What are customer service standards? These standards represent a level of quality that your business follows to provide customer service. They are the guidelines that drive customer interactions. This includes everything from how you greet customers and handle customer complaints to what type of customer service training your employees receive.

Each company creates its own set of customer service standards, but the foundation is developed based on key principles of customer service — like speed, transparency, and empathy.

10 Common Customer Service Standards

Here"s a list of 10 customer service standards that every business should aim to follow.

1. Be responsive to customer inquiries, and act with a sense of urgency.
2. Be transparent about your policies and procedures, and consistent in the way you implement them.
3. Take responsibility for your mistakes, and hold your team accountable.
   
4. Show empathy for each customer"s situation, and personalize the experience to their specific needs.
   
5. Go above and beyond to solve the customer"s problem, and always strive for customer delight.
6. Be available when customers need you, and clearly communicate when and how customers can reach you.
7. Stay positive and friendly during customer conversations, no matter how difficult the interaction may seem.
8. Be reachable on multiple channels, especially the channels your customers value the most.
9. Empower customers to find answers on their own, through self-service options like FAQs and knowledge bases.
10. Use automated technology efficiently, and properly train your reps on how to use it. 

​Why are customer service standards important?

Customer service standards give customers a clear idea of what to expect from your organization. Setting standards around key principles of customer service, like responsiveness and accountability, show customers that their satisfaction is your main priority.

But most importantly, customer service standards really do matter to consumers. 

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