Customer service is an elemental unit of a business organization that answers customer queries around the clock, assists users throughout and after the purchasing journey, makes the brand experience exceptionally good for conscious buyers, and delivers support in case of any issues. While it performs these crucial duties, customer service also represents a company’s core values and voices its message in a market full of noise to attract, acquire and retain leads. In other words, without a sound customer service team, you cannot hope to progress your business in this world of online users who constantly look for personalized treatment and instant fulfillment of their needs. So, if you have a customer service department that’s only subpar, then you should strive to improve it and make the customer experience more satisfying than ever. Perhaps, the following tips and tricks might help you gear up better for surviving the turbulent market. Check them out.
Adopt an Omnichannel Approach
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Not all customers interact equally. Some may feel comfortable speaking to live customer service agents on the phone, while others may prefer dropping a personal message in your company’s social media DMs. A few may choose to visit your business’s retail outlet in person, while many may take advantage of the self-support resources and tools you set up for them to reduce wait time.
In contrast to what you may think, accommodating all these types of customers is entirely possible with an omnichannel customer service approach. For instance, if you take a look at Cox’s contact page, you will see its professional Cox customer service number highlighted in display, along with the links to its social media handles and self-support library for Gen Z customers. There’s also a clickable live chat window button near the bottom of the page and the option to enjoy 24/7 assistance from Oliver – the automated chatbot, and more. Thus, by being there for your customers across multiple avenues, you can ensure higher traffic on your digital profiles and better chances of lead generation.
Humanize Your Interactions
Today’s users are in constant touch with technology, which can feel impersonal at times. So, when your distressed customers reach out to you, give them a personalized response, which has a warm, welcoming, and humane vibe, instead of repeating cold, scripted dialogues, which have a monotonous, artificial quality about them. How can you humanize your customer interactions and make the anxious callers feel more at home?
By addressing them with their names throughout the length of communication, speaking in their native tongue, using simple and easy to understand language which is rich in signposts, maintaining a kind and empathetic tone, thanking your customers for their time and support, listening to their woes patiently, and showing the clients how much you care for them, etc.
Respond Instantly
More than 70% of the users who post a complaint on social media expect the target company to reply within the hour, or risk losing their favor. The thing is that online users in the present era have incredibly short attention spans and tolerance levels. They hate to wait and wish for their demands to be gratified instantly. Brands and businesses that understand this public tendency and strategize their customer service efforts around it prove to be more successful than those that do not.
So, if you know what’s best for you, then you will dedicate special social support agents to answering customer queries around the clock, responding to requests the moment they pop up, and taking responsibility for their mistakes without wasting even a single second. Remember, the faster you are, the happier your customers will be.
Utilize Feedback Effectively
Criticism is a hard pill to swallow, but it is necessary for moving forward. You should train your customer service team to keep their ears to the ground for noting customer grievances and expectations from the company’s products or services. They should actively solicit feedback from customers who try out the brand offerings and ask if the seasoned users have any suggestions for improvement. Negative feedback plays a crucial part here. It helps a business recognize the loopholes in its operations and patch up the sensitive areas beforehand to eliminate problems in the long run and increase customer satisfaction rate.
Aim for a Memorable Experience
Customer service that cushions the entire purchasing process or support requirement, while displaying top-notch skills, renders the best customer experience, which remains fresh in the memory of satisfied users for years to come and they certainly don’t hesitate to talk about it with their social circles, bringing in more leads for you than your marketing department. So, always strive to create a well-rounded, memorable experience for your customer by staying with them proactively throughout the journey and inquiring after them once the service has been delivered.
Wrapping Up
Customer service plays a key role in a business’s growth trajectory. If the customer service is good, it can assist monumentally in revenue generation. However, if the customer service is bad, it can ruin your company’s reputation and sink its ship in the shark-infested commercial waves. So, we recommend you use the tips mentioned in this post to improve your customer service before it is too late and ensure your business sustainability in the years to come.
