We all know we’ve left companies due to poor service. And we know, too, there are more than five unforgivable customer service mistakes. These, however, have been culled together from the many e-mails and comments we received over the years.
While it's all common sense, we know that common sense is not all that common. So we continue to share this information with you in the hopes we can make some inroads around the world.
1. Not being friendly enough. Without exception, this is the No. 1 customer service mistake. Customers should be treated as welcomed guests when they call or visit your business. As we’ve all experienced, sometimes we’re treated as an annoyance or an interruption. Remember the Telephone Doctor motto: “Be friendly before you know who it is.”
2. Poor eye contact. Heads that twirl on a spindle while working with a customer are a big mistake. It’s a sure sign the person you’re talking with isn’t holding your interest when you’re glancing around and they will notice it very quickly.
3. Talking with co-workers and ignoring or not acknowledging the customer. This customer service mistake unfortunately happens a lot. Drop the internal conversation as soon as you see the customer. While talking with a customer on the phone, it’s a big no-no to continue your conversation with someone in the office.
4. Being rude. No one thinks they’re being rude; certainly not on purpose. However, the customer can perceive many things you do as rude. And as they say, "perception is reality."
5. Poor product knowledge. When working with a customer, if you’re not familiar with the products and services your business offers, you’ll be making a big mistake. Take the time to learn about your company. Customers don’t care if you’re new, working on a temporary assignment, or if it’s not your department. All they want is help and information. Ask to be trained. Ask for more information from your company.
Again there are certainly more than these five unforgivable customer service mistakes, we know that. However, these consistently keep rising to the top when I speak at conferences so I feel they are very important.
Nancy Friedman is known as, and is president of, Telephone Doctor, a customer service training company in St. Louis. For more information, visit
