We’ve all had at least one brush with a business with terrible standards of customer service. Your order may have been delayed repeatedly, the staff you dealt with may have been apathetic or just plain rude, or your questions and complaints may have been ignored. Poor customer service not only puts customers in a bad mood, but also damages the reputation of the brand. Here are some tips for customer service standards that will make your customers love you.
Work on Communication
One of the most commonly cited pain points brought up by disgruntled customers is a lack of dependable communication channels. Okay, so you have a number for a customer helpline on your web page. But what about all the customers who prefer communicating through email or social media? Live chat features are also becoming more and more popular and give customers a quick and easy way to get in touch. One of the simplest ways to improve your standards of customer service is opening up new channels of communication between you and your audience. This can be as simple as putting your phone number at the bottom of your address in letter heads, or including a Twitter handle in your business’s email signature. When your customers are able to get hold of you through whatever communication channels they want, they’ll be much more satisfied with the experience you’re giving them.
Convenience is Key
A huge part of customer service is the convenience of buying from your business. Sure, you may have the most polite and friendly staff in the country, but this won’t count for much if making a purchase from your company is a chore. Put yourself in your customer's’ shoes, and ask yourself what changes you’d make to your current sales funnel for added convenience. This may involve investing in new technology like the contactless tools from NFC Direct, or simply having stricter time limits between two phases of the ordering process. When you’re considering any big shifts in your customer-facing processes, just make sure you’re doing your research, and ensuring that you’ll be able to adapt quickly. There’s nothing worse than investing in some new technology or management practice thinking it will improve convenience, and then finding you’ve actually made life more difficult for your customer base.
Refer Other Products
Of course, you should be doing everything in your power to make your brand as attractive as possible to your main target audience. However, it’s simply not possible to make your product or service a perfect solution for your entire customer base. If customers come asking for something that you can’t provide, and you know of another company that’s a better fit for their needs, it’s always best to refer these customers to them, even if they’re a competitor. It may sound backwards to send prospects to a direct competitor, but your customers will recognise and remember the sacrifice you made by recommending the other business. Further down the line, when someone they know is looking for a product or service like yours, they’ll be much more inclined to send you some lucrative new business!
