{"id":21002,"date":"2021-09-13T10:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T09:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=21002"},"modified":"2021-09-10T16:01:22","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T15:01:22","slug":"good-customer-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/good-customer-service\/","title":{"rendered":"How to give good customer service (with five examples)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Great customer service is at the heart of running a great business. Your product quality can be exceptional, but if you\u2019re driving customers away with unfriendly or unhelpful service you\u2019ll find yourself at the mercy of increasingly high churn rates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excellent customer service can be the basis of brand loyalty and advocacy, as well as overall retention rates. It even affects your bottom line. The <\/span><strong><a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/the-roi-of-customer-experience\/\">ROI of customer experience<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is exceptionally high compared to other business focuses. You can measure this kind of ROI by looking at certain metrics, including customer retention over both transactional and subscription-based interactions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What is \u201cgood customer service\u201d?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excellent customer service relies on a few central tenets, and is a surefire way of improving customer loyalty. A good customer service strategy draws together these ideas to keep customer needs in mind and address issues in real-time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Quick response times, efficiency, and efficacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer expectations are at an all-time high. With ecommerce increasingly on the rise, consumers have more choice than ever before. This means that they can choose to switch brands at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the highest-ranking factors customers look for when considering their position on a brand experience? Perhaps surprisingly, it\u2019s customer service efficiency (above product quality and price). Customers\u2019 time is valuable, and first-time resolution rates mean that they don\u2019t spend endless hours trying to solve their problem and getting increasingly frustrated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you\u2019ve been contacted via email or call, quick response rates are vital. Not only do they reduce frustration, but they also let your customer know that you care about them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your customer service rep hasn\u2019t managed to resolve the issue within the first interaction, it\u2019s particularly important to follow up. Nobody likes to feel abandoned! As soon as you have a fix in mind, let your customer know. And ideally, if it\u2019s taking a while to get things sorted, it can\u2019t hurt to keep them updated along the way as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When talking about efficiency, we have to mention the rise of <\/span><strong><a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/a-complete-guide-to-using-an-ecommerce-chatbot-examples-benefits-and-how-they-work\/\">chatbots in ecommerce<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>.<\/strong> By utilising artificial intelligence, these bots can communicate with customers on your behalf, providing useful information pulled from previous interactions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, two other factors that rate highly are human interaction and knowledgeability. This suggests that whilst <a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/the-rise-of-chatbots\/\">chatbots<\/a> can be helpful in some aspects, human customer service representatives still have a place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While bots can play a role in targeting problems before they snowball,\u00a0 humans can be useful to help address tougher issues and to empathise when things have gone wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21014\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21014\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21014 size-large\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/good-customer-service-640x406.jpg\" alt=\"Good Customer Service: Quick response times, efficiency, and efficacy\" width=\"640\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/good-customer-service-640x406.jpg 640w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/good-customer-service-300x190.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/good-customer-service-768x487.jpg 768w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/good-customer-service.jpg 1258w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21014\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwc.com\/us\/en\/advisory-services\/publications\/consumer-intelligence-series\/pwc-consumer-intelligence-series-customer-experience.pdf\">Image source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Listening to customer feedback<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer service means solving problems, but it also means proactively taking steps to ensure those problems don\u2019t arise in the first place for future customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a crucial facet of customer support, which is typically employed in more technical sectors where customers are likely to have intricate problems that they need help with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In customer support teams, it\u2019s not unusual to report back regularly to product development teams to ensure that these problems get ironed out in subsequent releases.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, this kind of feedback can be useful across all industries. If a certain issue keeps coming up again and again, it\u2019s a good idea to address it and save customers the hassle in the first place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps that might involve updating your FAQ section to answer a common question, or making your website more accessible for all users. It might even be an operational or logistics issue like reducing (or scrapping) shipping fees or using a more reliable courier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Either way, once the solution is in place, your customer service team will be freed up and able to focus on other matters.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Employing customer success techniques<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talking of updating that FAQ section, there\u2019s another area of customer service that is often overlooked: Enabling customer success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer success allows people to solve their issues without contacting the company at all \u2013 it\u2019s a kind of self-service option.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comprehensive FAQs and a solid, accessible knowledge base is only the beginning when it comes to customer success. Because it\u2019s mostly used in SaaS industries, it can involve efficient onboarding as well as technical troubleshooting and\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/gb\/en\/resources\/learning-center.html\">resource centres<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That isn\u2019t to say it isn\u2019t useful across the board, though: Allowing your customers to access self-service resources means that there is no room for <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bad <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">customer service interactions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21015\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21015\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21015 size-large\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Employing-customer-success-techniques-640x328.jpg\" alt=\"Good Customer Service: Employing Customer Success Techniques\" width=\"640\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Employing-customer-success-techniques-640x328.jpg 640w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Employing-customer-success-techniques-300x154.