How to Handle Customer Expectations

Providing a consistent customer support experience is crucial for continued success, even for B2B entities. With so much technology available, consumers now have very high expectations with regard to the service companies provide. It’s no longer good enough to do the bare minimum. You need to provide customer support through every step of a service agreement. The best way to do this is with customizable customer support software. With this in place, you’ll be able to provide a wide range of options for your clients and also ensure their issues are handled quickly and thoroughly. However, even with software in place, there are still things you need to do to ensure your clients’ expectations are being met. Let’s go over a few techniques.

Provide Realistic Timelines

It’s always a good idea to expect glitches to occur every once in a while, even with software for B2B customer support in place. But it’s important you’re not consistently providing unrealistic expectations. Clients are more likely to become frustrated if you tell them their issue will be resolved in two days and it ends up taking a week. Instead of telling customers what you know will make them happy, be upfront about the steps required to resolve their issue. Keeping clients well-informed gives them a better idea of what your team is up against and makes them more understanding about longer wait times. If you’re frequently providing expectations and not living up to them, your clients will lose faith in you.

Explain All Possible Solutions

Having a well-trained and knowledgeable support staff is an invaluable resource. Each member of your team should be able to understand and explain every possible solution to a client’s problem. Explaining the steps involved in each solution is a great way to manage client expectations and instill trust. It allows clients to fully understand the difficulties their issue presents so they get a clear picture of what’s being done by your support team. Understanding what will go into the resolution of their problem also gives them a realistic expectation of how long it will take.

Opt for Transparency

Honesty is one of the best ways to maintain client expectations for B2B organizations. Being transparent during every interaction will instill trust and confidence that you can solve problems the most efficient way possible. If one of your reps doesn’t know the answer to a client’s question, they should be upfront about needing to consult with other members of the support team. This is a much better option than improvising a solution to the problem. If this approach is taken, there’s a higher likelihood the issue won’t get solved properly or in a timely manner. You should also make it a point to carefully listen to your client’s issues so you can determine how to avoid the situation in the future. Utilizing customizable complaint management software will also allow you to turn client issues into valuable feedback.

Meet Expectations with Consistent Service

Trust is a key factor in maintaining your customer expectations. Showing your clients they can rely on you over and over will help increase retention and enhance your business reputation. Use customizable customer support software to help back up your promise to your clients.

Let PhaseWare provide software for B2B customer support and take your client experience to the next level. Contact us today to learn more.

 

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