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Recently the entire Morrison team met to discuss the importance of customer service. We walked through what is working and not working internally and ways to collectively achieve solid customer service. One recurring theme was the importance of communication. Seems like a no-brainer, right? It is a no-brainer, but don’t get too comfortable because in reality no one is perfect at communication and there is always room for improvement. Often I hear issues developing in a relationship, whether it is romantic, platonic, or professional, as a result of a breakdown in communication.

I recently came across an article posted through Indeed regarding client communication. It provided very simple and clear fundamental elements of client communication as well as tips for improving. Here are some key take-aways:

1. Transparency: Being transparent with a client helps facilitate trust.
2. Flexibility: Having adaptable solutions for communicating can strengthen the relationship between the client and business.
3. Empathy and compassion: Having employees with these interpersonal skills helps clients and businesses understand one another.
4. Context: Communication can change based on the context of the conversation.
5. Self-awareness: Businesses that look at its own products, services, and brand image, and identify areas for improvement.

1. Train employees: The public face of your business can benefit from maintaining a client-focused approach.
2. Make communication easy: When you make communication simple, it shows clients that you want to hear from them.
3. Maintain respect: Respect and communication are key to forming a trusting relationship.
4. Expect and acknowledge feedback: Client feedback can be a great way to learn more about their expectations and address miscommunications.
5. Correct errors or miscommunications: Working with the client to identify and fix an error can foster mutual respect and let them know that your business is serious about serving their needs.

Morrison is focused on providing the best experience to our clients. As I think about the meeting we had, I can honestly put a checkmark by each of the items listed above regarding communication as a topic that was addressed and we are working hard to achieve. Take a moment to reflect, is it a priority for your organization to provide a high level of customer service? Whether the answer is yes or no, everyone could use a tune up once in a while! An exercise we did at the conclusion of our meeting was to individually write down something we are going to start doing and something we are going to stop doing in our customer service approach. So what does that look like for you? What will you start and stop doing today to help your organization achieve great customer service?

About the Author

Janae Swartz is a consultant with Morrison, working primarily in our People Solutions practice. To get in touch with Janae, please find contact information for Morrison here.