's mood and respond accordingly. Of course, clear communication is also an important part of good customer service. Use positive and sincere language and make sure the customer is satisfied before the conversation ends.

2. Take a close look at every contact moment

Any bad customer experience, at any time, can completely destroy your relationship. You not only need to make sure you have the right skills, you need to actually use them. Pay specific attention to key touch points, but at the same time make sure you have a complete picture of the customer experience. Otherwise, you run the risk of service failure, which can have very detrimental consequences.

3. Improve interaction with your customers

Having the right skills is step one. The next step is building a good relationship with the customer. Practice active listening and repeating what a customer has said so that your customers feel they are being taken seriously. By communicating that you also understand why the customer is not satisfied, you show that you empathize with the customer.

Are you also service-oriented?

In your current position, are you service-oriented, friendly and understand what the customer needs? Would you like to be able to use these skills even better? Then consider a move for example to MSP Consultant Contracting. In this role you take care of a good relationship with internal teams of HeadFirst Group, suppliers and the client. Feel free to contact us to discuss the possibilities.