How to Provide Excellent Customer Service: Tips and Examples

Businesses invest a lot of money and resources into creating a superb customer experience. 

Research backs this up, as this initiative has serious positive financial ramifications. To explain, McKinsey’s research insights have noted that an impressive 70% of the customer journey is defined by how a customer feels they are being treated. If they feel they are treated well, they’re more likely to buy and make repeat purchases. 

Insight reports show a 38% point difference in likelihood to recommend the brand between consumers rating their customer experience as “good” compared to those who rate it “poor”. And retaining customers by just 5% can impact a business’ bottom line increasing profits by more than 25%, according to Bain and Company

All this boils down to one thing: providing excellent customer service is non-negotiable. But how does your business fare in this regard?

If you want to learn exactly how to provide excellent customer service, this post is for you. Below, you’ll read about what it means in the context of the UK, explore some tips to get it right, and more. 

What Does Excellent Customer Service Mean in the UK?

In the UK, excellent customer service means consistently making customers feel heard, valued, and understood at every stage of interaction. It requires that every touchpoint, from in-store to online, leaves customers with a positive impression. They should walk away feeling respected and satisfied every time.

Delivering this experience requires both a technical and emotional approach. 

The UK has developed a Customer Service Excellence Standard (CSE), which falls under the Cabinet Office. It contains over 50 criteria which an organisation (both public and private) is evaluated by. 

Among the key categories for evaluation are customer insights, organisational culture, information and access, service delivery, timeliness, and quality. Each category reflects cultural and regional factors shaped by British customers’ expectations.

In short, when it comes to service interactions, they value qualities such as:

• Politeness;
• Patience and calmness;
• Non-intrusiveness and respect for personal privacy;
• A professional tone of voice;
• Timeliness and a commitment to fast problem resolution;
• Loyalty, particularly for local businesses which interact with their communities daily;
• A more reserved as opposed to an emotional approach;
• The human touch, which is supplemented but not overshadowed by tech adoption;
• Consistency across platforms, both physical and online, for omnichannel fluidity;
• Convenience of tech solutions such as contactless and mobile payments and point-of-sale (POS) integration.

This list may appear straightforward, and it’s easy to assume your business meets all the criteria. However, a thorough self-assessment or a professional evaluation is necessary to identify gaps and areas for improvement.

10+ Actionable Tips to Deliver Excellent Customer Service

The philosophy of excellent customer service emphasises that every business needs to focus on providing an exceptional customer journey at every touchpoint and each interaction with your business. But how do you start? And how do you move from offering great customer service to unmatched service excellence?

Below, we share some customer service tips that your customer service team can implement to exceed expectations.

1. Know your customer and their needs

To empower your customer support team, you need to start by creating buyer personas to help you navigate and gain a better understanding of customer needs. 

When you create an ideal buyer persona, you know which population group you are serving. Yes, there will be outliers, but you’ll also have deep knowledge of who your main customers are. This means having insights into their buying behaviors, their demographics, pain points, interests, needs, and wants.

This knowledge helps your team tailor their approach and communication to make customers feel heard, understood, and supported. It also improves efficiency and creates positive experiences.

2. Train your staff regularly

Positive customer interactions with your brand, especially at the support and care level, require a trained team. Each one of your customer service representatives must be equipped with the skills, tools, and knowledge to deal with absolutely any situation.

This means everything from resolving quick fixes to dealing with difficult customers. Your team needs to know exactly what to do and say and how to behave in every possible scenario. They also need the right tools at their fingertips to see how to best assist the customer in question. Such tools may range from customer relationship management (CRM) software to artificial intelligence, dashboards, insights into your organisation’s back-end systems, and more.

Apart from the tech skills or hardware, they also need strong emotional intelligence (EQ). This means they must have outstanding communication skills coupled with the ability to engage in active listening so that they can attend to effective problem solving. They need to be polite, courteous and professional at all times while always conveying a positive attitude that encourages customers to feel heard. 

Offering the right training sessions on a regular basis will hone and enhance their skills for excellent problem-solving approaches.

3. Empower employees to make decisions

To achieve high customer success rates through accurate, timely and professional problem-solving approaches, you need to empower your employees. They need to know exactly when they can handle a situation from A to Z themselves.

Alternatively, they need to know when to escalate it to a manager. Either way, they must know who they can count on in case they can’t immediately resolve the customer’s problem on their own.

Once again, this requires both tech tools and a team that they can count on. This necessitates strong communication skills. However, it also means effective time management so that they can address issues and questions in real time while reducing the average resolution time that your client services team has as a target.

4. Be accessible and responsive

Your customer service team also needs to be accessible and responsive. Say that a customer has reached out to your company through its social media account first. They shouldn’t be expected to repeat their query or concern over an email, telephone call, or chatbot interaction.

You need to meet them where they are. This ties in with creating an omnichannel experience, which means you’re available and accessible to your customers on whichever platform they are. Once your customers have reached out to you on their preferred platform, you need to be responsive.

