According to Invesp, 89% of companies see customer experience as key to driving consumer loyalty. Despite this, only 40% of firms focus on both client retention and acquisition equally. It’s time for business to shift these numbers.
Expanding your client base is essential. Retaining those newly acquired clients is also vital in maximizing their lifetime value to your firm. Retention is simpler than you think – it centers on an outstanding customer experience.
The process starts with your sales team and then continues through to every client interaction after that. Your customer support center, therefore, becomes a critical asset in improving client retention.
In this article, we’ll look at pro tips that will help you build your customer service and provide the experience your clients crave.
Work Towards What the Client Needs
This tip comes from the top client support firm, SupportYourApp. The company’s mantra is simple, they ask, “What will work for the client?” They work from a customer-centric perspective to ensure they deliver what the client truly requires.
This approach means that sometimes the best business case sometimes takes a back seat. It makes sense from a business perspective to maximize profits by cutting back on human support and relying more on AI.
From a service perspective, clients still require that personal touch. They might be willing to deal with a chatbot for a simple query but still need the option to speak to a person.
If you want to build your customer service, you must work from a customer-centric perspective. Find out what your clients want and how to incorporate that into your service offering. Providing a solution that fosters the long-term relationship is more valuable to the firm than short-term cost-cutting.
Make an Emotional Connection
Part of the reason for the backlash against AI-based technology is the lack of emotional response. While a machine can simulate a natural conversation reasonably well, it doesn’t pick up on the nuances in client tone or speech patterns.
The result, for the client at least, is that the experience falls flat. There’s no emotional connection with the bot.
It may also prove a missed opportunity for the business. Firms today are increasingly investing in technology that allows them to analyze client interactions after the fact. The technique will enable them to identify potential stumbling blocks but may leave it too late to repair the relationship.
A highly trained consultant is someone the client can relate to. HubSpot recommends leveraging the emotional connection to improve the bond.
Set the Tone and Use Positive Phrases
The consultant has a lot of power in setting the tone of the conversation. By mirroring the client’s communication style initially, the agent may establish a connection. With angry customers, they may then use a progressively calm tone to reduce friction. Once they’ve established a connection, the client will often respond by mirroring the agent.
Even something as simple as the vocabulary the consultant uses can escalate or diffuse a situation. The consultants must always use positive language to create a more upbeat experience for the client.
The agent may, for example, say, “I’m sorry that this is taking too long.” That’s a negative statement that highlights how much time has passed. Instead, they should say something like, “We’re almost done,” or “It’s taking a little longer than expected.”
Pulling it All Together
When you set out to build your customer service, always work toward what the customer needs first. Spend the time to put together a highly trained, empathetic team that provides your clients with the support they deserve. Improving the customer experience should flow naturally from that point.
After that, it’s merely a matter of monitoring the results and making proactive changes as your client’s needs change.
Image: Build Customer Service via docstockmedia/Shutterstock