Customer service best practices shouldn’t be an afterthought, they should be the center of your customer experience. Because if you don’t know how to provide great service and consistently making mistakes when communicating with customers, they probably won’t stick around for long. According to strategist Esteban Kolsky, 67% of consumers say bad experiences were the reason they switched to another service provider. But losing customers is just the beginning…
Kolsky also said that 13% of unhappy customers will tell 15 or more people about their negative experience with your company. The math makes the importance of great support experiences clear:
- 100 unhappy customers x 13% who share their experience x 15 people each = 195 potential future customers lost.
- If you know your customer support services aren’t as good as they could be, now is the time to improve them.
- Because if you do, Kolsky points out that 72% of happy customers will tell 6 or more people about their positive experiences.
- Out of 100, that’s 432 potential new customers.
Read on to discover 5 customer care best practices you can begin implementing today.
5 Customer Service Best Practices
1. Define Your Customer Service Value Proposition
Setting service standards and internal best practices helps your support agents provide a consistent experience, regardless of their department or the customer issues they’re dealing with.
To establish these standards, we recommend developing a customer service value proposition. Here are a few ways to approach it:
- Figure out how your product fits into your customer’s big picture – their needs, desires, and ultimate goals.
- Identify sales opportunities throughout the support journey and encourage agents to introduce or upsell products appropriately.
- Collect data about your customers and their behavior to test new strategies and measure the impact.
2. Hire Awesome Customer Support Agents
Hiring excellent customer service agents isn’t optional, it’s imperative. They’re sometimes the first and only personal interaction a customer will have with your company. If they’re not exceptional, they could screw up the entire customer support workflow. First impressions are critical to customer retention. New Voice Media reported that after just a single negative experience, 51% of customers will never do business with you again.
Get the right people on your team by:
- Guaranteeing a competitive salary.
- Offering an attractive benefits package.
- Incentivizing agents with appealing rewards.
- Providing a clear ladder to promotion (to encourage agents to continually outperform one another).
3. Identify the Key Customer Service Skills Every Agent Should Possess
Not every agent has the right customer service skills to provide a high-quality experience. But they should if you want to fully embrace customer care best practices.
Some skills your agents should possess include:
- In-depth knowledge of your product so they can find solutions quickly.
- Active listening to empathize with the customer and truly understand their issues.
- And persuasion skills to encourage customers to stay with your company, use the solution you provide, and potentially purchase more of your products or services.
4. Provide an Omnichannel Customer Service Experience
Modern customer support best practices demand you brand omnipresence. And more than just “being seen” everywhere, you have to allow customers to contact you from anywhere. A 2013 study from Zendesk found that 37% of customers “expect to be able to contact the same customer service representative regardless of which channel they use.”
Zendesk also reported that only 7% of customers are “extremely satisfied that brands provide a seamless, integrated, and consistent customer service experience across channels.” This means customers should be able to reach you by phone, email, social media, and even in-person. But a desktop experience isn’t enough to satisfy customer demands…
Your website and all of your customer support materials, from FAQs to live chats, should be optimized for mobile users. Software Advice discovered that “63% of U.S. adults use mobile devices at least several times per month to seek customer support” while at the same time “90% have had poor experiences seeking customer support on mobile.”
Not good. To remain competitive, retain customers, and provide an outstanding experience, you must have a responsive website design that allows customers to reach out on any device.
5. Respond to Customer Requests ASAP
Not only do customers expect to reach you from anywhere, but they also want their questions answered as quickly as possible. After surveying over 1,200 consumers, Toister Performance Solutions recommends responding to customer requests within 1 hour, which will satisfy 89% of all customers. That goes for email, Facebook, and Twitter. But most companies don’t even come close to responding that quickly.
Super Office found that 62% of companies don’t answer customer service emails and if they do, it takes 12 hours and 10 minutes on average to respond. That’s just dismal service.
There are a number of things you can do to improve your response times:
- Use AI, like chatbots, to respond to simple customer queries.
- Create a robust knowledge base.
- And develop a process whereby agents know the type of queries they’re responsible for answering.
[Bonus] Customer Service Best Practice: Communicate Visually
When a customer service agent finally does respond to customer requests, they usually end up writing out one answer after another. And if the customer finds their explanations confusing, the agent has to type out yet another long response trying desperately to clarify. But words aren’t the only form of communication; in fact, they’re becoming increasingly obsolete.
WebDAM compiled a bunch of fascinating statistics that suggest visual communication is the way of the future:
- The average SAT reading score was at a record low in 2014.
- “Visual IQ” is rising faster than any other form of IQ.
- You have 8 seconds before the average person becomes distracted.
- People only remember 20% of what they read if it doesn’t include visuals.
If your customer support team mostly relies on text-based communication, your customers are likely having a harder time understanding answers, implementing solutions, and feeling good about their experience.
Here are a few things you can do to change that:
- Capture and share screenshots to supplement text responses.
- Annotate, highlight, and draw on captured images to clearly demonstrate what customers should do to solve their issue.
- Create short GIFs that walk through a process step-by-step so they can read your directions and see how it’s done simultaneously.
- And if you want to go the extra mile, record a quick video with webcam answering their questions, greeting them, apologizing, or giving a farewell.
To get started communicating visually, look no further than Zight (formerly CloudApp).
Zight (formerly CloudApp) brings an annotated screenshot tool, GIF creator, and screen recorder to the cloud in an easy-to-use, enterprise-grade app so you can quickly create and share visual content.
We help customer support teams:
- Easily create support materials and tutorials
- Optimize customer support workflows
- Provide customers with detailed answers and close Zendesk tickets faster
- Improve your team’s CSAT scores
- Track bugs and document problems
- Improve customer support initiatives
Learn more about Zight (formerly CloudApp) for Customer Support here.
