In the world of unlimited choices, how does a customer choose what to give their money for?
Back in 2008, Martin Lindstrom suggested an idea that marketers all over the world had picked up — people buy things due to the emotional context that those things translate. And excellent customer service is a big part of your clients’ total experience when interacting with your company.
So, here are the six factors of superior customer service that will positively impact both the way your customers see your company and the level of your employees’ engagement:
1. Accessibility
Before a client can get superior customer service, they should get in touch. The 2019 survey by the CMO Council shows that almost 90% of customers expect to be able to contact a company through email, and more than half want to communicate through phone, on-website software, and other text message channels. Thus, it’s worth adding several communication channels so that your clients can choose the most convenient one. The most widespread are:
- “Contact Us” and “Call Back” forms;
- Featuring a phone number on your website homepage and footer;
- Live chat software. Not only is this a quick and easy way to get help for your customers, but it can also make your customer service reps’ work more efficient. Some providers offer customizable options. For instance, the HelpCrunch chat feature allows you to choose what platforms you need it on, create automated messages, and style the widget.
2. Automated routines
A great way to improve customer experience, decrease clients’ waiting time, and cut tiresome routine work is to build a call center software. As such, an IVR system can speed up your customer service reps’ work by automating the major part of issues.
For example, clients often turn to support to find out their order status or balance of their account. Instead of making an agent cater to this kind of problem, customers can get self-service steps and avoid waiting on hold. What’s more, customers seem to enjoy being able to help themselves. According to Statista, 90% of customers expect to be able to use self-service systems to find solutions to their issues. Simultaneously, service agents get more free time to handle complex issues that are the most relevant to their expertise.
3. Customer-centric attitude
Every customer likes to be treated like a king. The other not so widely discussed fact is that employees who work in companies that put customer satisfaction first believe their jobs to be more meaningful, thus being more engaged in what they do. And being happy with their job is another factor that helps customer support representatives build better relationships with clients, leading to better customer experience and higher sales.
What’s more, when an agent feels for the customer, they are more inclined to listen actively and help a customer identify and meet their needs.
4. Learning environment
In order to respond to customers’ queries quickly and effectively, a customer service agent needs to be well aware of the product or service details. Make sure your customer service employees are the first to get all the latest information about your product or service. They should also have access to the library of resources that may help them provide more detailed information. Reward continuous learning of your employees and provide learning materials to encourage them to study.
The below graph shows that the most inspiring thing for workers is the work itself and the opportunity to learn.
Source: Josh Bersin on LinkedIn
5. Extroverted staff
Since the significant part of a customer support agent’s work constitutes communicating with people, it seems reasonable to hire someone who thrives in social interactions. Extroverts speak comfortably to other people, make connections easily, and project a friendly vibe in a conversation. They also prove to perform better in sales and have higher teamwork skills.
Naturally, they also have their weaknesses. Often, extroverts may lack the patience to hear a customer out, which may frustrate customers who face some complex issues. Also, extroverted employees tend to throw themselves into an activity without thinking things through which may present them as poor decision-makers. Nonetheless, proper training and management techniques can help your employees to fully utilize their natural traits combined with expertise.
6. Healthy competition
Studies show that individual competition between employees can result in higher motivation and more significant input. With proper management, you can encourage employees to use certain skills more often, thus helping to achieve the company’s goals. Some ways to create healthy competition at the office are:
- Create a system of compensations. Rewards may be allocated depending on the number of resolved issues or customer rating;
- Set goals. As soon as an employee reached their personal goal, set the bar a bit higher;
- Give feedback. Let your customer service reps know how well they perform in the eyes of clients and their teammates. To perform efficiently, workers need to see the result of their effort.
Your customers are the meal ticket for your company and each of your employees. It is your responsibility to create an atmosphere of respect, positivity, and adaptability within your customer service department to ensure your clients get the best service possible.