Great customer service is meant to be dripping with generosity and positive attitudes. Most customers who contact customer service, whether by e-mail, in person, or (heaven forbid) by telephone, are not happy about a service or a product that they have received so they are not in the best of moods. Dealing with company representatives who are cranky at worst and lethargic at best will not present an adequate solution. In fact, it will only create more issues by making the customer more agitated which in turn will create bad press.
Seeing as this is January, the month for resolutions, let us in the business world make a resolution to keep that positive, generous spirit, which was so contagious in December, and show that we are proud to be helping our customers, that we truly appreciate their business and that we will do everything in our power to make their experience with the company and its products a beautiful one.
However, simply making that resolution isn’t enough. Like weight loss, you actually have to do something to make it happen.You can stand in front of a mirror all day long wishing those love-handles away, but they won’t go anywhere until you start doing something about it. In the matter of customer service though, here are a few ideas that will help keep that new resolution.
First, let your information be easy accessible. Whether the customer is looking for basic FAQs or who to send their issue to, the information should be easily obtained on the company website.
Second, give the customer options on how to report their problem. Don’t just let an automated voice on a phone do your customer service work for you. Allow the customer to start an incident ticket through the self-service center or talk to a representative via Live Chat, both of which are contained in PhaseWare’s arsenal of software.
Third, keep the customer in the loop. Keeping the customer updated lets them know that they aren’t forgotten and that the issue is being resolved. PhaseWare’s Event Engine software does this task automatically, which helps you do your job better.
Finally, do a follow-up with the customer. Give them a week or so and then check-in to make sure that the problem stayed resolved, not to mention, it shows customers how much you truly appreciate their business.
All in all, just remember what kind of business we are in and who keeps us in it—the customer.