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Employing-customer-success-techniques-768x394.jpg 768w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Employing-customer-success-techniques.jpg 1485w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21015\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/gb\/en\/resources\/learning-center.html\">Image source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Accessibility over all channels<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While some problems might be best solved over a quick phone call, many customers nowadays prefer to use other methods of communication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s essential to remember that your customers are real people who may not have time to sit around waiting for a phone call, which means that having omnichannel customer support available is one simple way to make a customer feel respected.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media is one easy way to chat with customers, especially because it can allow real-time support. Incorporating AI or chatbots into your site can also provide quality customer service through its speedy response time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using this method also means that the bot can answer common retail customer questions, leaving your support team free to deal with any more complicated issues that come up, and reducing wait times.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, a report by Kayako suggests that <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/kayako.com\/live-chat-software\/statistics\/\">52%<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of consumers are more likely to stay loyal to a brand that uses live chat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also <\/span><strong><a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/how-to-set-up-a-virtual-contact-centre-a-starter-kit\/\">set up a virtual contact centre<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that enables your customer service representatives to help from anywhere in the world, and with multiple channels at their fingertips.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Most common characteristics of good customer service teams<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some recurring themes come up when looking at customer service teams that are excelling.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of these are soft skills, which can be cultivated within teams to improve their efficacy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When recruiting, try to ask interview questions which draw out the capacity for these features and skills. Alternatively, enhance your customer service team with courses on these soft skills that could make the entire team run more smoothly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, some of these rely on company culture and the freedom to work in the way that works best for customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21016\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21016\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21016 size-large\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/characteristics-of-good-customer-service-teams-640x427.jpg\" alt=\"characteristics of good customer service teams\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/characteristics-of-good-customer-service-teams-640x427.jpg 640w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/characteristics-of-good-customer-service-teams-300x200.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/characteristics-of-good-customer-service-teams.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21016\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/JBwcenOuRCg\">Image source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Communication \u2013 with customers and with one another<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most crucial things that comes up time and time again is the importance of communication.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customers must be kept in the loop throughout their journey with your brand \u2013 whether it\u2019s details about shipping or (god forbid) a data breach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwc.com\/us\/en\/tech-effect\/cybersecurity\/trusted-tech.html\">44%<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong> o<\/strong>f consumers think that \u201ctransparency and quick action after a [data] breach\u201d is the most important factor in whether they would continue to do business with that brand \u2013 even as they believe that data breaches themselves are almost inevitable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication plays a huge part in that transparency. Whether it\u2019s a quick email update or a follow-up phone call, letting customers know that you\u2019re thinking of their needs is a surefire way to reduce any complaints.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not just a useful tool when it comes to negative events, either. Letting your customers know when their order has shipped can be an excellent opportunity to amp them up about their new purchase and potentially upsell.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow-up emails in the days after they receive their product can be both an excellent source of constructive feedback and a way to enable customer success, too. Perhaps pointing out common stumbling blocks and explaining how to get over them, for instance, could delight some customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, the ability to communicate clearly and concisely with customers can play a large role in customer service. But it\u2019s also important that staff can openly and honestly communicate with other team members. This can lead to enhanced collaboration and (if they\u2019re not worried about speaking up in front of senior stakeholders) to real change.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if your teams are all remote? There are plenty of <\/span><strong><a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/top-10-online-collaboration-tools-for-team-productivity\/\">online collaboration tools<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to choose from.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21021\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21021\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21021 size-large\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Communication-\u2013-with-customers-and-with-one-another-640x427.jpg\" alt=\"communication \u2013 with customers and with one another\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Communication-\u2013-with-customers-and-with-one-another-640x427.jpg 640w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Communication-\u2013-with-customers-and-with-one-another-300x200.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Communication-\u2013-with-customers-and-with-one-another.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21021\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/wMRIcT86SWU\">Image source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Proactivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rather than waiting for small problems to spiral into big issues, or waiting for a specific request from the customer, a proactive customer service response is generally what marks out excellent customer experiences from mediocre ones.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your customer service representative has the autonomy to make decisions on a case-by-case basis, you might find yourself with a growing base of loyal customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, having received a complaint about a product that arrived broken, your customer service rep could just send out a new product with a quick, generic apology email.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternatively, they could send a replacement product with a complimentary item included in the package as well \u2013 possibly alongside a handwritten note explaining how the items work together and apologising for the inconvenience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019re not hugely different in the amount of effort required, but one marks your company out as exceptional and is likely to garner you a positive reputation as word spreads.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Obviously, alongside proactive employees, you do need to give them the freedom to make these decisions. In one notable case that we\u2019ll talk about later, employees are authorised to spend up to $2000 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">per day<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to improve client experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While that is an unattainable goal for most businesses, it\u2019s that willingness to make the <a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/definitive-guide-customer-experience\/\">customer experience<\/a> exceptional that creates some brands\u2019 fame.