7 ways to improve your customer service

“Life is for service ” Fred Rogers

PS: Yes, I started this blog post with an ambiguous quote, cause apparently that is something people always find appealing to see.

Customer Service is one of the most important, powerful and critical areas in every company.

“Customer service is the support you offer your customers — both before and after they buy and use your products or services — that helps them have an easy, enjoyable experience with your brand.” By salesforce.com

Despite focusing too much of my content on sales, marketing and growth, the truth is that it is impossible to grow and scale with and an inefficient customer service.

The marketing can bring the customer, the quality of the product can be responsible for the sale, but it is the customer service that will grant that they will continue ,or return, to buy from us.

The success of any company it is supported by the sum of the execution of all these areas rather than a are that for itself does the rest.

For that reason knowing how to take care of our potential and current customers is key to the sustainability of the business.

Why is the customer service so important?

There are several reasons that justify why everyone should put a big emphasis on customer service, but I will focus in 3 main points that according to my own experience.

1. Retention. If you delight your customers with an amazing service they are likely tp buy from you again and for that reason you will keep a customer.
2. Cost-effective. It is cheaper to maintain customers than to find new ones.
3. Decision Making. A delighting service has become increasingly more important for the customers when it comes to decide which brand to buy from.

Type of Customer

Let’s start with the type of customer we have nowadays. Even though it can differ based on psychographic characteristics, there are certain characteristics that are common across everyone.

Demanding

The customer is now, more than ever, demanding. He expects quickly responses, 24 hours service, quickly solutions, and a WOW service. Nowadays, the simple fact of delivering the product in perfect conditions it is not enough.

If a brand of cosmetics sends you a product without samples “that is the worst” (totally inspired in my own experiences).

Informed

The customer of today is very well informed. If before, only the ones dedicated to sell the product were the experts, today it is common to witness intense battles in any Worten between customer and salesman to debate what it is the best smartphone or solution for your tiny wrist.

Information is power, and for that reason the customers have more power than ever.

Collective feedback

100 years ago, if I went to a store and did not like the way of the service the worst it could happen would be to never go back again, and hopefully impact my closest friend with my opinion on the store. Today, the game is completely different.

A bad experience can quickly became a huge problem for any institution in just a few minutes thanks to the power of social media and websites dedicated to reviews.

7 main principles to a great customer experience

Now that we have a comprehensive idea of what define our customer of today, lets understand which principles we should put in place in order to provide the best possible experience.

1. Ability to listen to your customer. Digital or in person, the ability to listen and trying to understand your customer if the first big step in any strategy of Customer service. If you do not listen to them you will never be able to give them what they want and to understand their expectations. The only way to understand their needs is by listening to them.
2. Give more than what you promised. If you deliver what you said you would do in first place, you are able to have a satisfied customer, but only by giving more than what he ever expect you will have an amazed customer and because of that a loyal customer.
3. Be available where and when they need. If a customer has a problem, he should be able to contact in you at any time and in the easiest way for him. The definition of the type of customer you have is critical for you to define the channels you should be using to communicate with them.
4. Information available omni-channel. There is nothing worse than going from channel to channel and having to explain all over again your particular situation. Assuring that everyone have the important information from every customer is key to assure a easy an effective service.
5. Install a Customer Service mindset. Having procedures and training is not enough to assure a great service. It all starts with the mindset. If your teams is solutions oriented, and the main focus is always to help the customer, then you are much closer to have a team ready to give the best possible experience.
6. Make it easy to receive feedback. Usually being able to talk to someone to buy or rent a product it is easier. “I do have a complaint to make. Well, in that case please email us.” Being proactive and willing to receive hard feedback will put you closer to the customer needs and to solve the problem in hands. Sometimes customers/humans only want/need to be heard. That is a way to not only understand a customer but also an opportunity to improve his/her only experience.
7. Define what are your service agreement standards. Establishing what is your promise and your standards it is fundamental in oder to set the tone and expectations with regards to your customer. Having it written down it is key, both for your team and your customer to have it clear.

I assure you that if you apply all these principles, you will not only have happier customers, but also more and more customers.

By Vasco de Matos Ramos