No one questions the power great customer service holds over a company’s reputation and revenue. It’s the first thing customers notice when they come in contact with a business and the last thing they remember about a brand after making the purchase. It’s also a major factor in turning a one-time customer into a loyal client.
Did you know that 68% of customers confess that they’re eager to pay more for a product or a service if they’re getting a good customer experience in return? This holds true no matter what industry the company belongs to. In fact, as many as 90% of surveyed customers claimed that they often assess the quality of the customer service when deciding whether or not to do business with a company. If you’re planning on building long-lasting relationships with your customers, this number should prompt you to invest more in customer service.
When you enhance your customer service, you can expect improved customer satisfaction, boosted customer retention, and an increased number of upsells and cross-sells. Here are tips to help you stay on top of your customer service game:
Never stop training your customer service staff
There’s no end to learning, which pertains to even the most seasoned customer service personnel. No matter how new your staff is to the role, it’s vital to keep coaching them on the latest tools and updates in the industry.
The said training can take the form of scheduled workshops and brainstorming sessions that occur weekly, monthly, or quarterly. The more you engage your customer service staff in activities that take them outside of their comfort zone, the higher the chances of them improving how they serve customers.
Use automation-enabling tools that save you time and money
Not leveraging the latest technology when serving your customers can hinder productivity and progress. From the CRM allowing customer service reps to manage multi-channel flows, personalize customer interactions and measure customer service performance to chatbots that answer the most frequently asked customer questions, embracing customer service automation tools can make a world of difference for your business.
These digital tools save your customer service staff time answering the same questions repeatedly when serving your customers. Instead, they help shift the focus on the more complex tasks and leave the mundane issues to the Live Chat and an extensive knowledge base with FAQs and useful guides.
Respond in a timely manner
No one likes to wait for a reply. Your customers aren’t the exception. As a matter of fact, almost half of customers expect companies to get back to them within 4 hours. If the query requires more than just a one-sentence answer, consider employing software that would send auto-response emails on your behalf. Time-based email alerts are also helpful in avoiding delayed replies.
Consider investing in software that would store customer data for easy tracking and management. It’ll be a life-saver when monitoring customer service staff’s response time and help adjust it if needed.
Apologize when necessary and offer solutions
Adopting the “customer is always right” mentality can go a long way in ensuring that every customer is treated with the utmost respect. It’s okay to apologize if it means making the customer’s complaints heard and keeping him simultaneously. It also pays to offer a solution, whether a replacement of a broken product or a refund on an order that he never received.
Offering an apology can not only restore a relationship with a customer but also encourage him to rave about your company to his friends and family. It can also prompt the customer to withdraw his negative review. This, in turn, leads to your company having fewer negative reviews and more customers who are willing to do business with you.
Better customer service means happier customers and higher revenues
Never underestimate how much well-strategized customer service can do for your business. And while you don’t need to employ all the latest digital tools and invest significant sums in customer service training to win over customers, crafting a blueprint on how to treat customers and upholding it on a daily can do wonders in maintaining long-term relationships and making more money in the long run.