Bonus Tips for Exceptional Customer Service
While the main points outlined provide a solid foundation for exceptional customer service, integrating some additional strategies can further elevate the experience you provide to your customers. Here are 10 bonus tips to enhance your customer service best practices:
1. Empower Your Team with Decision-Making Authority
Empowering your customer service agents to make decisions can significantly improve the customer experience. When agents have the authority to resolve issues without needing to escalate them, it leads to faster resolutions and increased customer satisfaction. Provide guidelines and training so that agents understand the boundaries and can confidently make decisions that benefit the customer and the company.
2. Implement a Customer Feedback Loop
Customer feedback is invaluable for improving service quality. Create a system where customers can easily provide feedback after interactions. Use surveys, follow-up emails, or feedback forms. Analyze the feedback regularly to identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes. Showing customers that you value their input and are willing to act on it can foster loyalty.
3. Personalize Customer Interactions
Personalization can make customers feel valued and appreciated. Use customer data to tailor interactions based on their preferences, history, and previous interactions. Personal touches, like using the customer’s name, acknowledging past purchases, and offering tailored recommendations, can enhance the overall customer experience.
4. Invest in Continuous Training
Customer service training should not be a one-time event. Continuous training ensures that your team is up-to-date with the latest products, services, and best practices. Regular training sessions can also help in developing new skills, improving old ones, and keeping the team motivated.
5. Use Advanced CRM Systems
A robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can streamline your customer service operations. It helps track customer interactions, manage customer data, and provide insights into customer behavior. An advanced CRM can also automate repetitive tasks, allowing your agents to focus more on providing excellent service.
6. Celebrate and Reward Excellent Service
Recognizing and rewarding excellent service can boost morale and encourage your team to consistently deliver high-quality service. Implement a reward system where outstanding performance is acknowledged and rewarded. This could be through bonuses, public recognition, or other incentives.
7. Develop a Strong Knowledge Base
A comprehensive knowledge base is a valuable resource for both your customers and support agents. It should include FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and detailed articles about your products or services. A well-maintained knowledge base allows customers to find answers quickly and empowers agents to provide accurate information.
8. Foster a Customer-Centric Culture
Creating a customer-centric culture within your organization ensures that every team member, regardless of their role, understands the importance of customer satisfaction. Encourage all departments to collaborate and contribute to a seamless customer experience. Regularly remind your team of the company’s commitment to exceptional customer service.
9. Utilize Social Media for Customer Support
Many customers turn to social media for support, expecting quick and efficient responses. Monitor your social media channels and respond to queries, complaints, and feedback promptly. Social media can also be a platform to showcase your commitment to customer satisfaction publicly.
10. Conduct Regular Customer Service Audits
Regular audits of your customer service processes can help identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. Evaluate the effectiveness of your current practices, measure customer satisfaction levels, and make data-driven decisions to enhance your service. Audits can be done internally or with the help of external consultants for an unbiased perspective.
11. Offer Multilingual Support
In a global market, offering support in multiple languages can be a significant advantage. Ensure that your customer service team can assist customers in their preferred language. This inclusivity can enhance the customer experience and expand your reach to a broader audience.
12. Implement Customer Service Analytics
Leverage analytics to gain insights into your customer service performance. Track key metrics such as response time, resolution time, and customer satisfaction scores. Use these insights to identify trends, set benchmarks, and continuously improve your service strategies.
13. Create a Customer Loyalty Program
A well-designed loyalty program can incentivize repeat business and reward loyal customers. Offer exclusive discounts, early access to new products, or special promotions to customers who frequently engage with your brand. A loyalty program can also provide valuable data on customer preferences and behavior.
14. Promote Self-Service Options
Empower customers to find solutions on their own by offering robust self-service options. This can include a detailed FAQ section, video tutorials, and automated chatbots. Self-service options not only provide convenience for customers but also reduce the workload on your support team.
15. Encourage Customer Advocacy
Happy customers can be your best advocates. Encourage satisfied customers to share their positive experiences through reviews, testimonials, and referrals. Develop a referral program where customers are rewarded for bringing in new business. Positive word-of-mouth can significantly boost your brand’s reputation.
16. Enhance Accessibility for All Customers
Ensure that your customer service is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. This includes providing options for voice assistance, offering text alternatives for audio content, and ensuring your website is navigable with screen readers. Accessibility is not just a legal requirement but also a moral obligation to serve all customers fairly.
17. Stay Ahead with Technology
Keeping up with technological advancements can greatly enhance your customer service. Explore emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and virtual reality to see how they can be integrated into your support strategy. Staying ahead with technology can help you offer innovative solutions and stay competitive.
18. Develop a Crisis Management Plan
Having a crisis management plan in place ensures that your team is prepared to handle any unexpected situations, such as service outages, product recalls, or negative publicity. A well-thought-out plan can help mitigate damage, maintain customer trust, and ensure swift resolution.
19. Focus on Emotional Intelligence
Training your customer service team in emotional intelligence can significantly improve their ability to handle challenging situations. Understanding and managing their own emotions, as well as empathizing with customers, can lead to more positive interactions and better conflict resolution.
20. Regularly Update Your Customer Service Tools
The tools and software you use for customer service should be regularly updated to ensure they meet current needs and security standards. Evaluate your tools periodically and invest in upgrades or new solutions that can enhance efficiency and improve the customer experience.
By implementing these additional tips, you can create a customer service strategy that not only meets but exceeds customer expectations. A commitment to continuous improvement and a customer-centric approach will help your business thrive in today’s competitive market.