Business owners often fail to realize just how crucial quality customer service is for the future of their business. In order to have a healthy business, customer service is vital. It encourages customers to continue to return. There are ways to improve your customer service before it is too late.
Why Customer Service is Vital to Your Company
- It Reflects Your Entire Business
Customers will relate your level of customer service with the quality of your product or service. If reviews state that your customer service is unsatisfactory, they will assume your product isn’t worth their money.
This doesn’t just pertain to customer service; customers need and want an overall positive experience. If shipping takes forever, they may assume you have bad customer service. This may not be true, but it’s what the customer will think.
- It Encourages Customers to Return
If a customer has a positive overall experience, they are likely to shop at your store again. It shows that you care about your customers. Everyone wants to use a company that cares about them. Customers are the reason business owners are able to sell their products and services. Businesses should genuinely care about their customers’ experiences. When they do, it is reflected by their business to customer relationship.
- It Reduces Bad Word of Mouth
Happy customers refer their friends and family. Unhappy customers will steer their friends and family away from your business. Word of mouth is crucial to a business’s success, and it can often make or break a company. Good customer service is one of the top marketing tools.
Our world revolves around social media. An unhappy customer who received unsatisfactory customer service is likely to rate your business lower and tell their friends and followers on social media about their experience. Businesses can lose hundreds of possible customers due to one bad experience.
- It Makes Your Company Stand Out
In today’s market, there are thousands of companies offering the same products or services. Your company has to stay in the minds of customers, otherwise they will leave for a similar company. When a customer experiences bad customer service, the company will stand out in their mind in a bad way.
When a customer has a problem, question or concern, the person they speak to represents your entire business. When the person addresses the customer and solves the problem in a good way, the customer will remember the company in a positive light. This will matter in the future when deciding to use your business again.
Ways to Improve Customer Service
- Provide Additional Training to Personnel
If your customer service team is underqualified, providing additional training will boost your quality of service. Training can even benefit more experienced customer service professionals. They learn new tips and tricks to better than skills, which will lead to better quality customer service.
- Answer Emails Promptly
When customers have a question or concern, nothing turns them away from your customer more than having to wait a week or longer for a response. While most customers understand businesses are busy, they want to give you their business. They expect to be answered in a prompt time frame. It is best to select someone on your staff to be responsible for answering emails promptly.
Another great option is to provide a live chat option on your website. This lets your company be right there for your customers when they need help. Also, live chats are quick and easy; they solve customer problems quicker than phone calls. Leading companies are incorporating live chats more frequently.
- Remove Anonymity
Customers like to feel a connection to the person that is helping them. Your staff should be down to earth and friendly; take the time to personal with the customer. This adds a level of trust and make the customers feel appreciated. Person to person customer communication boasts the level of positive experiences.
- Improve Social Media Service
Social media is so crucial to a company’s success. Your brand’s social media sites are the face of your company; people will use this sites to look at reviews and discover information. This is one of the best direct links to your customers. It serves two purposes: attracting new customers and building relationships with existing customers.
People often will comment on social media with a question or concern. Answering these social media comments promptly is a great way to provide better customer service. For future customers, it shows you are actively involved and could encourage them to use your business in the future.
- Offer Self-Service Options
If possible, customers don’t always need to speak to a human professional. Often times, they are happy to use a self-service program to answer the questions. This also will make it easier for your staff if the customer needs to speak to a professional. This is because the programs generally ask for information prior to connecting with a staff member.
Most customers want help right then; unless you are open 24/7, this can be difficult. Having a self-service option allows them to handle the situation as soon as it arises and follow along with the treat. Always add an easy way to reach a human during company hours, such as hitting 0 at any time to reach a real human. If you have the ability to do so, offer 24/7 customer service.
- Clear Directions to Reach Customer Service
When an issue occurs, customers don’t like to have to search a website or social media looking for ways to reach the company. The website should have a clear set of instructions on how and when to reach a staff member to aid them in resolving the issue.
Easy Customer Service Tips to Remember
Here are some quick and easy ways to improve customer service relations.
- Never engage in an argument with a customer. It’s very unprofessional; stay calm and relaxed.
- Connect to the customers on a weekly basis. A newsletter sent out weekly using a reliable email marketing service can lead to repeat sales.
- Provide easy ways and instructions for your customers to reach a customer service professional.
- Follow up after resolution and ensure that the customer was satisfied with their experience.
- Have a clear, set plan of escalation for your staff to follow.
- Send occasional thank you cards or small tokens, such as a coupon, to customers through snail mail.
- Provide off hours support available for important issues.
Make providing quality customer service a top concern for your business. This will drive your company to grow and succeed.