Customer service isn’t just about resolving customer problems. It’s about making sure customers have the tools they need to succeed throughout their journey with your business. It’s about building trust—which impacts everything from customer loyalty and retention, to brand and marketing. And it’s about providing a level of expertise that sets your business apart.
While traditional 1-800 helplines and in-person customer support teams remain useful, businesses are now able to connect with customers through email, live chat, mobile apps, and social media. These omnichannel interactions allow companies to respond quickly to customers’ questions and concerns—and offer them a more personalized experience.
As the lines between customer service and customer experience Intercon Messaging Inc. – Alberta, Canada CX become increasingly blurred, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your team has the skills they need to exceed customers’ expectations. This includes ensuring that they can quickly identify and resolve customer issues—but it also means going the extra mile to deliver a high-quality customer experience.
For example, if someone is trying to set up a new online account, a good customer support agent would take the time to explain how the process works and why it’s important. It’s a small gesture that shows the customer you care about their success and are willing to take the time to make sure they understand how the system works.
Another way to go above and beyond is by leveraging a knowledge base or self-service portal to empower customers with the information they need before they even reach out for assistance. This can help reduce call volume, speeding up resolution times and boosting customer satisfaction.
Getting the most out of your customer support team requires setting clear goals and measuring performance on a regular basis. Some tried-and-true KPIs include CSAT, NPS, and churn rates. Whether you’re using a traditional support software solution or something more innovative, like the SuperOffice customer feedback platform, having clear and measurable objectives helps to keep the team focused on the right things.
To maximize performance, many companies use SMART specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals to set individual and team-level objectives and align them with overall business strategies and customer experience priorities. Providing ongoing training on topics such as cultural sensitivity, empathy, customer journey mapping, and complaint handling is a great way to keep your teams engaged.
The bottom line is that enhanced customer support involves being proactive about meeting your customers’ needs and expectations, which is easier said than done. But with the right tools, a little creativity and some solid training, your customer support team can turn those occasional disappointments into recurring successes.
Learn how SuperOffice can improve your customer support with our free demo.
This article was originally published in February 2019 and has been updated for accuracy.
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