Your team member responsible for the communication must display all of the best customer service skills together. This means politeness and professionalism, calmness and patience, active listening and more. When they respond, the customer must feel that they are valued, heard, understood and that they feel like they are a priority for your business.

Since your customer support team is such a crucial point of contact with your customer, the responsible team member must leave a favourable lasting impression and aim to resolve the problem through and through.

Even if they need to escalate the situation to a manager, one of the foundational principles of customer care is to follow up with the same customer at the end. Such a follow up aims to find out if their issue was resolved and if there’s anything else the customer may need to enjoy the offering of your business.

5. Use technology to support service excellence

Technology should simplify service, speed up resolution, and ensure consistency across all customer interactions. 

To apply it effectively:

• Audit your communication channels. Identify where your customers actually engage, then add any relevant channels you’re missing.
  
• Train your team on each platform. Ensure employees can handle every supported channel with confidence and clarity, avoiding repeated questions or lost context.
  
• Eliminate friction between touchpoints. Choose systems that carry conversation history forward, so customers don’t have to repeat themselves when transferred.
  
• Focus on fast resolution. Use tools that reduce response times, support accurate information-sharing, and make it easier to solve problems on first contact.
  
• Integrate your tech stack. Align platforms so they work together rather than in silos, making the service process smoother for both your team and your customers.

With the right systems in place, technology becomes a driver of trust, efficiency, and long-term customer satisfaction instead of just a set of tools.

6. Handle complaints with empathy

Some customers will complain about your business. These are the ones you need to focus on. A single negative review can damage your brand’s reputation, and that’s why it’s important to respond with empathy.

Empathy means putting yourself in your customer’s shoes, showing understanding of what they’re experiencing, and helping them address the problem. In practice, it aims to not frustrate the customer during the interaction.

For example, if a team member is speaking with a customer through your website’s chat box, they should avoid using emojis, unless the customer uses them first. This keeps the tone aligned and professional.

Active listening is also essential, even if it’s via the written word. Your assigned team member should be able to pick up on the customer’s tone, decipher their sentiment toward your business, and act accordingly.

Sometimes, to appease an unhappy customer, businesses throw in additional perks and benefits for free to help ensure that they walk away happy.

7. Gather and act on feedback

Instant feedback should be a part of your processes. This can include quick rating tools like a five-point emoticon survey, written comments, QR codes that link to feedback forms, review requests, or Net Promoter Score (NPS) evaluations.

Regardless of which feedback methods you use, you need to review the results carefully and identify areas for improvement. If a team member shows consistently average performance, targeted training may help raise their standard.

If there’s an issue with your product’s functionality, involve the right team in the customer support process. The same applies to service-related problems. For example, if a customer reports that a service didn’t meet their expectations, ensure the relevant team is brought in to address the issue directly.

You also need to talk to the team that actually performed the service to establish where things may have gone wrong. Were they late to arrive? Did they respect the customer’s home and property by keeping things tidy and cleaning up after themselves? Were they courteous and polite throughout? Did they actually perform the service according to expectations?

These are questions that must be asked to make incremental improvements to your customer service offering.

8. Maintain consistency across channels

Another way to improve your customer service offering is to maintain a fluid, omnichannel presence that is defined by consistency. Your response times should be the same. Your level of politeness and professionalism should be the same.

Your approach should be tailored to the customer’s needs. However, even after the after-call or after-email customer support process is completed, your feedback process should kick in with consistency, too.

9. Go the extra mile

Outstanding customer service means doing more than solving the immediate issue. It requires genuine attention to detail and small actions that show customers they are valued.

In practice, this could mean calling a customer before they have to chase you if there’s a delay in their order or service. If a scheduled appointment runs late, offer a specific reschedule slot and a small credit as a goodwill gesture. In the UK, where reliability and courtesy are expected, clear communication matters more than overpromising.

If a customer mentions a special occasion like a birthday or a house move, a handwritten card or a personalised offer shows attention and care. These thoughtful touches build trust and long-term loyalty.

10. Reward loyal customers

Research by Microsoft Dynamics 365 indicates that 95% of consumers value a positive customer service experience as a direct factor that affects their loyalty to a brand. Conversely, 60% of consumers will desert a brand and switch to a competitor if they feel the customer service they received was poor.

If you have customers that have been with your business for a while and they’ve consistently purchased from your business, you need to focus on retaining them and ensuring that you maintain their customer loyalty even if a problem arises and they reach out to your support team.

We already mentioned that by increasing your customer retention rate by only 5% can increase your profits by more than 25%. This statistic is worth paying attention to because your customer lifetime value should be contributing to your business’ bottom line. 

11. Monitor and audit customer service as seriously as sales

It’s natural to want to focus on your total sales figures to make business decisions. But because your sales are a direct result of your customer service efforts, it’s vital to monitor your business customer service offering.

As you strive toward customer service excellence, you need to periodically focus on what is working and what isn’t. This is achieved through regular audits. The CSE Standard that we mentioned earlier is a great way to help you audit, monitor and implement great feedback to achieve outstanding customer service that will help your business growth.

