According to the Harvard business review, customer service has a major impact on business success. In fact, businesses that prioritize excellent customer service experience 70% more growth than those who don’t.
There are some key facts:
– 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a great customer service experience
– 89% of customers began doing business with a competitor following a poor customer service experience
This means that if you want your business to be successful, you need to make sure your customer service is top-notch.
Do you need a great customer service team?
No business is too small to benefit from excellent customer service. In fact, small businesses often have an advantage when it comes to providing great customer service because they can be more nimble and responsive to customer feedback than larger businesses.
What are the pros of great customer service:
– Helps increase customer loyalty
– Reduces the cost of customer acquisition
– Increases the average order value
In order to increase your customer service, here are a few tips to boost customer satisfaction:
Hire the right people
Train your team regularly
Set standards and expectations
Listen to feedback
Use technology
Personalize the experience
Be responsive
Show empathy
Offer solutions
Go the extra mile
Share examples of great service
Build community with them
So, how can you make sure your business is providing the best possible customer service? I’ve put together a list of 12 tips that answer your question – how to increase customer service!
1. Be responsive
Customer service is all about being responsive. This means being available when your customers need you and responding to them in a timely manner.
The faster you can respond to your customers, the better. But make sure you’re not sacrificing quality for speed. It’s still important to provide well-thought-out responses that address their concerns.
How to increase your response time:
Set up a system to track customer inquiries and make sure they’re being addressed in a timely manner.
Regularly check your customer support channels (email, live chat, etc.) to see if there are any new inquiries.
Use automation where possible to help you respond faster (more on this later).
Offer multiple channels for customer support
Another way to be responsive is to offer multiple channels for customer support. This way, your customers can reach out to you in the way that’s most convenient for them.
Some of the most popular customer support channels include:
Email
Live chat
Mobile phone
Social media
Knowledge base/FAQ
2. Show empathy
Empathy is one of the most important qualities in customer service. It’s what allows you to understand and share your customers’ feelings.
Without empathy, it’s difficult to provide the level of customer service that your customers expect. So make sure you and your team are showing empathy when interacting with customers.
Here are a few ways to show empathy:
Active listening:
Listen to what your customers are saying and try to understand their feelings.
Paraphrasing:
Repeat back what your customers are saying to make sure you understand their concerns.
Empathetic responses:
Respond in a way that shows you understand and share their feelings.
Be patient:
Patience is another important quality in customer service. Sometimes, customers can be angry, frustrated, or upset. It’s important to be patient with them and not take it personally.
Remember, they’re not angry with you (usually). They’re just trying to get their problem solved. So stay calm and be patient while you help them.
Be polite
It’s important to be polite when interacting with customers. But this doesn’t mean you have to be overly formal or stuffy. Just be respectful and courteous.
Here are a few customer service tips during your next email conversation:
Use please and thank you – These two words go a long way in making your customers feel appreciated.
Avoid using profanity – This should be obvious, but it’s important to avoid using profanity when interacting with customers.
- Be positive – A positive language and attitude is contagious. So make sure you’re staying positive, even if the customer is not.
Offer solutions – When a customer has a problem, they want it solved as quickly as possible. So it’s important to offer solutions that actually solve their problem. Don’t just give them a generic response or try to upsell them on something they don’t need. Take the time to understand their problem and offer a solution that meets their needs.
Be proactive – It’s always better to be proactive than reactive. This means taking measures to prevent problems before they happen.
For example, you can set up a system to track customer satisfaction levels. If you see that satisfaction is starting to drop, you can take action to address the issue before it becomes a bigger problem.
You can also proactively reach out to customers who haven’t interacted with you in a while. This is a good way to check in and see if they’re still happy with your product or service.
3. Offer solutions
As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, offering solutions is one of the most important things you can do for your customers.
When a customer has a problem, they want it solved as quickly as possible. So it’s important to offer solutions that actually solve their problem.
The problem-solving process can look pretty simple:
1. Define and understand the problem:
The first step is to clearly define the problem. What exactly is the customer trying to achieve? What are their goals?
2. Generate possible solutions:
Once you’ve defined the problem, it’s time to brainstorm some possible solutions. Try to come up with as many ideas
But the key is to focus on quality over quantity and solution over the problem. It’s better to have a few good solutions than a bunch of bad ones.
3. Choose the best solution:
After you’ve generated some possible solutions, it’s time to choose the best one. Consider things like feasibility, cost, and time frame.
4. Implement the solution:
Once you’ve chosen the best solution, it’s time to implement it. This usually involves some sort of change or action on your part.
5. Evaluate the results:
Finally, once you’ve implemented the solution, it’s important to evaluate the results. Did it actually solve the problem? If not, why not?
It’s important to remember that not every problem has a perfect solution. Sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you have. But as long as you’re trying to help your customers, you’re on the right track and generate great customer experience.
