Five Surefire Customer Service Solutions to Bring You Cheer
April flowers are here and it is time to celebrate! Even if there is still snow on the ground in your neck of the woods, the idea that summer is near is a reason to celebrate. The reason that your local pub is a popular sunny evening destination isn’t simply that they’ll have cold beer and a sunny patio to drink it on. It’s the sense of community and welcome that the pub provides. Even if this weekend marks the first time you set foot in a pub, if you’re greeted warmly and treated like a new friend, chances are you’ll come back. Successful business owners know the return business of happy customers is worth more than its weight in gold—even liquid or sunshine. Here are five customer service solutions that could pad your pockets with extra green this season.
1. Build customer profiles and share them with your entire team. From the first moment a customer shows interest in your products, you should be learning about their tastes. Everything from their life-time customer value to their pastimes and how they like to shop can have an impact on a customer’s experience with your company. These things are what make each customer unique, so share the info you gather with marketing and sales. Then no matter how you connect with a customer, your team will be able to greet them as warmly as the local publican—with a friendly smile and the offer of their usual seat at the table.
2. Create comprehensive self-service solutions. No matter how warm and welcoming your customer service team is, some folks just like to go it alone. Offering up the option of self-service for those who prefer to solve their own issues by using proactive contextual support is a wonderful way to further personalize your customer service strategy. Not only does this give your customer service team more time to chat with the folks who need them most, it offers you a further avenue for gathering insight before your next customer interaction.
3. Match customers with like-minded representatives. One way that you can put your ever-growing stockpile of customer-specific data to good use is to pair each customer with a representative that shares their interests. Trupanion is already using this technology to pair pet owners with representatives who own similar pets. More than simply knowing their customer’s story, these representatives can connect on an emotional level. Relationships like this can potentially mean the difference between an impartial customer and a long-term friend and advocate.
4. Stay nimble. Customer service issues can crop up at the drop of a hat. Keeping your team connected and abreast of whatever comes your way is vital in today’s market. By housing your data in the cloud, you’ll make sure everyone has the most recent information on hand when they need it. Whether you’re looking at a social media hiccup or a product that’s been held up during shipping, your team will be able to proactively address the situation right away.
5. Empower your team. Not every member of a team is authorized to solve every problem. By keeping the lines of communication open, however, you can quickly get customers the solutions they need. With employee collaboration tools, you can get the insight and input you need to reach your solution fast. And addressing a customer’s issue faster than they expect puts you in a great spot to gain (or retain) their loyalty.
Sunshine has nothing on a strong, connected customer service solution. If you’d like to see other ways an updated customer service strategy can help you strengthen your relationships, get started with our short e-book on the subject here.
