The customer service department can often get a bad rap for being a place of predominately negative interactions. Customers want to avoid the customer service lines because they think they will have to deal with defending themselves, explaining themselves, and fighting for the solution they want. It is all in the hands of the company to take that stereotype and turn it around. The customer service department is the main arena to cultivate customer retention, which can save money and time for your business while building a good reputation and even increasing your customer base. The circumstances when providing someone with a customer service experience are unique every time, and it is in your best interest to take advantage of each opportunity to create a more loyal and trusting customer. Here are the three most important factors in improving your ability to retain customers.
#1: Make sure your agents are emotionally intelligent. Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, is an incredibly helpful skill to have when it comes to providing stellar customer service. The scoring system for ranking someone’s emotional intelligence usually includes two main categories: personal competence and social competence. If you are hiring and training customer service representatives who have a high level of emotional intelligence, the agents will not only be able to judge and control their own emotions more effectively, but those of their customers as well. Being in control of your EQ means that you can understand the customer, feel for the customer, and even influence the customer. This sort of ability can be a game changer in a tough customer service call, and when you can turn a call like that into a pleasant interaction, you are creating a happy, loyal, invested customer.
#2: Give your agents the right tools and the right support. The more in-control and confident your team feels with their own ability to solve someone’s problem, the more likely they are to produce a positive experience. Speaking with someone who is calm and certain can have a very comforting effect on a distressed customer trying to solve a problem. If your agents have access to valuable tools like a heavy-hitting knowledge base, reliable customer service software, and a solid, supportive management team, they will be able to easily emanate that upbeat attitude during all their interactions.
#3: Provide proactive customer care. Looking out for your customers doesn’t have to start after an issue has already popped up. Getting your company involved with proactive care means that you can offer a solution before any negative consequences have arisen. PhaseWare’s system of automated notifications for any trends or changes will keep you and your team aware of any incoming issues before your customers. The ability to check in with real-time reporting is also an unbeatable tool for staying ahead of the game.
Customers are the lifeblood of your business. To create the best, most effective relationship, always follow the golden rule: take care of them like you would want to be taken care of yourself!