When you concentrate on the quality of your support strategies and implement industry-accepted customer service principles, your overall business strategy will improve.

Real-Life Examples of Excellent Customer Service in the UK

Below are practical, real-world excellent customer service examples from the UK. Each shows different ways to improve customer service, from personal attention to fast, helpful aftercare.

Small retailer example

John Lewis is often noted as an example of excellent customer service for its generous returns policy and in-store support. 

Staff take time to resolve problems and the retailer publishes clear customer-service and returns pages to make help easy to find.

Hospitality example

The Ritz London demonstrates personalised, high-touch service. Staff at various levels are well-trained to anticipate guest needs and deliver memorable moments (from name-recognition to bespoke requests). 

This is one of the best good customer service examples in luxury hospitality: attentive staff and a clear commitment to the guest experience.

eCommerce example

AO.com shows how an ecommerce business can deliver excellent customer service by combining a UK-based contact centre, reliable delivery options and a culture that empowers staff to help customers. 

This is a practical example of delivering excellent customer service online, with an average of 4.8 stars based on 500,000+ Trustpilot reviews and a high net promoter score (NPS).

How Payment Solutions Can Support Better Customer Service

Modern payment technology isn’t only about processing transactions. It enhances the customer experience from start to finish. With the right tools, your UK business can speed up service, reduce friction and gather insights that help you consistently deliver better support.

Features that help businesses serve better

Fast, reliable and portable card machines allow staff to take payments anywhere, whether at the restaurant table, shop floor or event stand. Smart payment terminals also enable tipping prompts, instant feedback surveys and built-in loyalty integrations. 

These features create smoother interactions, encourage repeat visits and help businesses recognise loyal customers without manual processes.

Payment flexibility means customer happiness

Offering multiple payment methods, including contactless card payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and digital wallets, ensures customers can pay how they prefer. 

With the UK among the most contactless-friendly markets in Europe, giving people payment flexibility directly contributes to faster queues and a more convenient experience.

Payment service providers like myPOS offer you a multitude of accepted payment methods with instant settlement of funds and a range of other advantages that your business can benefit from so you can serve your customers better.

Integrated reporting for service monitoring

Integrated POS reporting empowers teams to better understand customer behaviour. Payment analytics can reveal peak service times, staff efficiency and repeat-customer trends. 

Businesses can use this insight to schedule staff more effectively, reduce wait times and tailor offers or loyalty rewards based on spending habits. Ultimately, this reinforces a customer-first culture backed by real data.

How to Measure Success and Make Improvements

Delivering excellent customer service is an ongoing process and the most successful UK businesses use data to track performance and continually refine their approach. With a modern POS system, you can monitor customer behaviour, identify service gaps and measure improvements over time.

Some key customer service key performance indicators (KPIs) to track include:

• Customer satisfaction scores: gathered through on-terminal surveys or post-purchase feedback to understand how customers rate their experience.
  
• Transaction speed: measuring how quickly payments are completed can highlight bottlenecks, staff training needs or opportunities to streamline your checkout process.
  
• Return visits and repeat customers: loyalty data and payment history reveal how many customers come back, helping you determine long-term satisfaction and engagement.
  
• Average order value (AOV): a rising AOV often reflects effective upselling and a positive customer experience.
  
• Refund or complaint rates: frequent issues could indicate service, product or experience weaknesses.

By reviewing these KPIs regularly via a POS dashboard, businesses can make data-driven decisions ranging from adjusting staffing levels during peak times to refining loyalty incentives. The result is a consistent, measurable service improvement and a customer-centric operation that earns more repeat business.

Final Take: Customer Service as a Growth Strategy

Excellent customer service extends beyond support to being a powerful growth driver. In the UK’s competitive market, the businesses that prioritise service stand out, win loyalty and enjoy higher repeat revenue. When customers feel valued and supported, they don’t just buy once. They return, recommend and become long-term brand advocates.

By training your team, embracing smart payment and POS tools and learning from proven examples, you can make every interaction smoother and more memorable. Consistency, empathy and convenience are key. And modern systems make it easier than ever to collect feedback, monitor performance and keep improving.

Think of service excellence as an ongoing journey. The more you refine your processes and listen to your customers, the stronger your reputation becomes. Delivering great service isn’t just good practice. It’s a competitive advantage that fuels sustainable business growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is customer service in simple words?

Customer service means helping customers before, during and after they buy from you. It’s about answering questions, solving problems quickly and making people feel supported so they have a positive experience with your business.

What skills go with customer service?

Great customer service requires a mix of communication, patience and problem-solving skills. Key abilities include active listening, empathy, product knowledge, clear communication, professionalism and the ability to stay calm under pressure. Strong time-management and familiarity with helpful tools (like CRM or POS systems) also make support faster and more effective.

How to handle a difficult customer?

To handle a difficult customer, stay calm, listen carefully and show empathy for their concerns. Let them explain the issue without interruption, confirm you understand their problem and offer a clear solution or next step. If needed, escalate politely to a manager. Remaining patient and professional helps defuse tension and builds trust, even in challenging situations.