Less than a decade ago, customer service was considered a mere support function of a company. Back then, businesses got by with small customer support teams that could pass flustered customers from one extension to another. Or so it seemed to the rest of us.
Customer Service - An Important Driver
Today, the customer service segment of business has mushroomed into an important driver for customer growth, engagement, and retention. In fact, today’s businesses are quickly discovering consumers who get frustrated aren’t just simmering, or worse, boiling -- they’re publicizing their frustration as well.
Thanks to social media, consumers are realizing the power they have over businesses when it comes to customer services. They’re no longer chasing after customer service agents and waiting on hold. Instead, they’re logging on social media sites, gaining the attention and instant access needed to solve their problems.
What’s more, the companies who drop the ball on such interactions these days aren’t just losing one consumer at a time. They’re finding themselves under firestorms fueled by a social media customer base that values transparency. As a result, they’re having to tackle brand disengagement, PR nightmares, and decreasing consumer indexes.
Fortunately, businesses still have a chance to thrive and redeem themselves in the cut-throat atmosphere of customer service. If you’re looking for a way to improve your less than stellar customer support system at work, consider this formula:
Empower Your Customers
The most efficient customer support happens when a client walks away feeling like they’ve found a solution and have the knowledge to solve similar issues in the future swiftly. Give your customers confidence that you are ready to give them full control over the products and services they’ve purchased. Provide consumers with a chance to engage with you whenever possible by connecting with them on the platforms and devices of their choice.
The growing world of mobile doesn’t mean that customer service providers can just connect with users via phone call anymore. The empowered consumer wants to be able to access companies on email, Twitter, Facebook, phone calls, and even text. Be sure that you’re providing your services right to your customers' fingertips by setting up a team that’s ready to tap into different platforms for support.
Hold On to Your Humanity
As you continue to grow your business, it’s crucial for you to keep in mind the importance of personal touch. In today’s world of automated customer service phone systems, it’s becoming more and more unique for consumers to encounter agents that aren’t prerecorded robots.
Automation can be expedient, but it’s impersonal tone and risk of delivering confusing or wrong in information can be damaging to the customer experience. Do your best to avoid reducing your customer service team to an automated system. Not only will your patrons value the time and effort your team puts into catering to their direct needs, they’ll come back for a service experience that is becoming all the more rare.
Layout The Rules
As a business owner, it’s crucial for you to set criteria and establish what is and isn't acceptable in every area of your business. Customer service, in particular, should be an area of extreme priority. Sit down with your customer support team and take the time to outline what qualifies as the standard of excellence for your business.
Remove any ambiguities and communicate these rules in a clear and concise manner for your team to understand. Thoroughly defining these standards will allow your employees a chance to measure their own performance and garner a better understanding of how to handle various scenarios that customers might throw their way.
Remember, Customers Are The Experts Of Customer Service
The adage “the customer is always right” is still alive and well in the world of customer service. In fact, it has a profound staying power in the world of business. Though it might not always be true, the sentiment behind “the customer is always right” is crucial to keep in the minds of your customer service team.
Conclusion
As you train and retain your team always be sure to remind them that customer service is all about bringing about the desired end result of a customer interaction. A customer might not always be right, but a good customer service agent will relate to them as if they are. Remind employees that regardless of who’s fault, by the time an interaction is over, there should still be a door that customers will feel comfortable coming back through.
Of course, this should be obvious if a mistake has been made on your part and you are working to right the wrong. However, if your customer happens to be in the wrong, this sentiment might be even more important to maintain. Always go for a strong finish with every customer action, and keep in mind that the key is respectfully allowing a customer to be wrong.