6 Steps on the Way to Customer Service Perfection
The path to customer service perfection is not the most clearly signed, and there are bound to be a few potholes along the way. As businesses changed, affected by changes in demographics and technological developments, it’s important to keep moving forward.
1. Strengthen Your Customer Service Skills!
This is something we’ve touched on before, and always bears refreshing and repeating. Improving customer service skills like active listening, asking open questions, knowing about the products and services on offer, and developing a thick skin are always important.
2. Check Every Customer Touchpoint
It’s important to make sure that companies stay on top of every touchpoint – how does the customer experience each communication opportunity? Each sales opportunity? Is the user-experience of your website and e-commerce platforms performing the way it should – do customer enjoy it? All of these questions should be asked at every point where there potential for customer interaction to ensure that your company is getting the most of those opportunities.
3. Build Your Customer Interactions
Customer service perfection relies very much on how customers are engaging with your brand, products, and services. By building on existing, positive interaction opportunities, you are making sure that customers are getting what they want out of the touchpoints you’ve provided.
4. Enchance Your Customer Service Strategy
This is a big one, but your road to customer service perfection needs to have a strong strategy planning for all the bumps in the road. It needs to be aligned with your other strategies as well, such as your sales targets, to make sure there aren’t any clashes along the way.
5. Ensure Your People are Engaged
Making sure your customer service representatives are at the top of their game and engaging with the customers in the best ways possible is key to great customer service. Obviously, if your people aren’t using their skills, in line with company strategy, and don’t know what they’re about when it comes customer touchpoints… well, I would consider that mission failed.
6. Let Customer Provide Feedback
Giving your customers a voice is a great way to check in with them and check how they think you’re doing too. Keep in mind that you’re most likely to get negative feedback; people are far more likely to share negative experiences than they are to compliment you on your progress. That shouldn’t deter you from listening to them, after all, all feedback is good feedback if you put it good use.
