You’ll find few companies these days who don’t tout the quality of their customer service. This is no accident. In the digital age, where consumers have more choices than ever and have access to countless reviews of other customers with regard to the service they received, having great customer service is an absolute requirement for just about any company.
So how can you provide it? What customer service improvements can you make to streamline your system and what are the best customer service processes you could be implementing? Here are four customer service tips to consider.
1. Live Chat
Consumers today are used to getting everything on demand. They want to see a movie, so they press a button and suddenly it’s playing on their TV. They see a new piece of technology they like, and with a few clicks on Amazon it’s on its way to their home. People want instant gratification from those who provide what they consume — and they’re getting it. Nothing is more frustrating or more of a turn-off to a consumer than not being able to find a way to access help when they need it. Live chat means they can explain their problem and get it fixed right now, which means a happier customer.
2. Remote Support
Some people are just not tech-savvy and they don’t want to be. If you manufacture a product that can be repaired online, like a digital device or a software program, look into providing remote support, which allows your technician to take control of the device remotely in order to effect the repair. Not all problems can be resolved this way, but when they can be, remote support not only saves you time and money but also offers a better customer experience for the consumer as well.
3. Follow-Ups
Once your customer’s problem has been resolved, it’s a good idea to follow up a few days later to make sure everything is working as it is supposed to. Sometimes a simple email survey is sufficient and other times a phone call may be indicated. There are a number of benefits to this. It indicates to the customer that you really care about them and value their business, it keeps your company in their mind and if they were not satisfied with the resolution to their problem, you’ll find out about it and get a second chance to fix it, rather than just lose them as a customer without ever knowing why.
4. Social Media
Having an active social media presence is a good idea to pick up on customer service issues that may otherwise fall through the cracks. Having a monitored Twitter or Facebook page where customers can leave thoughts, comments or issues for you to look over helps increase customer engagement and gives you yet another opportunity to improve your customer service and customer relations. A community bulletin board where customers can help each other with issues and questions is another great idea.