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Providing feedback<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the best things to look out for and nurture within customer service teams is the ability to collate data and provide concise feedback to other departments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While bad customer service can stem from unmotivated employees or inflexible policies, it can just as easily be a result of the team being unable to enact change. These changes might well be what your company needs to succeed long-term, and who is better placed to hear all about how to improve?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customers who have had a bad experience with the brand won\u2019t necessarily want to spend an age helping you to make tweaks to your product offering. In initial complaints, you have a goldmine of information: What\u2019s working and what isn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll see this dynamic within customer support teams, who are often given the power to present ideas to product development or marketing teams that affect the brand. But it\u2019s a skill that can be useful throughout customer service \u2013 so a culture that welcomes feedback in all forms is a must.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21022\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21022\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21022 size-large\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/woman-sending-gifts-640x480.jpg\" alt=\"woman sending gifts\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/woman-sending-gifts-640x480.jpg 640w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/woman-sending-gifts-300x225.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/woman-sending-gifts.jpg 666w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21022\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/wrSzhreXnNc\">Image source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>The personal touch<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though efficiency and convenience came top in PwC\u2019s customer experience ranking, following not far behind are personalisation and human interaction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As customer satisfaction should be at the heart of every customer service exchange, it\u2019s a great time to play to those values and show off the brand\u2019s human side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part of this involves your customer service reps having the autonomy to make quick decisions alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But even if that\u2019s not possible, you can incorporate some human touches into your customer service. Handwritten notes or even emails written on a per-case basis rather than using generic templates can both show customers you truly care about their conundrum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further, if you can centralise a database of complaints and recall any previous interactions you\u2019ve had with individuals, you can prevent them from having to repeat themselves. This works especially well if you can pull it off across channels \u2013 it\u2019s part of what makes an omnichannel approach seem so fluid.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Skills for good customer service<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whilst there\u2019s something to be said for hiring a varied range of reps, there are some customer service skills that are pretty much universally helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Positivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anyone who has been in a customer-facing role can tell you that staying positive (especially when you\u2019re being blamed for something that\u2019s nothing to do with you) can be a challenge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, a positive outlook and the ability to stay calm in the face of irritation can go a long way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It enables your customer service representatives to offer their best service \u2013 ideally, one that prevents customers from getting more worked up than they already are. It can also often deescalate the situation. We all know that antagonising people with snark isn\u2019t the best way to build customer loyalty.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Positivity is a bonus even when customers are being perfectly reasonable: It\u2019s much more pleasant to interact with someone <\/span><strong><a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/10-customer-courtesy-tips-for-your-call-centre-agents\/\">courteous<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and open to finding solutions than it is with one who is quite clearly only there for the paycheck.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Problem-solving<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, the best customer service relies heavily on problem-solving. In dealing with everyday tickets this might not come up a lot, but there will be plenty of issues that just haven\u2019t arisen in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus, as we\u2019ve already noted, the recurring problems might be better addressed with a more permanent solution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In both of these instances, problem-solving is key. Whether they\u2019re walking someone through a complicated tech update or offering assistance with a missing parcel, customer service reps have to be able to think on their feet \u2013 especially if they\u2019re working in real-time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21023\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21023\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21023 size-large\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/examples-of-good-customer-service-640x427.jpg\" alt=\"examples of good customer service\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/examples-of-good-customer-service-640x427.jpg 640w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/examples-of-good-customer-service-300x200.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/examples-of-good-customer-service.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21023\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/0K7GgiA8lVE\">Image source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>5 examples of good customer service<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve all heard some bad customer service stories, but what about the real-life examples of exceptional customer service that left happy customers in their wake?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following brands go the extra mile to properly address their customer\u2019s needs, and we could all learn something from them, even if we don\u2019t have quite the same resources available to us.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Zappos<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Famously \u201ccustomer service obsessed\u201d, Zappos have made a name for themselves excelling in the customer experience. The online shoe retailer has grown from humble origins, and now wants to be known as a service company that just happens to sell all sorts of things as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They even have a name for it: <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zappos.com\/about\/stories\/connecting-customers-pec\">personal emotional connection<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (PEC). Employees are allowed to connect with customers however they see fit: Writing letters thanking people for ordering and recommending pizza places are just two of the ways in which Zappos\u2019 customer service team have made a name for themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Waitrose &amp; Partners<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">British staple Waitrose &amp; Partners have been around for over a century and in that time, they\u2019ve built a name for themselves in customer service.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part of that is in how they empower their employees. They even famously don\u2019t call them that; they\u2019re company Partners. Keeping their employees happy boosts positivity and leads to more constructive customer service interactions.