Customer service is a necessary skill that business should train their employees on. Upset customers should be able to speak to an employee or a company representative with good customer skills. One of the reasons why businesses lose their clientele is because of a nonchalant approach to their issues. Unfortunately, only a few companies in the security industry have customer service training, which should have been a necessity. Below are four ways to provide excellent customer service as a security officer.
Build Rapport
Contrary to what many may believe, it does not take long to get to know people. Find out more and more about the client with every chance you get: their occupation, interests, and family. Be genuine and let your questions flow naturally; do not go into investigation mode. You can start with occupation questions. Ask them, how they got started with what they do, and then proceed to ask what they do for fun when they are not working.
As you go back and forth with the conversation, start asking them about their family. Are they married? Do they have children? Ask as if they are a good friend that you enjoy being around. Try to find common ground and build on that. Perhaps you enjoy the same music or love the same sports team. Once you have that information, the conversation can go on for a while. Let it continue until the customer cuts it off.
Listen to Customers
Hear their complaints, issues, and concerns, and use your active listening skills. Active listening is a communication technique used in training, conflict resolution, and counseling that requires the listener to feedback on what they hear from the speaker by paraphrasing or restating what they heard in their own words as a way to confirm what they have heard and confirm their understanding.
Summarize what the customer has said to you and ask questions that align with their issues, complaints, or concerns that the client communicated with you. As you communicate, be present. It will be hard for you to understand someone while they are talking as you are formulating your words to talk.
Have Empathy
Acknowledge the problems of the customer and express your understanding of their issues. For instance, if the client is upset because the other guard is sloppy with their appearance and performance and tells you to escalate the problem and contact guard management, you tell the client that you completely understand why they are upset about the other guard’s appearance and performance.
You further add that you will speak to the officer on the topic so their appearance and performance are what clients expect. Apologize that you even have this conversation and assure them that they will promptly get it fixed. It is important to add urgency to the equation when telling a problem that you will fix the problem. Do not leave room for clients to believe that they are not a priority.
Find Solutions
If the client that expressed to you that there is a concern or problem, let them know that you will do whatever it takes to provide a solution. Do not just say it; try to find a solution to their issue. If you find yourself stuck and unable to find a way to remedy the problem of the customer, contact your employer. Security guard managers should be qualified enough to resolve customer issues.
Ongoing customer service training is essential for security officers. If the security service company does not provide it, look for an institution that offers it and start to learn the ropes. Take note of the tips above for providing excellent customer service, and you should be well on your way to advancing in the security industry.