eBusiness Weekly
Robert Gonye
Ever wonder what it takes to make your customer service exceptional and unaltered creating a business wave which speaks volumes about your brand? I must admit and attest to the notion that there’s nothing more frustrating than poor customer service experience.
Whether a customer has to deal with a frustrating phone conversation, an incomprehensible online support, or repeating their personal information five times to five different agents, you might think it’s hard to provide a great experience, however, it’s very doable.
The simple power of words and attitude can make the difference when it comes to making, and keeping, our customers happy. To make us better understand we will share on the few customer service decrees which are key to the service delivery.
Listen
Listening is the first step to understanding. Usually, everyone calling or emailing your customer service team has a problem to report and if you don’t listen, you’ll never know the customer’s problem.
Some customers might simply be frustrated and want to know that their complaint is being heard, and others might have issues you can quickly solve. Allow them to vent, empathise with them and let them know you heard what they said. Once any emotion subsides, they’ll be in a more receptive mood for advice, and you’ll be able to guide them towards a resolution.
Research has shown that you feel positive about a conversation when you think the other party is engaged in active listening, and ideally, every conversation with a customer has a positive takeaway. So make sure to take the time to demonstrate that you’re actively listening on calls, emails, and chat conversations when you can’t show your customers. Respond to statements and questions to demonstrate your full comprehension, and repeat what customers have said to make sure you both understand each other.
Teach
Knowledge is power, and teaching customers how to solve their own problem and succeed empowers them and gives them a sense of control. No matter who your customers are, teach them something new that will prove your value to them and make them appreciative.
If you teach customers how to break down and succeed doing a complicated process, instead of a frustrated customer, you’ve put them on the path toward satisfaction and better outcomes. And once they understand how to accomplish a task without help, they won’t have to reach out as often for one-on-one assistance which saves on time and helping them be more successful.
Pay attention
An important aspect of active listening is paying attention. Multitasking is great for productivity, but never forget that the customer you are dealing with is your top priority.
If you miss the details of a problem and the customer needs to repeat themselves, they will feel ignored. Listening isn’t just about hearing what they say, it’s about hearing all of what they have to say, too.
It’s almost impossible for people to truly multi-task doing several things at once usually just means you’re doing them inefficiently. Instead, block off time on your calendar. Each day you can devote to completing tasks outside the customer service phone or email queue. That way, you can remain fully focused and attentive when you hop on a call or chat with a customer.
Ask the right questions
Getting to the bottom of the problem requires some digging. And sometimes, a customer will work themselves down a difficult path and only call about a solution for the immediate problem they see.
Your job is to find out what their larger goal is, and you can often make their life easier. They may be calling about a small problem today, but what they might really need is more support understanding how to use your entire service or product.
Don’t interrupt
Our job is to help customers on their timetable, so don’t rush a customer off the phone.
You might think that you’ll achieve better outcomes if you handle as many customer cases as possible in any given day which requires speedy and efficient handling of each phone call or email. However, you should be taking extra steps and additional time to thoroughly and completely troubleshoot customer issues and give them more guidance and advice for success with your product.
Companies that invest in customers’ success achieve better outcomes including happier customers and higher revenues. So when you’re on a call, take your time, listen well, and be polite it might take longer, but you’ll likely achieve better outcomes for your customer, your team, and your company.
Apologise
Apologising and taking ownership of a problem is one of the fastest ways to defuse an emotional situation even if it’s not your fault.
You don’t have to assume responsibility to truly apologise. Saying you are sorry on a technical issue does not mean it is your fault, it says how you feel about what happened.
People want their feelings to be heard, understood, and respected. Apologising for tough customer problems even if it’s not your fault will help customers feel your empathy and willingness to collaborate on troubleshooting.
Focus on solutions, not on blame
Whether it’s a miscommunication or a misprinted invoice, mistakes can happen on your company’s end, and it’s important to apologise in those moments.
But when we apologise or explain any back-end issues that led to a customer problem we should never blame another department or another member of the team. Instead we focus on finding a solution that will work to solve the problem and prevent it from happening again. It will make us and the organisation appear more professional and reliable.
Put yourself in their shoes
Getting to know the customer’s business is key as it reveals a solution from a different angle. Empathy can go a long way, and finding out how the customer uses your products to achieve their goals might reveal a solution or new idea. Furthermore, it will make the customer feel appreciated and taken seriously when you respond to questions and queries with context and background information about their particular business and needs.
Laugh, smile and have fun
Pay attention to signals from your customer, and have fun with them if it seems appropriate. Share jokes, laugh, and match their tone and style to make them feel comfortable and at ease. If they are smiling when they hang up, you’ve done a great job.
The views given herein are solely for information purposes; they are guidelines and suggestions and are not guaranteed to work in any particular way.
Robert Gonye is a Business Growth Expert and Influencer. He writes in his personal capacity. Comments and views: [email protected] twitter@robert_gonye
