For fast-growing businesses, customer service can be challenging even in the best of times. Here are a few things to remember to keep you and your support team sane.
- The customer isn’t mad at you. So stop answering angry customers thinking you’re theproblem. Truth of the matter is, your customers have a goal in mind and they’re having a hard time accomplishing it--whether they’re having technical difficulties, shipping delays, or just plain old user error. But they’re not mad at you, they’re mad at the situation. So make the situation as easy as possible, commiserate with them, and try to ease their pain. If it means letting them make you the bad guy, let them! Just keep smiling and be as helpful as possible because you might not know it at the time, but they appreciate it. Desk.com customer Hotel Tonight lives by this principle--it offers customers the convenience of booking a last-minute hotel stay through its mobile app, easing the pain of securing a hotel, and solving customer service issues associated with booking hotel accommodations.
- Keep it seasonal. If it’s the holidays, add a little holiday cheer to your messages. Keep the spirit seasonal--whether it is in office decor or mood music. But don’t forget to keep it seasonal for your customers too. Developing an FAQ page specifically for the time of year that your customers will be accessing your support site the most will help them find the answers they need. This will free up your support team to tackle the tougher issues.
- Consider a rewards system among agents. Ninety-nine percent of customers believe the service and experience agents provide determine their overall satisfaction. Shouldn’t someone be making them happy too? SmugMug, an online photo sharing team and a Desk.com customer, has named its customer service team the “Super Heroes,” and it isn’t the only one creating a fun team name. Bonobos is an e-commerce-driven apparel company that designs and sells men’s clothing and offers a top-notch shopping experience, and its customer service reps call themselves the Ninjas! Use fun names, design a game, or create a contest to lighten the occasional straining demands that come with service support. Did someone say company party?
- Expect the unexpected. While preparation is crucial for providing amazing customer service, always remember that anything can happen. While this may strike fear into the heart of new support managers, all seasoned customer service professionals know that adapting as situations evolve is the best thing for your team and your customers. Having a user-friendly customer service app that scales as your business grows ensures that you’re always prepared for the unexpected.
- Direction needs to come from the top down. Senior-level leadership should promote the directive, from the top down, to get everyone in your company jazzed about helping customers. If staff members see their senior-level colleagues ready and eager to jump in and get their hands dirty with customer service, they’ll be more enthusiastic about assisting customers as well. The full team working together to provide great customer service will boost your business and provide a sense of camaraderie among your team.