Three Steps for Infallible Customer Service
Written by:
Cláudia Valente
In periods of uncertainty, customers are likely to be selective in choosing a brand to buy products and services from. Because of this, it’s crucial to have bulletproof customer service and offer exceptional customer experience.
1. Know Your Customer and Their Needs
It is not uncommon for agents to be so focused on the company and its objectives that they forget the customer must be at the forefront. Who is the customer? What do they need? What are their pain points? How can our product or service help them?
Personalized services. Think about each customer, not all customers. If your existing solution allows you to access customer history and preferences, great. Streamline communications using this information and always use the customer’s preferred service channel when communicating with them. Creating focus groups is a great tactic to help you learn more about your customers.
Appropriate channels. Use automation to reduce response times and optimize customer service. Consider the most appropriate channel for reaching customers, and remember that fast and convenient service is one of the biggest contributors to customer satisfaction.
360-degree vision. Make sure to analyze the entire customer journey. Where can processes be improved? What are some of the most common questions asked by customers? What products/services are customers purchasing most often? Is it possible to optimize the customer experience while also increasing sales?
2. Create a Strategy for Your Team
Now that you better understand your customers, it’s time to organize your team.
Define the mission. What is the mission/goal of the customer support team? Set objectives and goals for agents, and then share these ideas with your team and ensure everyone is on the same page. Communicate regularly with the team throughout the process.
Set expectations. After defining your objectives, make sure your agents know what your expectations are and what their responsibilities will be.
Select the right people. It’s important to select the right people for your team. While some skills can be taught, some are part of the training process, and some are inherent personality traits and soft skills.
Emotional intelligence skills. Customer service is a demanding job, especially if there are frequent complaints. Emotional intelligence skills must be well-developed to maintain patience and empathy in complex situations where the customer is dissatisfied.
Positive language. Avoid using negative language at all costs. For example, if an item isn’t available, provide the estimated restocking date rather than saying the item doesn’t exist.
Proactivity. Try to anticipate possible issues so that you have an immediate solution ready. Let customers know when you are working on a problem, then update them consistently throughout the process.
Proper training. Ensure that agents have time to catch up and provide necessary sources of information. Organize training sessions to ensure that the focus on individual and team goals is maintained.
Proper tools. After defining the mission, setting goals, and providing education and training, ensure agents have the right tools to complete their tasks.
3. Collect Feedback and Optimize Your Strategy
Although you have already executed your plan, your work is not done. Now you need feedback from your team and your customers to ensure the strategy is successful and fully optimized.
Verify quality. The Quality Module in GoContact can help supervisors and managers evaluate agent performance, which is essential for detecting, tracking, and correcting any issues quickly and efficiently.
Get feedback from customers. There are countless ways to get customer feedback, such as web surveys, NPS systems, and even comments and posts on social media. Use your customer’s opinions and feedback to implement new solutions, and don’t forget to share this information with relevant departments within the company.
Get feedback from agents. Get feedback from your agents since they are the main point of contact with customers. Asking for this feedback when creating your strategy and during its implementation ensures that your plan meets the needs of agents and customers alike.
Reward customer loyalty. Always reward your loyal customers because they buy, bring in new buyers, and advocate on behalf of the brand. Customers want to feel unique, appreciated, and rewarded for their loyalty.
Reward employees. Evaluating agent performance not only helps you detect their mistakes but also allows you to reward them when they meet and exceed expectations. Empathy and treating your employees well should always be a constant if you expect agents to provide exemplary customer service.
Take Your Customer Service to the Next Level
Understand your customer, reorganize your team, define a strategy, analyze the data, and optimize your processes. The time has come to move from theory to practice: identify any suggestions you can apply to your team and get to work!
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