18 Jun

No matter how much effort you have put into a product, selling it would be difficult if you have poor customer service. People will complain about you and your product, and they might even leave you for your competitors.

Well, things don’t have to be so bad, and no matter how bad it is right now, you can always turn things around for good. A Nigerian proverb says, “If a man does not ask his peers how they prosper, he will work himself to death trying to catch up. This article will show you a few tips on how you can revamp your customer service.

However, like the Nigerian proverb says, “you cannot feed a malnourished child in one night; the process to transformation will not happen immediately. To start seeing meaningful changes, you will need a dedicated team to work with you as you put in some amount of commitment.

But first, what is customer service, and how can you improve it as a leader?

No matter how much effort you have put into a product, selling it would be difficult if you have poor customer service

WHAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE?

Customer service refers to the act of giving support to existing and prospective clients. It entails all the activities related to providing attentive, quality services to clients on time and ensuring that their needs are met to give the company a good reputation.

The definition of customer service differs from place to place. Different organizations have to create their customer service using their company policies and philosophies and the type of service they want to provide as a guide.

In a general sense, however, most customer service professionals usually provide answers to customer questions in person or via email, live chat, social media, or on the phone. They also create documentation for self-service support.

WHY IS CUSTOMER SERVICE SO IMPORTANT?

There is an adage that says, “A man who does not know how to smile must not open a shop.” That saying is still very applicable today as studies show that 86% of customers stop doing business with companies due to bad experiences. This tells you that customer service is vital in every encounter you have with your clients. You must approach every deal with an intent to sell up, retain or acquire new clients.

When your customer service is good, revenue generation would be easier for you. That is, when you allow customers a unique experience that aligns with your organization’s purpose, they would be willing to do business with you.

Many surveys have been carried out to prove these facts. For instance, a study revealed that companies in the US lose up to 62 billion dollars every year due to poor service. Interestingly, about 70% of customers claim they have spent more money doing business with companies that have better customer service.

Your customer service is the key to having a unique customer experience that will delight your customers, engage them and keep them coming back.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE?

Before you can learn to improve, you must first understand what the ideal thing is. By understanding what good customer service is, you will grow your team and set your customer service philosophy along that line.

Good customer service works with four crucial principles. For customer service to be good, it must be competent, personalized, proactive, and convenient. Together, these four principles play vital roles in customer experience.

Competence:

Competence is one of the most prominent qualities that good customer service must-have. For customer service to be considered competent, it must have good knowledge of the company product. More importantly, these professionals must be able to solve the problems that clients have. Competence is, however, not a destination. It is a journey on which professionals improve with time. As they gather more information, they become more competent and confident in doing their job better.

Personalization:

Empathy and a sense of humanity are the core of customer service. Everyone wants to feel appreciated every once in a while. This is why personalized interactions are one of the critical principles to improving customer service. You must serve your clients in a way that they feel your company cares about them and their issues. Therefore, every opportunity you have to create a personalized service should be an avenue to earn your customer’s loyalty.

Convenience:

Before proceeding to make a purchase, customers usually consider several things. One of those things customers consider is convenience. Everyone wants to do business with someone who they can talk to in a way that they feel is convenient to them. So, for your customer service to be ideal, it should allow customers to reach you easily through reliable channels.

Pro-activeness:

This is a bit similar to competence, but there are a few differences. Customers do no only want people who have good knowledge of their issues but also customer service teams that can reach out to them as fast as possible. For instance, if your website is experiencing downtime, proactive customer service would reach out in time and explain to customers, so they understand the problem. While you do not expect them to be happy about the issue, a large percentage of them would be pleased that they are kept in the loop.

When you build your customer service around these four principles, you will have a positive, straightforward customer experience for all of your clients.

WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE?

Consistent customer service requires lots of work from all parts of your organization. However, the bunch of the work starts with the customer support team. A Nigerian proverb says, “you do not barb the hair of a man in his absence.” Therefore, you must start with those directly involved, which is the customer support team.

You must hire people who are passionate about helping your customers. More importantly, you should pay these professionals well enough.