With almost 54% of customers saying that they have more expectations regarding the quality of customer service than they did one year ago, providing excellent customer care is no longer a privilege. As a matter of fact, more than 50% of customers say that they’re ready to pay more to receive better customer care service.
So, what does this mean to you as a manager? We have assembled here the best tips that can help you improve your customer support and ace your customer service game.
How To Improve Customer Service
An insufficient level of customer service means that you’ll find it harder to retain your customers, and might even lose potential customers due to the bad publicity.
This is why creating the right atmosphere and teaching your employees about the principles of competent customer care service should be one of your top priorities as a manager. Here are some of the best tips to follow.
- Employees should ask customers how they can help. Whether your customer is buying a product, reaching out for a complaint, or asking about the features of a product they’ve already bought, an employee should always ask if there’s anything they might help with and whether they’ve answered all the customers’ questions.
- Employees should be prompt, clear, and transparent when a customer has a question. People don’t have a lot of free time to waste, and your employees should show that they appreciate customers’ time. They should ask the necessary questions and offer a practical solution.
- Teach your employees to address customers by their names, whether they’re talking to them face to face, on the phone, or in an email. This friendlier approach will make customers feel that the employee actually cares and knows what they’re going through. In addition, people actually feel happy when they hear their names called.
- To increase the level of personalization, employees should send personalized messages when they’re interacting with customers. Sending messages and emails on the customer’s birthday, a message that addresses one of the customer’s problems regarding their family setup, or even offering another solution if the customer has previously returned a product will all work.
Automated generic messages don’t provide that personal touch that customers usually appreciate a lot. - Old-school contact can sometimes bring your business under the spotlight. Believe it or not, most customers crave that personal touch that a phone call had over a text message or an email. While modern ways of communication can be time-saving and more efficient, they can sometimes be too generic.
- Thank you notes or emails leave a great impression. Employees should always remember to thank customers for doing business with them or buying their products and services. When the customer feels that the business is indifferent to them, they’re unlikely to come back for another product or service. Customized messages, hand-written cards, or small gifts will work better than generic emails.
- If the customer makes a mistake, turn it into a positive experience and they’ll never forget it. A customer might misuse a product, but if the company turns this into a positive experience by teaching the client or offering a replacement, it’ll gain a loyal customer for life. The company might have to endure the cost of an extra product or service, but customers’ loyalty is priceless.
- When you have loyal customers, you should reward them. Loyalty programs are among the best methods to retain loyal customers and encourage them to buy more products and services. Special discounts, personalized gifts, and even points that they can share with their families and friends will work.
- Efficient customer service should be offered where customers are. Today, most people spend their time on social media platforms, and your employees should pay attention in accordance. Your customer support team should check feeds, forums and group discussions and engage when necessary, offering the needed help.
- If possible, make sure that your customer support team is available around the clock. Having a functioning customer service team available 24/7 guarantees faster response rates, which most customers appreciate.
- Allow your customers to enjoy your products or services for a trial period. During this period, they can see the potential of what you offer, and they’re 100% free not to buy the product if they don’t feel that it satisfies their needs. This will help potential customers feel less worried about trying your products and services.
- If there’s a problem with a product or service, your employees should offer a simple and straightforward refund policy. A money-back guarantee increases the trust your customers have in the brand because they know that this is a company that stands behind its products and services. Moreover, new customers will be interested in trying your products and services because they know that there’s nothing to lose.
- If the customer doesn’t like what they bought, your employees should offer free return shipping. A lot of customers might not try to return a product because they’ll actually lose money by returning it to the seller. When you show your customers that you care that much about their satisfaction, they’re more likely to give your brand another shot.
- Your employees should always ask for customers’ feedback, even if they’re contacting the company for a complaint. In the worst-case scenario, providing feedback will make your customers feel that you’re actually trying to improve your business operations by trying to understand what went wrong.
- Because improving your customers’ satisfaction levels isn’t restricted to your customer service department, negative and positive feedback should be shared across all departments. This will help employees identify which scenarios lead to the best results and how to avoid problems that can cost the company its valuable customers.
Wrap Up
It’s your job as a manager to address customer service challenges by setting up a guideline that your employees can easily follow. These tips will help your employees master their customer service skills and will help you guarantee that your customers will be satisfied with your brand.