After you complete a sale, you probably won’t see your new client in person very often, if ever (if you even saw them in person to begin with). It can be difficult to keep the human aspect present in your business interactions after you make the sale. A lack of humanity can cause some clients to not think twice about switching to another company if a new deal comes along. Who’s going to feel badly about severing a connection with a machine? Paya Schlass, writing for CustomerThink, offers some advice on how to keep humanity at the forefront of your customer service.

Be Easy to Reach

The most frustrating part of interacting with machines is that it’s difficult to make progress with them. They can be time consuming and seemingly impossible to navigate, and users may give up and move on. Don’t make your clients jump through hoops to talk to you. Be available to your clients through multiple methods: phone, email, social media, etc. And even if you can’t answer immediately, do so as soon as possible and in your own words. Don’t send messages you copied and pasted or speak to them as if you’re reading off a script. Let them know that you’re listening by personalizing your messages and treat them like the priority they are by showing timeliness. 

Be Empathetic

In 1982, Blade Runner taught us that even the most advanced artificial intelligence is separated from humanity by one thing: empathy. If you’re not utilizing that trait, the customer service you provide is no better than a machine’s. If a client reaches out to you with a problem, you need to communicate sympathy, express an apology, and accept responsibility. Tell the client what you plan to do to fix the problem and give an estimate of how long it will take to do. Show you care about your client, and they’ll be more likely to be loyal to you.