Increasingly, customer service is the standard by which companies are measured, and the service you provide can make or break your small business. To improve your customer service and increase sales this year, make these five customer service resolutions for your small business.
1. I Will Listen to My Customers
You can read everything written about new technology trends, customer service on social media and more, but the reality comes down to one thing: What do your customers want? Don’t make customer service changes based on Top 10 or Hot Trends lists—make them based on what your customers are asking for. Listen to customers in every possible channel, from social media and online reviews to in-person conversations, surveys and emails. They’re giving you feedback every minute of the day if you’ll only open your ears.
2. I Will Listen to My Customer Service Employees
Equally important as listening to your customers is listening to your customer service reps and any other frontline employee who engages with customers. They’re the ones who use your tools and systems every day, hear customer complaints and praise, and know when a process is unwieldy, wasting time or annoying customers. Don’t assume they’re just griping—take their complaints seriously and regularly ask them for input on how your customer service could be improved.
3. I Will Invest in Customer Service
Customer service is paramount today, so don’t skimp when it comes to spending on the technology, tools and training your employees need to provide standout service. Carefully weigh the costs of various options and assess how much they could potentially save you. If an investment enables you to spend less time on training, less money on employee salaries or less time getting new employees up to speed, chances are it’s worth the cost.
4. I Will Offer Options
Some customers love to talk on the phone to live customer service agents. Others hate dealing with humans and prefer filling out online forms. Still others opt for the speedy resolution of online chat while they multitask on their computers. No one customer service option is right or wrong, and to reach the widest range of customers, you need to offer all the options that your customers express interest in and use.
5. I Will Always Remember Customers Are Human Beings
This is the most important resolution of all. As customer interactions become increasingly enabled by technology, it’s easy to forget there’s a person at the other end of the online review/chat box/phone line. When you or your team are struggling with difficult customers, stop, take a breath and remember to engage with them on a human level. That means listening to them vent, acknowledging their frustrations and offering a solution that makes them happy.
What are your customer service resolutions for this year?
Republished by permission. Original here.
Customer photo by Shutterstock
I would add that you should empower your employees to solve problems. The only thing more frustrating than the original problem is a customer service rep that can’t actually fix the issue, even after spending time and effort to reach them.