Good customer service is the backbone of any business. In fact, this is a differentiator for brands trying to capture market share in a crowded space. Customers value customer service to the point where they are willing to pay more and even switch brands for better service.
It’s not enough to meet the minimum standards; customer service has to delight customers. While most companies have a customer service department, it often lacks some basic and advanced skills.
So, here are 11 things you can do to offer better customer service:
1. Give loyal customers free merchandise
Loyal customers bring in more revenue than one-time shoppers. It is important to reward them. Offer them free merchandise like custom hoodies, stationery, or hats with your branding. When they wear or use your merchandise, they are bound to spread the word about you.
2. Listen to their issues actively
Frustrated customers do not appreciate saved replies. Make an effort to hear them out and offer a resolution that they are happy with. Make sure you ask questions to get on the same page. If a resolution cannot be reached, make sure that you follow up with some alternative ideas and have their query escalated.
3. Use positive words when communicating
If your customer is angry, positive words can diffuse the situation. Making sure they feel heard and that you are going to take immediate action is how you can improve your customer service. If you get an angry email, make sure that your reply is upbeat and positive instead of getting defensive or denying the problem.
4. Stay on top of the product details
Customers want quick answers and sometimes have pretty detailed queries. To be able to answer these better and faster, you need to know the product in its entirety and keep yourself abreast of the industry trends and product updates. This can be slightly difficult if you work for an online retail company since there are hundreds of products available, so make sure you have an inventory with details to answer queries quickly.
5. Find some common ground
Sometimes you may have to negotiate with the customer to arrive at a resolution that creates a winning situation for all the stakeholders. During these conflicts, it helps to establish some common ground with the customer so that the process is far more seamless.
6. Communicate effectively and clearly
The clarity in written and oral communication is necessary for customer service, but there is always room for improvement. Make sure that your saved replies are succinct and thought through. You need to aim for consistency so that the customer has a pleasant experience no matter which customer service agent they are talking to.
7. Use customer service software
If your efforts are not automated, it is time to incorporate customer service software to save you time and effort but also offer a consistent experience to customers. You can set up a bot that answers frequently asked questions freeing up time to solve complex issues and to provide a quality resolution.
8. Offer access to help articles
In a product-led company, customer service does not exist to bombard the customer with tutorials and help articles. The user finds out how to troubleshoot by themselves, requiring almost no help from a real person. Since there is a growing trend of people not wanting to talk to a real person and being able to rely on a DIY solution, access to help articles can actually improve your customer service ratings.
9. Ask for feedback
One of the simplest and most effective things you can do to improve customer service is to ask customers what they would do differently and try to add those features or requests to your roadmap. The mere act of asking for their feedback makes them feel more involved in the process, and if you are able to implement their feedback, you deepen the engagement you had with them.
10. Analyze customer feedback
When asking for feedback, you can also assess the present situation and ensure that your customers are happy or pleased with what your product or service can do. There are several tools that allow you to ask your customers a series of questions gauging how they feel about your service and how likely they are to recommend it to others.
11. Be open to learning
This is not necessarily limited to customer service, but it is a helpful lesson. By staying open to learning from people around you and your customers, you can create a valuable customer service strategy and offer great experiences consistently at scale.
To sum up
The old saying goes, “The customer is always right,” and in customer service, this is true. Make sure that you let customers air their grievances and find the best possible solution for their issue. If that isn’t possible, make sure to recommend some alternatives. Finally, you can try to delight customers by surprising them with free merchandise.
