Excellent customer service can make your reputation as a diamond retailer. According to this research by InsightSquared, 66% of customers switch companies due to poor service and 58% are willing to spend more on companies that provide excellent customer service. Every industry has its norms, as well as the kind of conduct that is exceptionally good (and even that which should be avoided).
Here’s a list of best practices for diamond jewelers based on customer feedback and industry standards. Make sure to modify these recommendations to best suit your own brand.
Customer Service: The Don’ts
- Don’t bombard a customer with your attention when they enter your store.
- Don’t hover.
- Don’t ignore a customer who appears to be browsing.
- Don’t push a customer to purchase beyond what they truly can afford (you risk them resenting the purchase afterwards, and losing their trust).
- Don’t overwhelm a customer with all you know about the products.
- Don’t assume you know what a customer wants.
- Don’t leave a customer hanging if you go to check on something for him or her.
- Don’t ever disparage a customer.
- Don’t mislead the customer about the product, either deliberately or inadvertently.
- Don’t have unclear sales policies.
- Don’t take any transaction for granted.
Customer Service: The Do’s
- Do greet a customer when they enter your store, and do so with a smile.
- Do be attentive to a customer (without hovering).
- Make your customer feel valued, that they are important enough to be listened to and respected.
- Do focus on the customer before you, but make sure that anyone waiting for your attention knows you will be with them shortly.
- Do ask a customer to clarify what they are looking for, if you are not certain.
- Do suggest products that might be within reach for your customer’s budget – without being pushy.
- Do highlight selling points to your customer.
- Do be patient with an indecisive customer.
- Do be respectful of an uneducated or ignorant customer.
- Do help a customer personalize their purchase, when you can.
- Do clear up any misunderstandings over a product representation that is not accurate.
- Do modify your sales process to meet each customer’s needs.
- Do have clear sales policies that include fabrication time, shipping time, returns and or exchanges.
- Do thank the customer nicely when he or she departs the store, even if no purchase was made.
- Do follow through on your promises after the sale, if your customer has a problem or changes their mind.
Good customer service can really build a store’s reputation. 87% of customers share good experiences with others and 88% are influenced by online customer service reviews when making buying decisions.
Conclusion
Your goal is to put people at ease, so that they are comfortable to trust you, not only with their jewelry investment, but also with your ability to help them with their purchasing decisions.
How people feel at your jewelry store can have impact on how likely they are to buy their diamonds from you. In the vast marketplace of jewelry, you can expect that good customer service is what distinguishes you from the next seller.
With excellent customer service, the odds are higher that you will make the sale and that your customers will go home not only pleased with their purchases, but feeling good that they bought from you. This means they will likely buy from you next time and spread the word to their friends and family too.