5 Key practices to improve your customer service
Over the past few years, with the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses have had to rethink their approach to ensure their “survival.” One of the key things to consider for the continued success of any business is how it treats its customers first and foremost. Customer service is a major aspect of any business as it defines the customer experience before and after purchasing your product or service. Moreover, with the continuous evolution of communication technologies, you interact with your customers using their preferred methods – text, chat, email, website, social media, etc. Customer service is not just about providing answers; nowadays, it is part of your company’s identity and brand. That’s why having a powerful customer service solution is a first point, but it’s not everything!
➡️ Here are 5 key practices you should consider to quickly improve your customer service:
1. Train your teams for quality customer service
It seems obvious that your employees need to be efficient. But how do you become efficient? The answer is training! Your teams must be thoroughly trained in the product or service you offer so that anyone with a query feels reassured that they are in good hands. The more you train your teams, the faster they will be able to handle customer queries, which translates into improved efficiency, service quality, and customer satisfaction in the short term.
Beyond initial training, it is essential to set up regular workshops on new features of your products and services, communication skills development sessions and training on managing complex situations.
2. Patience is a virtue
Many of us have experienced unhappy customers who can often be loud, angry, or just plain rude. With the pandemic, scientific research has shown that “long-term isolation creates negative emotions […] and stress (Hawkley and Capitanio, 2015).” As part of their training, your customer service team should learn how to defuse tense situations from the moment the call is taken. Staying calm, choosing your words carefully, smiling on the phone, being honest, making customers feel understood, and that you are doing everything in your power to help them—these are important things to remember. Patience pays off.
The latter is also crucial in managing interactions with customers, especially when they express frustrations or concerns. Encourage your agents to practice active listening, ask clarifying questions, and restate customer concerns to show they are understood. This approach builds trust and can turn a negative experience into a loyalty opportunity.
3. Promote empathy
Now let’s talk about empathy and how it impacts customer service. In this case, empathy involves putting yourself in your customer’s shoes. To do this, your team must be trained to listen, as explained above. Your customers will feel understood, taken seriously, and that everything possible is being done to meet their expectations. Sometimes there may not be a solution to the problem. Empathy will assure them that you’ve done everything you can to help, and this will leave your customer satisfied, even if the problem hasn’t been resolved. Empathy is not just about understanding a customer’s emotions; it involves taking concrete steps to meet their needs. Train your teams to recognize emotional signals and adapt their communication accordingly. For example, a customer expressing frustration may require a more reassuring and proactive response.
4. Establish appropriate communication channels for managing your customer service
Sometimes, your agents won’t have the knowledge or skills needed to resolve an issue. In such cases, you need to set up appropriate channels where they’re most comfortable. Your agents should know exactly who they should forward the query to. It’s also important to remember that communication works best both ways, so if your agents feel they need to ask customers additional questions to better help them resolve the issue, then ask!
Diversify your communication channels with an omnichannel messaging solution to meet your customers’ varied preferences. This can include phone, email, live chat, social media, and messaging apps. Ensure these channels are integrated to provide a seamless and consistent experience. Additionally, monitor and analyze interactions on each channel to identify trends and continually improve your service.
5. Use a CRM platform
An effective CRM platform automates and centralizes customer information, allowing your teams to quickly access interaction history, preferences, and previous purchases. This facilitates a quick and personalized response to customer requests. Additionally, analyzing CRM data can reveal valuable insights into customer behavior, helping you anticipate their needs and deliver targeted offers, which can increase sales and customer satisfaction.
Luc Jacobs
President of Nixxis
Visionary of the customer experience augmented by artificial intelligence, Luc Jacobs combines passion for innovation and strategic vision, propelling Nixxis to the rank of leader in the digital transformation of customer relations.
Luc Jacobs
President of Nixxis
Visionary of the customer experience augmented by artificial intelligence, Luc Jacobs combines passion for innovation and strategic vision, propelling Nixxis to the rank of leader in the digital transformation of customer relations.
