RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE

As a driver at Service Sanitation, you play an important role in the customer service experience.  Often times, our customers look to you for help, advice, and issue resolution. In this article, we’re going to review a few simple tips you can immediately use while working in the field, providing an ideal experience for our customers.

Whenever possible, always start off your customer interactions by acknowledging the customer when you arrive on site.  This can be with a simple “hello” and introducing yourself. If you’re further away, a basic wave will even suffice. Starting your encounter on a positive note builds rapport and carries an extreme amount of weight in the customer experience. You’ll also want to be aware of your body language throughout your engagement.  Whenever possible, try to maintain good eye contact, good posture, and don’t forget to smile. These simple gestures let the customer know you’re available and ready to serve.  It also reinforces that they are valued and important.

Whenever you arrive at a customer’s site, always do your best to manage customer expectations.  After saying hello, provide a brief rundown of where you plan to position your truck, the units, and how you plan to best serve them. When loading, unloading or servicing equipment, always follow proper safety procedures, such as wearing proper PPE and demonstrating proper safe backing techniques.  Always practice empathy and put yourselves in the shoes of the customer.  Would you be satisfied with the cleanliness of the work you’re providing? Sometimes taking a few extra minutes to see your work through the customer’s perspective is all you need to provide a stellar experience.

Remember, with every delivery there’s often another service that will require a follow-up with that customer. It could be a weekly service, an add-on of equipment, or even a pickup. Regardless, there’s a good chance you’ll be seeing that customer again. With this in mind, try to remember any conversations or previous engagements you may have had with that customer and reuse that information for future conversations.  It could be something as simple as their line of work, favorite hobby, sports, family, or even food. Always remember the little things as they can be a great way to establish rapport and trust with the customer.

No matter how hard we try, sometimes things don’t always go as planned.  Inaccurate weather predictions, unforeseen traffic delays, or even technological difficulties can wreak havoc on a pre-planned day.  When these issues arise, they can sometimes lead to difficult customer interactions.

In these situations, do your best to remain calm and don’t take things personally. Never let their emotions affect yours! Always apologize for the delay, stay positive, and resist the temptation to argue back. This will only make matters worse.

Try to put yourself in their position, listen to their concerns, and acknowledge that you realize that they are upset.  It can be helpful to repeat the customer’s concerns back to them to demonstrate that you listened carefully and to clarify the problem.  Be sure to empathize, offer an apology, and if possible present a solution.  This may simply be moving the unit to a different location or calling dispatch to arrange an exchange for a damaged unit.  Always notify dispatch when dealing with an irate customer.  They’ll then notify sales of the issue and let them mitigate accordingly with the customer.