For any business, it’s vital to get customer service right – doing so can improve your bottom line and help to boost potential scalability. However, failing to put the right processes in place can see your business fall behind the competition. In fact, recent stats show that after experiencing bad customer service on more than one occasion, around 80% of consumers would prefer to take their custom to a rival business. If you’re looking to refresh your customer service, keep these three things in mind.
Understand your customer base
When choosing appropriate methods of support, it’s important you keep the people who’ll be using it in mind. Ultimately, your customer support service will only be effective if it suits the needs of your clientele and aligns with their preferences when dealing with businesses. There’s little benefit for either party in making a large investment in a support service that won’t be utilised by customers.
Clear distinctions can be made between the preferences of different generations when it comes to customer service. Stats show that over 40% of boomers prefer to deal with complaints with a physical in-store conversation, while less than a quarter of Gen-Z and millennial customers favour this approach. Instead, digital channels and self-service support systems are preferred by the younger generations, with 60% of zoomers agreeing that bots are useful for solving simple problems.
Research the available options
Customer service is no longer limited to in-person interactions or back and forth phone calls. There is a vast range of potential channels that businesses of all sizes can exploit, combining the latest technology with traditional methods. For example, phone answering services offer customers 24/7 support, without needing to have your employees present and sat by a phone. Meanwhile, AI can be utilised to answer simple queries through instant messaging services.
When researching your options, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind. Firstly, the cost of any service will need to align with your short and long-term business goals. In the same breath, you’ll want to ensure any channels of communication can be scaled in line with your business aspirations. Laying the right foundations when it comes to customer service can set you up for a future of success.
Monitor your channels
Once you’ve invested in and established your preferred channel(s) of support, that’s by no means the end game. It’s crucial that you continue to monitor the effectiveness of your service, taking the feedback of consumers and employees into consideration.
From here, you will be able to adjust features and processes to optimise the customer service experience that you’re offering. Or, you can change your approach altogether, and consider alternative options. Either way, monitoring the effectiveness of your customer service is the best way to ensure you’re meeting the needs of your clientele, while also streamlining the wider business.
Good customer service promotes healthy business
To meet the needs of different types of customers, you may look to diversify your channels of support. Using multiple approaches can help people to find answers more quickly in whichever way they prefer, helping to keep your business moving forward. However, it can be costly to invest in multiple different services, so make sure to do your research in advance to ensure that investment is being made in the right areas.