Take the time to understand their problem and offer a solution that meets their needs.
4. Go the extra mile
In addition to offering solutions, it’s also important to go the extra mile for your customers. This means going above and beyond to give them a great experience.
There are a few ways you can do this:
1. Personalize the experience:
One way to go the extra mile is to personalize the customer experience. This could involve using the customer’s name, remembering their preferences, or recommending products or services that they might be interested in.
2. Show appreciation:
Another way to go the extra mile is to show appreciation for your customers. This could involve sending them a thank-you note, giving them a discount on their next purchase, or simply taking the time to listen to their feedback.
3. Exceed expectations:
Finally, one of the best ways to go the extra mile is to exceed your customers’ expectations. This could involve going above and beyond to solve their problem, giving them a freebie, or responding to their inquiries faster than they expected.
The bottom line is that customers appreciate it when you go the extra mile. It shows them that you care about their experience and are willing to go above and beyond to make sure they’re happy.
5. Share examples of great service
One of the best ways to show your employees how to provide great customer service is to share examples of other businesses that are doing it well.
This could involve sharing positive reviews or stories about a time when you received great service, sharing an article about a company with great customer service, or even just sharing a quote about customer service.
What builds a negative brand image?
Keeping your customers happy is more important for your business than anything else. On the other hand, there are also a few things that can build a negative brand image. What distinguishes bad and good customer service:
Negative reviews
Lack of transparency
Unsolved customer problems
Unprofessional service call
This also builds your standards for customer service. By sharing examples of great customer service, you’re setting the bar for what you expect from your employees. And this can help to ensure that they provide a great experience for your customers.
You can also read other articles:
- 5 Reasons Why Brand Protection is Important (+Report)
- TOP7 Best Brand Protection Software in 2022 [Monitoring & Protecting]
1. The Ritz-Carlton:
The Ritz-Carlton is known for its amazing customer service. One story that exemplifies this is the story of a guest who left his laptop in his room when he checked out.
When the guest realized he had left his laptop, he called the hotel and asked if they could ship it to him. The hotel not only agreed to ship it to him, but they also upgrade his shipping so that he would receive it the next day.
2. Apple:
Apple is another company that is known for its great customer service. One story that exemplifies this is the story of a man who got a new iPhone and accidentally dropped it in the toilet.
When he called Apple to ask if they could help him, they not only offered to fix his phone, but they also gave him a brand new one.
3. Zappos:
Zappos is a company that is known for its amazing customer service. One story that exemplifies this is the story of a woman who ordered a pair of shoes from them and then realized she needed a different size.
When she called Zappos to ask if she could exchange them, they did not only agree to send her the new size, but they also sent her a different style of the same shoe so that she could decide which one she wanted.
These are just a few examples of businesses that are known for their great customer service. By sharing these examples with your employees, you can show them what it takes to provide a great experience for your customers.
In addition to sharing examples of great customer service, it’s also important to encourage your employees to give great customer service. This could involve giving them incentives, such as bonuses or gift cards, for giving great service.
It could also involve simply thanking them for their efforts. This helps to show your employees that you appreciate their efforts and that you’re committed to providing a great experience for your customers.
6. Build community with customers
Another way to provide great customer service is to build community with your customers. This could involve creating a Facebook group for your customers, starting a loyalty program, or simply hosting events for your customers.
This helps to show your customers that you care about them and that you’re interested in building relationships with them. It also helps to create a sense of loyalty among your customers.
Finally, one of the best ways to provide great customer service is to build community with your employees. This could involve having regular meetings to discuss customer service, sharing stories about great customer service, or even just offering a place for employees to share their ideas.
This helps to create a sense of community among your employees and makes them
Building community among your employees is a great way to show them that you’re committed to providing a great experience for your customers.
By following these tips, you can show your employees how to provide great customer service. This can help to ensure that your customers have a great experience and that they keep coming back.
7. Hire the right people
The most important part of providing excellent customer service is hiring the right people. You need to make sure that the people you’re hiring are passionate about customer service and are able to put your customers’ needs first.
Your team’s positive attitude will be reflected in your customer’s satisfaction.
It’s important to remember that your team’s attitude will directly impact your customers’ experience. If your team is unhappy or unenthused, it will show in the way they interact with customers. On the other hand, if your team is passionate and excited about their work, it will shine through in their customer service.
Make sure you are hiring people who have the right attitude and will be able to provide great customer service standards.
Be clear about what level of customer service you expect from your team. This will help them know what they need to do to meet (and exceed) your expectations.
8. Train your team regularly
Train your employees on product knowledge your employees should be knowledgeable about the products and services you offer. This way, they’ll be better equipped to answer customer questions and address concerns. Your employees should take care to improve customer service skills.
Without proper training, your employees won’t know how to handle difficult customer service situations or use the right language when interacting with customers.
