In business, there is a fair amount of mysticism and speculation regarding the customer – who are they? What kind of service are they looking for? How do they want to be treated? The answers to these questions differ for every company, but there are certain time-tested methods and approaches to customer service that work for most (if not all) businesses. We will be examining some of the best customer support tips developed over time.
1. Hire People Who Care
If you want to be effective in customer support, you need the right people to handle it. You can pour hours upon hours of effort into training and management, but at the end of the day, customers will only truly connect with people who show empathy and adequately address their needs and concerns. Even after hiring, it is important to keep the team happy about their work so they can share the love in what they do.
2. Apply Data Integration
Data integration of CRM (customer relationship management) and ERP (enterprise resource management) systems can go a long way to helping better respond to customers’ requests and needs. While CRM gathers data on customers and their requests, ERP is used for delivering real products and solutions, both to the customers and within the business pipeline.
Combining the two data-driven systems can make a big difference in how efficiently you understand your customers and solve their issues. Don't ignore the numbers when it comes to CX and CRM.
3. Be Measured In Listening And Responding To Complaints
When customers are frustrated or disappointed, it is common for them to express their feelings through harsh words. To resolve the issue and diffuse the situation, your approach should be to take the high ground, avoid responding to provocation, listen and acknowledge concerns, and respond in a productive way. This may be a tall order for impossible situations, but the least you can do is listen and acknowledge issues when they occur.
4. Follow-Up Whenever Possible
Just as a good wine leaves a pleasant aftertaste after the glass is emptied, a customer support experience should have a positive impact long after it is complete. Whether or not the interaction went well and ended on a positive note, following up with the customer on an issue can go miles in improving their overall experience. If they were left satisfied, this will just solidify the positive feelings they already had, while a follow-up message/interaction after a negative experience will at least show care and dedication to solving the issue at hand.
5. Collect Feedback
Feedback can be collected in many unobtrusive and quick ways. As long as you make it easy for customers to leave feedback, you can get a quick gauge of their level of satisfaction whilst gaining constructive suggestions that can be applied to improve your business further.
6. Be Considerate In Closing Conversations
Customers hate feeling like they are being shuffled off, so it is important to be tactful about ending the conversation. Support representatives can give polite cues and clarifying questions at the supposed end of the conversation, and it should be concluded once both sides are on the same page about the session.
7. Provide Resources
There is always a category of customer that prefers solving issues by themselves. To avoid inconveniencing them with an unavoidable call or chat, you can provide plenty of guides, FAQ pages, and other resources that will empower them to help themselves.
3. Be Measured In Listening And Responding To Complaints
When customers are frustrated or disappointed, it is common for them to express their feelings through harsh words. To resolve the issue and diffuse the situation, your approach should be to take the high ground, avoid responding to provocation, listen and acknowledge concerns, and respond in a productive way. This may be a tall order for impossible situations, but the least you can do is listen and acknowledge issues when they occur.
4. Follow-Up Whenever Possible
Just as a good wine leaves a pleasant aftertaste after the glass is emptied, a customer support experience should have a positive impact long after it is complete. Whether or not the interaction went well and ended on a positive note, following up with the customer on an issue can go miles in improving their overall experience. If they were left satisfied, this will just solidify the positive feelings they already had, while a follow-up message/interaction after a negative experience will at least show care and dedication to solving the issue at hand.
5. Collect Feedback
Feedback can be collected in many unobtrusive and quick ways. As long as you make it easy for customers to leave feedback, you can get a quick gauge of their level of satisfaction whilst gaining constructive suggestions that can be applied to improve your business further.
6. Be Considerate In Closing Conversations
Customers hate feeling like they are being shuffled off, so it is important to be tactful about ending the conversation. Support representatives can give polite cues and clarifying questions at the supposed end of the conversation, and it should be concluded once both sides are on the same page about the session.
7. Provide Resources
There is always a category of customer that prefers solving issues by themselves. To avoid inconveniencing them with an unavoidable call or chat, you can provide plenty of guides, FAQ pages, and other resources that will empower them to help themselves.
