Effective Client/Customer Experience: A must in every Organization

By Jullian Kahara Atukunda, Communications Assistant, RSCE

For a major part of my career, I was employed in Customer Service or Client support or what is known as Client Experience today. There is so much to learn with client experience.

Philip Kotler, father of Modern Marketing, defines Customer Satisfaction as a ‘person’s feeling of pleasure or disappointment, which results from comparing a product’s perceived performance (or outcome) against their expectations” 26 Dec 2019

My Research for MBA centered on Client Service a case study of MTN-Uganda as the leading multi-national in Telecommunications.

To offer excellent service to customers, it is important to understand their needs and provide solutions to meet those needs. Here are some tips that can help you offer excellent service to your customers:

Listen actively: Listen carefully and ask questions to understand the client’s needs better. Not many people are good listeners, especially when they feel they are an authority on the subject matter. They rush into giving solutions and advice but, as someone once said, the reason we have two ears, and one mouth is so that we listen twice then speak once.

Be responsive: Respond promptly to inquiries and concerns. Quick response to client issues matters even if it is as short as, “I have received your concern, I will get back to you later.” Endeavor to respond appropriately thereafter.

Be courteous: Be polite, respectful, and professional in all your interactions. This will not only earn you respect back but it will also help calm the nerves of any agitated or difficult client.

Show empathy: Employees that try to understand a client’s point of view make them feel valued and can turn an angry client into a happy one. This is therapeutic. Human beings feel better knowing that what they are going through isn’t a unique experience. We all feel touched when someone puts themselves in our shoes, therefore even if you have never stepped foot in a rural field mission, try to envisage how difficult life must be there and help the client as fast as possible.

Be knowledgeable: Have a good understanding of your products or services so that you can provide accurate information. You can’t give what you do not have, if you are being asked about a particular STAI, be sure you have the latest update on what it says to avoid giving false and mis-leading information to a client. At the RSCE we are blessed to work in teams and have free access to our supervisors, when in doubt, please cross-check facts with other team-mates or supervisors for guidance prior to giving feedback to the client.

Be proactive: Anticipate customer needs and offer solutions before they ask for them. This is very relevant to the work we do at the RSCE and the UN. We have “Frequently Asked Questions’ that are answered generically but used by many because clients face similar challenges in the field.

Follow up: Follow up with customers after an interaction to ensure their satisfaction. You do not know the value of follow-up until you do it. One time in my first year in the UN while serving with the International Benefits and Payroll Service Line, I followed up with one client in the field mission and her reply gave me the motivation to serve better to date. She was so appreciative and referred to me as an Angel! Given my faith background, that still means a lot. I wish we all strive to be Angels.

Remember, excellent client service is about building relationships with your client and providing the best possible experience.

According to PETE Blacksaw in his book Running a Business in Today’s Consumer-Driven World, satisfied customers tell only 3 (three) Friends while Angry Customers Tell 3,000. This is true because the adage says, ‘bad news travel faster’ which means we must be careful to have as many satisfied clients as possible if the impact of our service is to be felt.

That said, we also must always know that there are clients that are difficult, and even while applying the principles mentioned earlier, they will not appreciate, they will grumble, they will complain and even send emails to all and sundry copying in even the Secretary General.

Handling difficult customers can be challenging, but it’s important to remain calm and professional. Here is one simple tip for you:

SMILE: Whether the client is online, on phone or physically with you. This will generate positive energy to keep you calm.

Therefore, Smile! Smile! SMILE!