Around 80% of customers abandon a company after a bad customer service experience. That’s a lot of potential sales and business deals lost due to poor customer service standards.
If your team’s customer service skills are lacking, it’s time to step it up and give your customers what they need.
Use these three tips to improve your customer service standards and keep your customers loyal.
1. Think Like Your Customers
If you’re building or managing a business, it’s easy to get stuck in the corporate bubble. But it’s crucial to spend some time taking in your customers’ perspectives, too.
Start thinking like your customers. Consider what problems they have, what they need from your business, and how they want it delivered.
One effective way to do this is to ask for feedback through surveys and reviews. This offers direct insight into what customers and clients think about your business, products, and customer service.
Try offering a discount or reward to customers who offer feedback. Ask about a variety of customer service metrics, and use their answers to help you find areas that need improvement.
2. Ensure Consistency Throughout Your Team
Whether your team is small and tight-knit or made up of thousands of employees, consistency is always key. Customers should receive the same high-quality customer service every time from every staff member.
Invest in customer service training, ensuring that everyone understands the standards and expectations. Then, reward employees when they meet or exceed those expectations.
Tracking assets will help you be aware of the customer demand. The sold or damaged goods are removed from the records immediately, and the goods that needed to be stocked make the records. So, you know what to buy and in what quantity.
You can also come up with a quick phrase or easy-to-remember guideline for your employees to follow when working with customers. Make a poster or sign with that guideline, and display it as a reminder to employees.
Remember that customer service guidelines may need to be updated and adjusted over time. Be sure to communicate these changes regularly with your team.
3. Offer a Speedy Response
Customers generally want friendly, hospitable customer service. But even the warmest service can be soured if it’s too slow for customers’ needs.
Always offer customers the experience they want, when they want it. If they need help fast yet no one is available to respond, this will only dampen their experience. Or if they have to wait in a line or on the phone for an extended period of time, they may give up and take their business elsewhere.
One way to shorten customer service response time is to utilize an outsourced customer service team or answering service. These customer service agents are available around the clock, ready to offer support to customers any time of the day. To learn about these services, read more info here.
Improve Your Customer Service Standards, Improve Your Sales
Poor customer service can send customers running right into the arms of your competitors.
To keep this from happening, you must have high customer service standards. Use these three tips to ensure your team is offering your customers only the best, keeping them loyal to your business and brand.
For more tips to boost your business, read our latest business articles!
