What is great customer experience? A question asked many times during my career.

Firstly I do not possess to be an expert in customer service, everything I have learnt has been shall we say, on the job experience. Experience I have gathered from the “University of Life”. Along with reading books and listening to professionals. Below are my thoughts and experiences' on what constitutes good customer service.

1.??????Be friendly – The most important rule in providing customer service is to be friendly. It starts with a warm smile either on a video call or in a face-to-face situation; a greeting is memorable and relaxes people. Even when it is a telephone call, a smile can come through in your voice, so make sure you are ready to be friendly.

2.??????Respond promptly - To do something promptly is?to do it right away or in a timely fashion, avoiding any delays. When you receive an invitation, you might immediately check your calendar and promptly reply. Doing things promptly is the opposite of procrastinating or putting things off.

3.??????Know your product or services - Knowing your products and services means that you have a?sound understanding and knowledge of?what it is you are offering and what value it has for the customers.

4.??????Listen to your customers – The path to customers hearts lies through your ears, we are all born with two ears and one mouth, my suggestion is that they are used in that order. Then fine-tune your ears to the voice of your customers. Remember: empathy begins with active listening.

5.??????Say thank you - Thank you,?shows your appreciation and conveys your gratitude. More than that, it is a sign of respect to the person who has helped you (or given you something). It is an indication you do not take them for granted, and an acknowledgement that they matter.

6.??????Get to know your customers – You need to know your customers, because only?they can help you get more business. Understanding customers is the key to giving them good service, which in turn results into strong customer relationships. Every customer wants the following: good preparation, simplicity, creativity, accessibility and accountability. Maybe not in that, order but these are the key elements.

7.??????Focus on relationships – From my own personal experience it is because creating a relationship with both new and potential?customers allows businesses to offer a more personalized and enticing customer experience. In a recent study, 86% of customers claim their experiences are just as important as the actual product or service they purchase.

8.??????Keep your promises - Keeping promises?helps build trust with customers. By delivering on promises made, you are able to create a sense of belonging and oneness with your brand. This is one of the most important aspects of doing business, always remember if you keep your promises at least seven other people will get to know about it, but let customers down then at least seventy other people will get to know.

9.??????Follow up with customers later – In my experience a proactive follow-up approach?helps keep customer interactions more personal, authentic, and helpful. Following up with your customer?helps improve their overall experience with your company and brand. You might even solve problems before they become an issue. ... By improving your customer's experience with quick follow-up and great customer service, the customer will feel like they can trust you.

10.??Ask for feedback - Collecting customer feedback shows?you value their opinions. By asking your customer for feedback, you communicate that their opinion is important to you and your company. You involve them in shaping your business so they feel more attached to your company. Listening to their voice helps, you create stronger relations with them. It also helps us get a clearer understanding of what our customer is looking for.

11.??Use the feedback you receive – It is imperative that the customer feedback and intelligence responses should be taken seriously and captured. These gold nuggets are an advantageous insight to what your clients and customers think about your brand, products, and services. Additionally, this insight will help you to create a product or a service that you can customize to ensure customer retention.

A key point to remember, acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing customer.?