The way buyers interact with sellers has changed dramatically over time. Nowadays, consumers expect to have a wholesome “experience” with a brand, and not just an impersonal exchange. This experience initiates from the moment they get in touch with a business and goes for as long as they stay with the company after one or several purchases have been made.
What affects customer experience deeply is the customer service of a company. Customer service is the department, which ensures that the customer has a pleasant buying journey and a memorable experience with the brand. In other words, customer service seals the fate of a business, either elevating it to heights of popularity or plunging it into the dark abyss, depending on how it is deployed.
Since consumers prefer a brand’s presence across multiple platforms, so, companies strive to offer “omnichannel” customer care to cover every possible ground. Take the example of Cox, which provides both the Cox customer service number and a live chat button on its website, so its subscribers can choose whichever way they deem best to contact the representatives around the clock. Similarly, other businesses target social media, email, fax, and SMS avenues to cushion the customer experience.
Still, there is another side to the debate, as well. Your customer service may have an established presence on several channels, but if it’s not good, then what’s the use? You’re just wasting your resources and not converting any leads. This is where we come in. In this post, we will highlight the best tips to deliver great customer service, no matter which field of commerce you belong to. These general tips will make sure to satisfy your customers holistically and bring long-term business success. So, stay tuned and read on.
Land a Solid Opening
First impressions are everything. This is where you can really hook a customer for life. So, it has to be done right. Experts recommend addressing customers with their names instead of a cold “hello,” using a warm and human-centric tone instead of automated responses, listening attentively to what they have to say, speaking in a language that is crisp, clear, and easy to understand, and promoting business propositions with a subtle persuasion instead of a bold-faced pitch. Once the conversation is underway, maintain it wisely and close it on a great note. Yes, the ending matters, too. It leaves the customer feeling happy and well cared for by a brand.
Personalize the Interaction
The time for scripted conversations is long gone. Today’s consumers seek a personalized experience with a brand’s customer service. In other words, they expect to be treated as individuals rather than mere ticket numbers and have their feelings, opinions, and complaints taken into account, rather than facing a one-size-fits-all strategy. So, to deliver great customer service, you should personalize your customer interactions by going off-script, asking about their interests, hobbies, or birthdays, and even throwing a tasteful joke here and there to lighten up the conversation.
Respond Fast
Customers hate to wait. It’s as simple as that. They want instant gratification, and if a business doesn’t cater to that tendency, they abandon the respective company in search of a better one, since they have hundreds of options at their disposal. Thus, in order to retain your customers, train your customer service to be quick and efficient with customer interactions. When a customer reaches out through whichever channel, respond instantly. This shows the consumers that you value their time, and they are more inclined to favor you over your competitors. Speed is of the essence, after all.
Be Knowledgeable
The core purpose of customer service is to provide assistance. Now, you cannot help customers through their confusions or problems if you yourself are not clear about the company’s offerings and policies. So, learn everything there is to know about the business products or services, their values, goals, and branding language. This is the only way you can discuss the features, give insightful recommendations, and solve the issues of customers who reach out to you for assistance.
Stay Positive
It is incredibly difficult to deal with frustrated or angry consumers. They may throw verbal jabs at a customer service representative in the worst manner possible. So, what should you do to counter it? Give them a piece of your mind? No. As a customer service agent, you should maintain your “cool.” Handle everything professionally and constructively. This is how you will successfully convert a negative customer experience into a positive one. Remember: Only ice can cut through fire.
Give Proactive Support
Customer service is a tough gig. It is easy to lose track of your initial motivation and provide sub-par, apathetic support to customers, which doesn’t bode too well for the company. So, opt for this field only if you are up for it. Give assistance to customers proactively. Anticipate their requests before they even say them out loud. Go the extra mile to solve their issues. And, to seal the deal, follow up on their experience after resolution. Proactive support can also mean pointing customers to self-service portals, so they can help themselves in the future and don’t have to wait around for assistance.
Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep
Giving your word to a customer if you can’t fulfill it is a plain breach of trust. It seriously harms the relationship that a customer has with a company, and incites a trail of negative feedback, which burns a business left, right, and center. So, as a customer service representative, you should only make promises you can keep. If the matter is out of your hands, then gently and sincerely apologize to the customer, and forward their queries to your supervisor. If you do happen to make a mistake, take responsibility for it, instead of going into denial. Always think ahead and stay empathetic.
Wrapping Up
Customer service is the key to sustaining a company’s growth. Therefore, implement the aforementioned tips to deliver great customer service to your buyers, so they can spread the good word about your company and inspire new leads to join the ranks of your customers, making it rain profits on you.