{"id":11005,"date":"2020-07-30T13:40:48","date_gmt":"2020-07-30T12:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=11005"},"modified":"2023-01-16T17:31:48","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T17:31:48","slug":"8-crucial-dos-and-do-nots-for-great-customer-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/8-crucial-dos-and-do-nots-for-great-customer-service\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Crucial Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts for Great Customer Service"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good customer service plays a key role for companies looking to deliver a high-end customer experience<\/a>. In fact, it often determines whether a customer will stick with a company or move on to a competitor (89% of consumers<\/a>\u00a0say they have after receiving poor customer service).<\/p>\n

While the customer experience encompasses the entire buyer\u2019s journey\u2014from seeing an ad to possibly making a return or exchange\u2014customer service is rooted in human interaction. To ensure that a company provides amazing service, the right people need to be on the frontlines. Customer service agents must possess honesty, patience, and empathy.<\/p>\n

Once a company has the right people in place, it\u2019s up to them to establish resources, guidelines, and support channels that empower their employees to do what they do best\u2014serve customers. While some dos and don\u2019ts of customer service appear obvious\u2014be polite and respectful, don\u2019t be indifferent and dishonest\u2014plenty of tactics require more nuance. Below, we\u2019ll touch on four dos and four don\u2019ts of customer service that help fuel a better overall customer experience.<\/p>\n

The dos:<\/h2>\n

Establish unified messaging across all customer interactions<\/h2>\n

Customers often get most frustrated when a company provides mixed messages. Whether it\u2019s a customer service agent contradicting something on a FAQ page or agents contradicting one another, customers lose faith in a company quickly if messaging isn\u2019t unified. To combat these situations, provide an easily-accessible \u201csource of truth\u201d resource to employees, such as agent-scripting tools to ensure agents are consistent with their answers. Encourage these same employees to keep their eyes peeled for any discrepancies that may arise in their day-to-day work. Another great tactic is to schedule internal audits on a quarterly basis to guarantee all customer touchpoints remain updated and unified.<\/p>\n

Communicate internally when unique circumstances arise<\/h2>\n

Customers use products in many different ways. And while smart companies have best practices and guidelines established for 95% of customer situations, some outliers will no doubt stump even the most savvy customer service agents. Rather than trying to solve the issue themselves, agents should confer with their coworkers and management. If the situation has arisen before, someone likely figured out a workable solution. Once that solution has been agreed upon, be sure to include it in any internal best-practices documents or online help guides. Providing your agents with the right tools to facilitate internal collaboration will go a long way.<\/p>\n

Proactive customer communication<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s one thing to receive great customer service in the midst of a purchase. It\u2019s even better when that same company reaches out to a customer after they\u2019ve made a purchase\u2014especially if it\u2019s not a product that requires support. Reaching out organically, or even setting up automated emails, will show customers you not only care about their satisfaction, but that you want them to get the most out of a product, as well. This simple action can help boost repeat purchases and customer lifetime value.<\/p>\n

Know your company\u2019s products inside and out<\/h2>\n

Customers want to know that the agent they\u2019re talking to is an authority on the product or service the customer is inquiring about. Nothing shatters your customer\u2019s confidence more than when an agent can\u2019t properly navigate their company\u2019s products when answering any type of query. If the customer want more information before buying, insufficient answers could be the difference between making or not making a sale. If the customer has already purchased the product or service and has a troubleshooting question, reps need the confidence to walk them through their query, locate documentation to help resolve the issue, and know when to reach out to individual teams outside customer service to get an expert opinion.<\/p>\n

The don\u2019ts:<\/h2>\n

Treat customers as a transaction<\/h2>\n

There are two ways to think about your interactions with customers. First, you can look at them as a mere transaction\u2014just another job to do. Secondly, you can look at them as relationships\u2014as actual human beings whose wants and needs actually matter to you. The former is a quick way to lose repeat purchasers while the latter provides the personal touch that can go a long way to help retain customers, build brand loyalty, and spark word-of-mouth marketing that brings in additional buyers.<\/p>\n

Leave customer conversations open<\/h2>\n

Never leave a customer wondering if you\u2019re going to get back to them.\u00a0 Even if you solve the problem and the conversation seems finished, send a quick note to make sure the customer feels confident in the resolution.<\/p>\n

Commit to a deadline you can\u2019t meet<\/h2>\n

When offering a deadline\u2014e.g., \u201cI\u2019ll get back to you by 2:00 p.m.\u201d\u2014be sure that it\u2019s reasonable for both the customer service team and the customer. Underestimating the time it will take to solve a problem can leave the customer frustrated. It can also lead to customers assuming your agents are inept. Of course, there will be times when a deadline can\u2019t be met. In these instances, it\u2019s imperative to communicate with the customer. A simple, \u201dHey, we\u2019re still working on helping you out\u201d can do wonders toward strengthening company\/customer relationships. And using the right tools to make sure the agents remember to communicate back at the agreed-upon time is key. You can\u2019t expect agents to keep track of all their call-back on Post-Its. You need tools that automatically prompt agents to call customers back at a scheduled time\u2014these can range from\u00a0sophisticated software solutions for large call-center teams<\/a>\u00a0or free scheduling tools like\u00a0Trello<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Google Calendar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Use jargon<\/h2>\n

Like you would with any external communication, leave jargon out of customer service interactions. Jargon not only confuses your customers but it can leave them feeling incompetent. To avoid jargon, come up with a list of terms your entire company uses and \u201cde-jargon\u201d them. For example, rather than calling the \u201csettings icon\u201d by its technical name, call it a \u201cgear icon,\u201d because that\u2019s what it looks like. Simple language shifts like this help create a fluid and efficient customer service experience.<\/p>\n

Putting it all into practice<\/h2>\n

Customer service starts with hiring the right people\u2014people who are honest, patient, and empathetic. Once a company has a\u00a0foundation\u00a0<\/a>of great service agents, it can build a\u00a0robust and unified service department<\/a>, where all agents are aligned on language and behavior. That way, even if a customer has to speak with multiple agents, the experience will be seamless.<\/p>\n

Following the do\u2019s listed above, and avoiding the don\u2019ts, can help companies stand out from competitors and grow their businesses\u2013\u2013not just through product sales, but through high-level service that keeps customers coming back and referring it to others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Good customer service plays a key role for companies looking to deliver a high-end customer experience. In fact, it often determines whether a customer will stick with a company or … Read more “8 Crucial Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts for Great Customer Service”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":244,"featured_media":12024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-ex-cx.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n8 Crucial Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts for Great Customer Service | RingCentral UK Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"ood customer service plays a key role for companies looking to deliver a high-end customer experience. 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