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides, Waitrose &amp; Partners were able to <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/gb\/en\/whyringcentral\/casestudies\/waitrose-and-partners.html\">boost communication between employees<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>,<\/strong> which has changed not only how they work with each other, but even how quickly they\u2019re able to help customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Patch Plants<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A newcomer to the scene of houseplants, Patch Plants spotted a gap in the market: A younger generation of plant-lovers who wouldn\u2019t necessarily have either a garden or any gardening experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They used this to their advantage and ramped up their customer service and CRM offerings. When you sign up to emails, you receive tips and tricks on <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patchplants.com\/gb\/en\/plant-care\/\">caring for plants<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and which ones to buy. Whenever a plant is bought, it comes with a set of emails detailing potential problems and their simple cures, as well as a tailor-made plant-care guide for best-sellers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These emails not only prevent unnecessary returns from people who just don\u2019t understand how to care for their plant, but also provide a great opportunity to keep interacting with customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The proactivity of sending the emails before the problems arise means that their customer service team is free to deal with more pressing issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Amazon\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amazon is famous not only for their super-speedy delivery but also their <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/gp\/help\/customer\/display.html?nodeId=GKM69DUUYKQWKWX7\">returns policy<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>.<\/strong> In it, most sales made can be returned for refunds within 30 days.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notably, they also have a very comprehensive FAQs section: You can find any and all information about returning things to Amazon without ever having to contact an employee. Whether you\u2019re after information on how long your refund will take to arrive or on whether you can return customised goods, they have an easy-to-find section for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With establishments all over the world, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has certainly made a name for itself as the pinnacle of excellent customer service.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hotel chain infamously allows its employees to spend up to $2000 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">per day<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on anything that will improve the customer experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to one famous tale, a stuffed toy was left in one of the rooms, and the distraught child\u2019s father Chris told him that the giraffe (Joshie) was just holidaying an extra few days.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After calling the staff at the Ritz-Carlton to ask that they send Joshie back home, Chris mentioned what he had told his son, and the hotel\u2019s <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/customerthink.com\/joshie_the_giraffe_a_remarkable_story_about_customer_delight\/\">customer service team got to work<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They sent Joshie back complete with pictures of him enjoying his stay \u2013 lounging by the pool, helping out behind the scenes, and even enjoying a relaxing massage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It would have cost minutes and a few pennies extra to send the photos, but it ensured that Chris and his son both remember the experience for life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21024\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21024\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21024 size-full\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Best-practices-for-speedy-customer-service.jpg\" alt=\"Best practices for speedy customer service\" width=\"450\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Best-practices-for-speedy-customer-service.jpg 450w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Best-practices-for-speedy-customer-service-300x223.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21024\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/customerthink.com\/joshie_the_giraffe_a_remarkable_story_about_customer_delight\/\">Image source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>Best practices for speedy customer service<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are several ways in which you can speed up your customer service offering.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the best ways is to use technology that really works for your company. It might be that a <\/span><strong><a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/messaging-apps\/\">messaging app<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> would enable your customer service team to respond efficiently to customer queries in real-time, without having to check emails.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, utilising automation could help, though be careful to create the right balance between automated solutions and the personal touch of human customer service representatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another option is to integrate customer service with other operations like CRM, product development, and marketing. Creating a culture of feedback means that your overall brand offering will improve, and customers will have fewer problems in the first place. This will free up reps who would otherwise have been caught in a cycle of solving repetitive issues, and so lessen queue times.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are plenty of ways to <\/span><strong><a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/excellent-customer-service\/\">deliver excellent customer service<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>,<\/strong> but the takeaway here is that there are some core principles that can be applied universally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Requirements will change depending on your industry and your customer\u2019s needs, but the central tenets of efficiency, listening to feedback, and the importance of omnichannel accessibility remain the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important to have a well-trained customer service team who are not only hand-picked for skills like problem-solving, but also nurtured to ensure they remain motivated and enthusiastic about the company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019re often the first actual interaction a customer has with your company, and their knowledge and passion for the product or service should shine through in every interaction. They need to be empowered not only to grow within the company but also to make autonomous decisions that improve customer experience.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Great customer service is at the heart of running a great business. Your product quality can be exceptional, but if you\u2019re driving customers away with unfriendly or unhelpful service you\u2019ll &hellip; <a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/good-customer-service\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;How to give good customer service (with five examples)&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":21032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-use-case.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Good Customer Service: What it is And 5 Amazing Ways to Delive | RingCentral UK Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Good customer service = happy customers. Learn the principles behind and top strategies for delivering amazing customer service with RingCentral &gt;&gt;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/gb\/en\/blog\/good-customer-service\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Julien Rio\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"15 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Good Customer Service: What it is And 5 Amazing Ways to Delive | RingCentral UK Blog","description":"Good customer service = happy customers. 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