Customer service is the lifeblood of your business, there’s no getting around that. You have to make sure that you are serving your customers well or they will start looking at your competitors and this is never a good thing. The loss of revenue can be massive if you are accused of having poor customer service and it spreads to your target audience.
With this in mind, you always have to make sure that you are providing the highest quality customer service that you can. This is not always easy and you must have strategic plans in place to make sure that everything goes smoothly at all times. Here’s a look at some of the main things you need to consider when it comes to having good customer service.
Know Your Target Audience
One of the most important things you need to do is make sure that you understand and know who your target audience is. You cannot provide customer service for your customers if you don’t know what they want, how they want it or even why they access your business in the first place.
All of this is valuable information that you can use to craft a customer service plan that is going to be a cut above the rest. This is key if you want to make sure that your customer service beats out your competition every time. It will give your target audience one more good reason to gravitate towards you instead of your competition.
Analyze What Works for Competitors
Every business is different. However, there is always valuable information that you can get simply by observing your competitors and what they do. Observing them can be a part of your market research.
If you have competitors you should never overlook a little spying into how they communicate with their customers. You can look at their website to see some of the main ways in which they do this.
Most businesses will make it clear to their customers how they can be contacted so you should take full advantage of this knowledge that your competitors freely have available. The most popular methods of contact are the telephone, email and chatbots which are powered by chatbot software for business websites.
Keep adding various methods of communication for your business when appropriate and affordable. This will decrease customer frustration which can lead to loss of business and bad word-of-mouth advertising.
Be Responsive and Accessible
It cannot be emphasized enough how important it is for you to be reachable. You already know that you should have at least three methods of communication but you need to know how to use what you have.
Make sure that you are giving quick responses. Answer your customers as soon as possible, preferably within a few minutes. Fast responses show customers that you value their time and are committed to resolving their concerns as much as you possibly can.
If possible make sure that you provide 24/7 availability for your customers. It will go a long way in making sure that they are not disgruntled.
Train Your Staff
Your staff is going to represent you and what you believe. By making sure that your employees are armed with the knowledge of how to give good customer service you are making their job easier and also securing the loyalty of your audience.
All of this is great and will help your business to grow very quickly. To equip your employees you have to make sure that you give them the knowledge they need in order to respond to your customers. Staff should have in-depth knowledge of your product and services. This will allow them to answer customer questions accurately and resolve issues as efficiently as possible.
Nothing frustrates customers more than dealing with representatives who don’t have the information they need to assist them very quickly. Make sure that your employees get soft skills training as well. Your customer service team should be trained in soft skills such as active listening, normal communication and empathy as well.
Great customer service is all about your ability to feel and put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Once the customer feels heard and valued you have secured their admiration and loyalty.
Continuous training is important so you always need to make sure that your team is up to date on the industry trends, services as well as products you provide. This is what ongoing training is going to provide. By doing this for your employees you set them up for success.
Personalize the Customer Experience
Customers appreciate personalized interaction in a world where people are flooded with generic marketing and customer service responses. By offering them a personal touch you’re going to set your business apart and make it memorable for your customers.
One of the best ways to make this personal touch possible is by using the customer’s first name. Make sure that you are using it regularly throughout the conversation as it gives your customers a sense of connection to the representative.
Make sure that you are always keeping a detailed record of your interactions with customers. This is very important. When you’re able to draw upon previous issues and interactions this can be very helpful.
It is going to make your customers feel valued, reducing the need for them to repeat themselves. This will foster long-term loyalty to your brand.
Always tailor your recommendations in the present based on the purchases and inquiries that they have made in the past. Looking at this will give you insight into the customers’ needs, as well as, the ways in which their problem can be resolved to leave them satisfied.
Go Above and Beyond Expectations
There are different levels of customer service there’s no doubt about that and you want to make sure that your customer service falls on the high end of the scale. When customers feel that your business goes the extra mile they’re more likely to turn to you before others.
You can do this by anticipating your customers’ needs. Rather than simply responding to your customer’s queries, anticipate their future needs as well.
For instance, if a customer purchases a product that is going to require accessories or replacement then you should practically suggest these additional items while they are making their purchase.
This shows forward thinking and ensures that your customers are better prepared, instead of going home and then complaining about not having a specific accessory, to use with what they have bought. They will be very disappointed that they were not told upfront by your company.
Do a Follow-up
Make sure that you always do a follow-up with your customer after you have had customer service interactions with them. Find out if they are satisfied with the solution. A follow-up call or email can show your customers that their satisfaction is a big priority for you and that you care about their continued experience with your business.
Handle Complaints Professionally
Being criticized is not always easy, but no business is immune to it. What will set your business apart is how you handle these complaints. Dealing with difficult situations effectively can turn an unhappy customer into a loyal one if you know what you’re doing.
Do Not Interrupt
Make sure that you train your staff to listen without interrupting what the customers have to say. Let them rant and rage and get it out of their system.
This will allow you to fully understand the issue and show that you value their feedback. With that being said, your agents should be trained not to respond with the same energy. When it comes to dealing with irate customers you cannot fight fire with fire. They should be empathetic at all times even when the customer gets upset.
Provide Solutions
The next thing that your customer service representatives should do is to provide solutions for the customers. Once they understand the issues, they should work with the customers to find which solution is going to work best for both parties. Sometimes this may mean offering a replacement, giving a refund or even a gift certificate. The goal is to leave the customer feeling as if their concerns have been addressed in a satisfactory way.
Empower your employees to resolve these issues on the spot without needing approval from multiple levels of management. This can slow down response time and make your customers more disgruntled. Complaints should always be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Training your staff to handle these with minimal downtime for the customer.
Keeping your customers happy keeps you in business. There’s no way around that. This is why you always have to make sure that you are doing everything in your power to keep them happy and satisfied with your business. Happy customers keep coming back and that means more cash in your business and in your pocket. They also bring other people along with them such as family and friends, and this will grow your business rapidly.
