Customer service, as we have come to understand it, has changed, just as its purpose has evolved. Today, it is dedicated to ensuring the full value of purchased products/services. As a result, standards have risen, and service is being redefined every day, promising to exceed customer expectations because putting their well-being and care at the center pays off over time with increased loyalty and customer retention. Today, many companies have a department dedicated entirely to customer support, but too few provide a consumer experience worth noting. Therefore: how can a company’s customer service be improved? Below are useful tips and suggestions for impeccable customer service!
Customer service: the essential principles for quality customer support.
In all fields, performance is driven by certain principles that, when followed, lead to truly remarkable results. There are some on which customer support is based, and if followed strictly, they greatly enhance its quality. Here is a short but detailed list of what a customer service should have to be considered excellent, and to which every company should aspire.
Customer service: speed
Speed or response time is considered the most important factor for optimal service quality. This is because the feeling of frustration is always ready to creep in when it comes to waiting for the arrival of a product purchased with care and a strong desire to use it.
According to a study by Warwick University, responsiveness has the greatest impact both on customer satisfaction (quick response) and dissatisfaction (slow response). One of the contact channels capable of offering effective and simultaneously fast customer service is Live Chat, where customer service agents can chat with multiple customers at the same time, with availability during working hours. Well-trained agents, in fact, can help improve response speed and, consequently, problem resolution. But speed is not the only fundamental principle to be respected.
Customer service: accuracy
In addition to the speed of responses, good customer service must also be accurate, meaning competent. This is because providing the right answer at the right time will not only resolve the issue but can also be a good way to build customer loyalty at various stages of the conversion funnel. Updating data in the CRM is therefore crucial, as is the continuous training of staff to improve and make customer requests increasingly satisfactory. However, there’s a catch: there is no accuracy without transparency.
Customer service: transparency
Speed and accuracy are essential but never without transparency. For this reason, explaining a complex concept with extreme simplicity is a technique often used by customer service professionals. The principle of transparency is essentially based on making the process clear from the outset, informing the customer of what to expect when making a specific request. For example, a good practice is to share all relevant information with the customer about how the operation will proceed, step by step. The complexity and nuances of human interaction can have a significant impact—both positive and negative—on the service experience.
Customer service: kindness and courtesy
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Esopo
Being kind is an act of pure courtesy. It involves no cost or time wasted. Kindness is an attitude and a gesture that opens the heart to listening and sharing. Kindness, in fact, has the power to bring people closer together. This is why, according to American Express, 68% of customers believe that the key to excellent customer service lies in the courtesy of the service.
Customer Service: the importance of effectiveness
Customer service exists to solve problems. If, even after applying all the aforementioned principles, the customer does not receive a resolution to the issues encountered during their customer journey, the customer service is deemed a failure. A particularly thought-provoking fact is that negative online reviews of customer service often influence consumers, leading them to turn to competitors. Increasing reliability in the eyes of the customer also involves prominently displaying company contact information on the website, enabling users to easily and quickly reach out to the company for information that can clarify any doubts about the issues encountered.
We conclude by saying …
Every company must dedicate effort and invest time and resources to ensure that customer service can be considered optimized. Keeping the motivation high for those who handle customer service daily and providing technological tools capable of addressing individual customer needs while automating minor tasks will be the remedy to increase customer loyalty.
If paired with the quality of the product/service offered, customers can become the best fan base a brand could have (to use a term beloved in the social media world). Nurturing customer service remains the best way to attract long-term customers while staying competitive in today’s fiercely contested markets. Brands that meet expectations are rewarded with higher loyalty and customer retention rates.
Keep following our insights on this topic. We’ll continue to keep you updated on the evolution of customer service in the near future.
FAQ
1.What is the difference between customer service and customer care?
There is a fine line that distinguishes customer service from customer care, marked by the transition from simply providing customer service to genuinely caring for the customer. This customer-oriented approach assumes that the entire company is aligned in pursuing a customer-centric strategy.
2.What makes customer service a good customer experience?
The main characteristics that a good customer service should possess are essentially three: polite language and tone, active listening with a focus on resolving the customer’s issue as quickly as possible, and clear, precise communication.
3.How to handle a difficult situation with a customer?
There are a few simple rules to follow when managing a complex situation with a customer, including: 1.Be respectful. 2.Listen carefully to what the customer has to say. 3.Restate the problem to fully understand what needs improvement. 4.Adopt simple and effective solutions. 5.Provide the necessary information, staying straight to the point. 6.Find the right resources to address the issue with professionalism and expertise. 7.Make the customer feel valued by always putting them first, as a satisfied customer is a happy customer who will remain loyal to the company over time.
