Customer service is a key profit generator. Thus companies must constantly improve it. Customer service excellence may improve sales by 20% or more of overall business revenue.
Fortunately, there are several ways to boost your team's performance. These
will provide a smooth client journey from prospect through post-sale, from
quality assurance to customer feedback.
Having tools to demonstrate their performance and customer experience effect on
your staff might help them improve. These appropriate tools can help you take
corrective measures before it's too late. Genuine, ongoing dialogues with your
staff will boost performance and client retention.
Here we present you 20 strategies to improve your customer’s service.
1. Mission and vision statements
Customer service needs mission and vision statements. How are they separate?
Your team's mission statement is written in the present tense. A vision
statement describes your team's or brand's future.
Mission and vision statements provide your team direction and purpose. They can
understand your team and assist you in achieving your goals.
Such well-picked words and expressions may attract talent, encourage your staff,
and show clients what customer service means to your firm.
2. Get the Best People on Your Team and Win
Customer service starts with your audience's closest representatives.
Therefore, hire individuals who care about assisting others.
Harris Interactive found that 73% of consumers stay with a business because of
nice customer care representatives that provide a memorable experience.
Remember the saying "hire for attitude, train for skill" while recruiting.
Hire positive minds. No matter how much experience or expertise someone has,
everything will slide through the cracks if they have the wrong mindset.
However, service-minded individuals may be taught even without the necessary
skills.
3. Display confidence.
Are your employees dissatisfied with their jobs? Well, it may be obvious in
their body language and make consumers experience the same energy when they
visit your store.
Body language includes hand movements, facial emotions, eye contact, etc.
Mastering these indicators improves customer service.
Subtle body language adjustments might influence how consumers see your brand.
Teach agents to read consumer body language as well as their own. Facial
expressions might show whether a buyer needs assistance buying your merchandise.
4. Practice Empathy
Better customer service? Empathize in all customer service encounters.
Empathy is always needed in phone calls and live chats.
Customer service empathy involves understanding and sharing customer sentiments.
Empathetic agents can relate to consumers.
Encourage agents to utilize empathy remarks with angry consumers. "I would feel
this too if I were in your situation," "I'm sorry you have to cope with this,"
and "I've been there too" are examples.
5. Distribute Tasks Wisely
Your customer support team's success depends on how you prioritize and
delegate. To avoid overworked agents, spread works evenly.
Smart task allocation by managers boosts team productivity and customer service.
Instead of organizing everything in the morning, inform your agents of their
unique duties.
Instead of having everyone do everything, let your agents specialize.
Technically savvy persons can address technical concerns. Great communicators
may also accept client calls. When you find the appropriate balance, everything
will operate like a charm.
6. Don't Break Promises
Do you remember when your favorite company broke a promise? It felt bad,
right? Similarly, false promises make customers distrust brands.
You'll disappoint customers if you can't give speedier shipping, best-in-class
product quality, 24×7 customer service, etc.
For instance, guaranteeing next-day delivery to please clients is wrong. Be
honest about what your firm can give. If you're not cautious, clickbait offers
might harm your brand's image.
7. Automation using Software
Balance people with technology to provide exceptional customer service. Cloud
tools automate manual activities and save time.
These automated customer support solutions automate internal procedures and
boost team efficiency. Agents will have time to address urgent situations.
Customer Support Automation may enhance customer service:
- Automated Ticket Routing: You may assign or distribute tickets to certain agents equally. Agents will know what to work on, saving time.
- Chatbots: They also let you create chatbots for your specific requirements. Control the discussion and help your audience 24/7.
8. Website Maintenance
Your company's website is a vital customer service tool. Most consumers check
your website before calling assistance.
A company may improve customer assistance by maintaining a user-friendly
website. Behind the scenes, you must monitor user behavior to determine why they
spend more time on particular sites than others.
Online stores must provide accurate product descriptions. Without information,
consumers will call and email. Connect your "contact us" page to relevant FAQs
and assistance pages to address typical inquiries.
9. Email and chat templates
Customer service uses email and chats the most. However, if you still type
extensive client answers, you may spend more time than you realize.
Chat and email templates for typical circumstances improve agent efficiency,
save time, minimize effort, and delight clients with speedier replies.
Email templates help you keep a consistent tone and message. Chat-prepared
replies may assist operators in handling several consumers.
Cover "customer complaints," "return or refund requests," "subscription
cancellations," "technical support," "order out for delivery," etc.
10. Blame No One
Blaming customers or coworkers for mistakes lowers your professionalism. To
enhance customer service, avoid blaming others.
