Archive for June, 2010
How to Deal With Customer Complaints Effectively
Accountants in Birmingham – Customer Service Tips
Customers play the most important part in any business, be it big or small. Thus providing good customer service becomes very crucial for a company’s success. A successful company is one that provides the best service in terms of continued customer support. One challenge that every customer support professional faces is dealing with customer complaints. Handling customer complaints has always been a challenge, but when armed with the right kind of tools and staff this becomes more of an advantage than a challenge.
Three very common mistakes made by the customer support professionals when dealing with customer complaints are:
- Not listening to the customer’s complaint.
- Not armed with adequate knowledge or information.
- Not being courteous and polite to the customer.
Listening is the key to dealing with many business problems, and the same holds true when dealing with customer complaints. Jumping in to give a solution without properly understanding the problem tend to lead to more confusion and customer frustration. So listening and understanding the problem should be the first step when tackling customer complaints.
Customer care staff members are the first line of defense, so make sure they are properly trained and are well informed about the product or service the business offers. A well-planned training program needs to be put in place to achieve this. Also make sure the working environment is as stress- free as possible. Organizing regular stress management programs will help them tackle customer complaints more effectively.
When you talk to customers make you deal with them in a professional and appropriate manner. Be courteous, polite and kind while dealing with their complaints. Apologising tends to calm down even the most irate and frustrated customers. Also remember to thank them both before and after the problem has been dealt with.
Finally, do not see a customer complaint as a purely a ‘negative point’ for the business. Look at them as a challenge for improving the product and service which is being offered. Also see complaints as a chance for you and your staff to get to know your customers better. Treating every customer’s complaint in the proper manner will hopefully bring them one step closer to being loyal to your business.
Important Items to Include on Your VAT Sales Invoices
A sales invoice is an essential document, which is issued to the customer as a record for the goods or services provided to them. These days they can either be issued on paper and sent in the post or issued in an electronic form. An invoice is normally issued to the customer after the completion of a service or after the delivery of goods. An invoice typically consists of two copies, one of which is given to the customer and the seller keeps the other copy (copy invoice).
VAT (Value Added Tax) is a consumption tax levied by the government on most goods and services and is normally calculated as a percentage of sale price charged by the seller to the customer. It is mandatory for a VAT registered supplier to issue a VAT invoice their customers.
A ‘typical VAT invoice’ can be broken down in to three separate sections. The first section should include the following,
- A unique invoice number.
- Business name and address.
- Business VAT registration number.
- Date of sale (will usually become tax-point date of transaction)
- Name of the customer or client.
The second section should contain,
- Name of the goods/services purchased and description where appropriate.
- Quantity purchased.
- Unit price.
- Discount given (if any)
- VAT rate charged
And finally the third section should comprise of,
- Net amount, Vat amount and Gross Amount of the Invoice
- Payment terms/Due date for payment
The backside of an invoice can also be used to detail the ‘terms and conditions’ of the sale and can normally include clauses like ‘goods once sold cannot be returned’ etc. Alternatively, you can use the backside to advertise new products and services, promotions or any other information that may be useful to the seller.
As an invoice is a legal document, the ‘copy invoice’ should be stored safely. The seller should also maintain an invoice daybook in order to record the details of all the invoices issued. Indeed, tax officials or auditors may require the copy invoices and daybooks.
Since the VAT is ultimately passed on to the customer from the manufacturer or distributor, it is the right of every customer to demand for a vat invoice if not provided by the seller. A VAT invoice holds legal value and so the seller should also be very careful when issuing it and ensure it contains correct and accurate information.