4 Simple ways to boost your customer service
Effective customer service can help improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, increase positive word-of-mouth marketing about your brand and consequently can help lead to a boost in customers and conversions.
No matter the form your customer service takes, you can take it to the next level (and hopefully retain more customers) with the following strategies;
1. Extend empathy
The goal of customer service isn’t simply to fix a problem. It is also to provide a positive experience that will elevate the perception of your brand in customers’ eyes. Empathy helps you do just that by connecting with customers on a personal level. In doing so, you establish a human touch that no marketing or advertising campaign could ever match.
2. Practice patience
One of the most effective ways to boost your team’s capacity for patience is to train them to separate their personal feelings from the situation. As a customer service rep, it’s easy to feel like an angry customer is upset with you personally and this can put you on the slippery slope toward lashing out.
Team members should work to remember that the customer’s feelings don’t have anything to do with them as individuals. Doing so will provide the space necessary to remain level-headed no matter what.
3. Communicate clearly
Crystal-clear communication is critical for any customer service interaction, but it becomes even more pressing if the customer service experience isn’t happening face-to-face. Don’t assume you understand what the client is asking, instead, articulate your understanding of their problem and desired solution so you can make sure you’re both on the same page before moving on to resolving the issue. You want to confirm that you’re both still on the same page. Don’t move on until you both understand where things stand.
4. Follow up effectively
It’s easy to feel like solving a customer’s issue marks the end of the interaction. But it’s important to follow up with customers afterwards to see how they’re faring and to confirm that they aren’t experiencing any residual issues.
Doing so conveys to your customers that the investment you expressed during your interaction was heartfelt and that your company remains committed to their experience. Even if nothing needs to be fixed, following up provides you with an opportunity to ask for feedback about how your customer service could be further improved.
Credit: Dan Scalco