If you’re like other people interested in customer service, you’re constantly on the lookout for ways to develop customer relationships. Some customers are easier to engage than others, but recently I’ve seen great customer service from field service engineers.
I recently scheduled an appointment with my gas company to get my pilot light re-lit. When the field service engineer arrived, he carried with him his tool kit. He got down on the floor and started inspecting my wall heater. It was filthy! As he was working, he educated me about heater safety.
Here are five takeaways we can gather about developing great customer relationships from my experience with this field service engineer:
1. Instill Confidence
My experience – The field service engineer explained what he was doing as he did it. I appreciated his knowledge and expertise. He made me feel confident in his abilities to not only re-light my pilot light, but inspect my heater and make sure it was running correctly.
Takeaway – When you are assisting customers with a general inquiry or an issue, let them know you will do everything in your power to fix the issue that occurred.
2. Build Rapport
My experience – From the moment the field service engineer entered my home until the moment he left, he displayed a professional and friendly demeanor.
Takeaway – Whenever you’re in contact with a customer, in person or over the phone, act professionally and set the expectation for service. You want to start to build a relationship with your customers.
3. Go Above and Beyond
My experience – The field service engineer came for one purpose, to re-light my pilot light. He inspected, cleaned, and re-lit the pilot light. As if that wasn’t enough, he checked my carbon monoxide detector to make sure it was working.
Takeaway – Whenever working with customers, try to do something extra to show them you care and are there to offer service to them. Customers notice when you go above and beyond.
4. Show Empathy
My experience – Once the field service engineer discovered my carbon monoxide detector wasn’t working properly, he educated me on what to do and why it was important to keep the detector working properly.
Takeaway – When you’re assisting customers with a question or an issue, show you understand their concerns and are going to help them resolve the issue. Really listen up and tune into what they are saying. After they explain what is going on, confirm you understand the situation and they understand the steps you will take to resolve the issue.
5. End on a High Note
My experience – Once the field service engineer was done, he made sure to give me extra safety information I could read on my own time and he filled out a form telling me what I needed to do to keep my heater running safely.
Takeaway – When you finish your work, let customers know what to expect. Are there steps they need to complete? Is there something you need to do back at the office for the issue to be fully resolved? Who can they contact if they experience a problem or have questions? Make sure your customers know who to reach.
To learn more about developing excellent customer relationships in the field, check out our field service training page.
Photo courtesy of Brisbane Electrician