Customer expectations are constantly changing, so it’s important to keep your team up-to-date on the latest changes. Provide regular training sessions on new customer service procedures and policies.
It’s good that your team is up to date with the latest changes of customer service procedures but they also need to know how to properly use them. Review customer service scripts with your team on a regular basis so they know how to handle different types of customer interactions.
If they’re not using the right language when interacting with customers, it’ll reflect poorly on your business. Make sure you’re using customer service language that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.
9. Set standards and expectations
In order to provide great customer service, you need to have clear standards and expectations. Your team won’t be able to meet (or exceed) your expectations if they don’t know what they are.
Make sure you communicate your standards and expectations to your team clearly and often. Use customer service training sessions, team meetings, or one-on-one conversations to reinforce your expectations.
It’s not enough to just set the standards, you need to enforce them as well. Address customer service issues immediately and take appropriate disciplinary action when necessary. This will show your team that you’re serious about providing excellent customer service.
10. Listen to feedback
Get to know your customers first step in providing fantastic customer service is getting to know your customers. By understanding their needs and wants, you’ll be better equipped to give them the assistance they need. Surveys are a few ways to get to know your customers:
Asking customers for feedback via surveys is a great way to get insights into what they want and need from your business. You can use survey tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to create a survey, then send it out to your customer base either through email or social media. Then you can analyze customer feedback to see what improvements you need to make.
Customer feedback is essential for businesses. It allows you to understand what your customers want and need, and make changes accordingly.
Make sure you’re regularly asking for feedback from your customers and taking their suggestions into consideration. This will show them that you care about their experience and are always looking for ways to improve it. It also builds relationships and engagement.
11. Use technology
Use technology to your advantage there are a number of different technologies you can use to improve your customer service or t. For example, live chat software can be used to answer customer questions quickly. CRM software can also help you track customer interactions and preferences.
Below you will find some of technology examples:
Help Desk Software
Live Chat Software
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
Knowledge Base Software
- Product configurations
In what technology can help you:
Reduce wait times
Get to know your customers
Improve customer satisfaction
Make it easy to give feedback
Track customer journey
Each business is different, so it’s important to find the right technology for your needs. But using technology can definitely help you improve customer service.
At the early stage of your e-commerce website, it is not necessary to have all the fancy customer service software. However, you should still provide some sort of customer support such as live chat, email, or phone. As your business grows, you can then add on more customer service tools.
If you are working on your own or with a small group of your team pay attention to the customer service software that will help you save time by automating some tasks.
For example, live chat software like Intercom can help you quickly answer customer questions. A CRM like HubSpot Sales can help you track your customer interactions and preferences.
Offer support 24/7
If you want to offer excellent customer service, you need to be available when your customers need you. This means offering support 24/7, 365 days a year.
Of course, this isn’t always possible (or necessary) for every business. But if you can swing it, it’s definitely worth it. Customers appreciate being able to reach out to you anytime they need assistance.
12. Personalize the experience
A great way to provide excellent customer service is to personalize the experience. This means going above and beyond for your customers and making them feel special.
One way to do this is by using their name when you interact with them. Another way is to send them personalized messages or coupons. You can also offer them exclusive deals or VIP access to your products or services.
Whatever you do, make sure it’s something that will make them feel valued and appreciated. Personalization goes a long way in providing excellent customer service.
There is also much software to personalize your customer’s experience.
For example, Drip is an email marketing software that allows you to send personalized messages to your customers. You can also use a tool like Justuno to create personalized coupons and offers for your visitors.
How to prepare a customer service strategy?
There are a few key things you need to keep in mind when preparing your customer service strategy. First, you need to make sure you have the right tools in place. This includes things like live chat software, CRM software, and customer complaints management software.
Second, you need to make sure your team is prepared to handle customer service inquiries. This means training them on your customer service procedures and policies.
Third, you need to make sure you have a plan for dealing with customer complaints. This includes things like setting up a customer complaint management system and training your team on how to handle customer complaints.
Fourth, you need to make sure you’re constantly monitoring your customer service performance. This means tracking things like customer satisfaction levels, first-call resolution rates, and customer churn rates.
Finally, you need to make sure you’re constantly making improvements to your customer service strategy. This could involve things like implementing new technologies, changing your procedures, or adding new training programs.
By following these tips, you can be sure that your customer service strategy is on point and that you’re providing the best possible experience for your customers.
Conclusion
As you can see great customer service is essential for any business. By following the tips above, you can show your employees how to provide great customer service. This can help to ensure that your customers have a great experience and that they keep coming back.
It increases customer satisfaction, helps to build customer loyalty, and can even help to increase sales. So if you’re not already providing great customer service, now is the time to start. Your customers will thank you for it!
Customer service is the act of providing support to customers before, during, and after they purchase a product or service.
Thank you for reading! I hope this article has been helpful. If you have any questions or would like to share your own tips on how to provide great customer service, please leave a comment below
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