Every once in a while we will cross paths with what I refer to as a customer service superstar. They are like diamonds in the rough. We never know when we will be served by one of these superstars. They are dispersed throughout the marketplace and look normal on the outside. But take a closer look and we will soon discover that these people are a breed apart from your average everyday customer service representative.



What is the secret that makes these customer service superstars win us over? What is their key in consistently giving each customer an outstanding service experience? One of the first and foremost secrets in their winning ways is that these superstars make their customers feel valued. These people simply treat each customer as if he or she was the most important person on the planet. Customers walk away feeling as if they were the owner of the organization.

It doesn't take long to recognize that these superstars live a life that is focused on others. This alone makes all the difference in how the service is perceived. The customer walks away feeling that the service representative was not working simply for the paycheck. In other words, customers feel that someone actually cared that their experience exceeded what was expected.

The superstars all have the gift of knowing how customers think and feel. They consistently offer a great customer experience because of their gift of empathy. Customers walk away feeling that the service was wonderful simply because of the way that they were made to feel. The memory of the service stays with these customers because they enjoyed how the service representative treated them. Let's now reveal five secrets that every customer service superstar possesses:

1. Superstars are positive people

The secret in offering great service is to stay away from an uninviting attitude. Having a positive attitude is a major key in providing each customer with a great service experience. These will always go together. Customers will want to return simply because of the attraction that a positive attitude creates. These customers will also want to return and tell others because of the positive memory of the service being offered. By being positive, these superstars make their customers feel welcomed and accepted.

In reality, it is the customer's perception of the service that truly counts. If they feel that the service was average, then it was average. Understanding this point will be a major benefit if we are to improve in the area of service. When we show ourselves to be positive, the perception of the service will always improve for the better.

2. The superstars are enthused about serving

The poor service experiences that we remember are typically the result of being served by a person who lacked enthusiasm. This perception that the person was not excited to assist us made the overall experience below average. But our perception takes a complete turn when we feel that the person serving us was enthused during the whole process. It is important to remember that the secret is to show our customers that we want to assist them. One easy way to achieve this is to be enthusiastic about giving them our best service. This important key will instantly make customers walk away feeling that the service was outstanding.

3. The superstars respond quickly to the customer

Because we live in a fast-paced society, our customers expect to be given quick and efficient service. Without this efficiency, the customer will more than likely walk away and remember the service as average. The goal should be to show that we respect our customers by simply respecting their time. The perception of the service will then automatically improve as a result of being quick and efficient during each transaction. Customers will then walk away not only feeling respected, but will more than likely rate us higher because of the efficiency of the service provided.

We will always appreciate service where we feel that the person serving us respected our time. The best memories of five-star service will consistently convey efficiency during the transaction. The service representative gave the impression that our time was valuable and swiftly took great care to quickly meet our needs. Remember this little gem and your customers will walk away and remember the service as being outstanding!

4. The superstars strive for excellence

Another feature of customer service superstars is their ability to excel in their chosen profession. They desire to be their best on the job by giving their customers outstanding service. Their work ethic stands out because of the motivation to perform at a higher level. These superstars do not need to be motivated from the outside. Their inspiration is driven from within.

I am always impressed when I watch a customer service superstar on stage performing for his or her customers. The one feature that is consistently projected by these superstars is their ability to give 100% to each customer.

5. The superstars show attention

Comparable to being efficient with our customers, giving them attention also expresses that we care. By simply being attentive, we are telling our customers that they are important and deserve to be treated with respect. The power of giving attention is that it also conveys a certain level of respect. We must also remember that most customers enjoy playing this role because of the anticipated attention that they are hoping to receive.

Teach these five excellent traits into your training and begin to see your service improve instantly. Your team will begin to outshine the competition and your customers will also become your best advertisers simply because of the exceptional service received.