How to Build Relationships While Working As a Customer Service Rep

Working as a customer service representative has allowed me to connect with all sorts of people. Connecting with people helped me build relationships and has even allowed me to get free cake when invited to a client’s birthday party. I don’t know about you, but free cake and smiles mean the world to me. I outline below some of the situations that will make you an expert at eating free cake…I mean building a relationship with your clients.

Empathy
Building relationships that gets you invited to birthday parties is something that came with time and effort. Time and time again I came across a customer with an issue where all hope seemed to be lost. After calling my desk I knew I could swoop into action and resolve anything that came my way. I was once placed in a position at a rental car agency. One customer, we will use Frank for this example, called the office and sounded distraught. He had just gotten into a car accident the day before and his kids were screaming and fighting in the rental car he rented from us. The car broke down on the side of the road and he needed a new car. Listening to him, I came to empathize with him about his situation.

Assessment
Taking his info about the rental and the type of car he needed, I quickly dispatched one of our field representatives to his location with a replacement vehicle while asking him simple questions about his day. As the old rental was being towed away, I could hear the relief in his voice. Being able to be personable created trust between us to the point where I knew the names of his two little girls, who were two years old at the time.

Resolution
Once the situation was resolved, Frank was thankful that we got him back on track to where he needed to be. I wrote a detailed description of everything Frank was telling me from what was wrong with the car to the moments of his day.

Continued Trust
Two years later, Frank contacted my desk once again because he needed a rental car to travel for work. I mentioned our last phone call and he immediately showed me gratitude for helping him with the car as quickly as I did. I asked him how his kids were and effectively got him the correct rental he needed.

Being genuine with him was important to create trust. Now I know what you’re thinking. How does this get me free cake? Cake does not come right away. It comes with patience, empathy, and friendliness. Frank came in once a month for a new rental after that. We shook hands and became good friends over the course of the next 3 years. We became so close that he invited me to his daughter, Sarah’s, seventh birthday party. Connecting with Frank made me a better customer service representative. Building that relationship and trust with customers by noting things about them allows you to empathize, assess, and resolve their individualized situation.

Value of Relationships
Empathizing and asking the right questions can make you the master of all customer service. Not every customer service representative needs to befriend each customer they work with. Frank is just an example of what simple friendliness can bring to the table for customer loyalty and positive feedback. Feedback about you to your employer is very valuable. The value of the relationships you build continue to advance your career.  The office will come to you and ask, “Why do you do it?” You can now simply reply that you do it for the cake.