Customers, like everyone else, hate admitting errors. Even if the customer is
incorrect, don't blame or justify.
Instead, speak carefully and gently correct. You should teach them, not argue.
11. Reward Customers
How do you keep consumers pleased and returning? You must repeatedly reward
brand loyalty.
64% of organizations with customer loyalty programs say it earns more money than
it costs to maintain.
Airline, restaurant, and fashion loyalty programs are popular. As a company
owner, you may thank consumers in inventive ways.
Amazon Prime Membership rewards consumers. Amazon Prime subscribers enjoy
shopping, delivery, streaming, reading, and more.
12. Streamline Retail Checkout
Retailers are revising their checkout processes because of the COVID-19
outbreak. A lengthy checkout queue before COVID-19 may appear unsafe now.
Why should anybody like waiting in lengthy lines? Make checkout as easy as
possible to improve offline shopping and promote repeat purchases.
Several methods are available:
- Ensure consumers observe the social distance. Stickers and signage at checkouts should emphasize social distancing.
- Encourage cashless payments using digital wallets or cards. This reduces transmission hazards greatly.
- Make sure your e-commerce store's checkout page covers shipping, payment, and other FAQs. Customers may have all their inquiries addressed in one spot and enjoy a smooth checkout.
13. Create Procedures for Unsatisfied Customers
Customers might be upset for several reasons, including late delivery, a
broken website, or a 30-second wait time.
91% of unsatisfied consumers quit a business without complaining, according to
research. Thus, restoring your consumers' smiles would be best before they go to
your competition.
How? To help your staff handle furious consumers, establish consistent
processes. Allow them to refund, return, exchange, or escalate problems to a
senior.
14. Take Responsibility
Even Apple, Amazon, and Disney make errors. However, they apologize first.
Apologizing indicates that you made a mistake. Customers will think you didn't
understand your error or don't care. After all, admitting fault requires
bravery.
Instead of ignoring your faults, respond swiftly. Accept your mistake and
contact the consumer. Apologize and explain everything. You must also show them
how your firm is fixing the issue quickly. This will restore credibility.
15. Improve Resolution Time
Customer care requires speed and speediness. Your customer care staff should
answer within hours in the digital era.
According to Statista, 77% of live chat customers want a fast answer, while 62%
of email consumers anticipate a response within 24 hours.
Prioritize first-contact resolution. FCR is the number of first-contact support
tickets resolved. Customers won't need to contact you several times for the same
problem, and agents may solve difficult issues without escalations with a high
FCR rate.
16. Take Control of Social Media
Social media networks now provide several ways to enhance customer service.
Respond to consumer messages or offer valuable content to help your worldwide
audience.
34% of consumers use social media to research and complain about items.
You may communicate with your target audience, educate them about your goods or
services, and quickly address their complaints on social networking platforms
like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You must know that even one Twitter
complaint may attract millions of people. Respect diverse client groups'
feelings and reply fast.
17. Improve Customer Feedback
Customer feedback is a great way to improve services. Make it easy for
consumers to submit feedback. Share surveys after customer service interactions
or sometimes.
Microsoft found that 77% of customers prefer organizations that actively solicit
and use customer input.
Customer feedback:
- Every encounter, share CSAT surveys: You must assess client satisfaction after a call or email with an agent. After the engagement, share surveys to better identify what needs to be improved.
Apply useful advice: Not every input is valuable. If you carefully read the replies, you will find numerous ways to enhance your product or service.
18. Educate
Are your staff uncomfortable with customers? Do they lack the expertise to
identify client issues? Regular, in-depth training may solve these and other
issues.
Customer service relies on well-trained workers. They rapidly comprehend client
issues, connect with them, solve problems, and offer their skills when required.
Agents must grasp how your product works and believe in it. Highlight product
advantages, USPs, and other aspects throughout training. You may even
demonstrate to them how your product is helping actual people via testimonials
or case studies.
19. Do More
Most companies are hesitant to go further to improve customer support and
beat competitors.
Customers appreciate your little efforts. A thank you card or extending a client
conversation beyond your shift may leave a big impact.
Leading brands always strive to surpass expectations. Zoom is changing remote
work. Zoom offers free training sessions and often posts new training films to
assist users in using its products.
20. Customer Service is Teamwork
Several departments in a company tackle client issues daily. Thus, every
department contributes to client satisfaction.
Marketing, sales, and product teams must collaborate to improve customer
service. The product team may work with the support team to better understand
customer wants and difficulties while creating new products. This inclusive
strategy will make your firm customer-centric.
If you want world-class customer service, contact Loop Contact Solutions to
outsource your customer services.
