No matter how much you spend on advertising and branding, if your customers aren’t receiving helpful and friendly support they may not remain your customers for long. Investing in customer and tech support is more important than ever for businesses of all sizes and can go a long way towards maintaining and growing your customer base.
Here are some techniques that can help improve customer satisfaction and foster a positive impression of your business.
Offer 24/7 support. Problems don’t always arise during normal business hours. Whenever possible, offer 24/7 phone-based or Internet support. If you can’t offer 24/7, try having extended evening and limited weekend hours.
Utilize text-based and live-chat support. For many users, especially millennials, text and chat-support options are preferred over phone support, and provide quick access to help.
Use social networks. Your customers are on Twitter and Facebook, so meet them where they are. You’ll be able to keep on top of customer comments and complaints, showing a commitment to your customer base.
Really listen to customers. Validate their experience, don’t use a lot of industry jargon, and be direct but polite.
Provide a self-service option. Help forums, FAQs, and simple search features on your website can allow a customer to solve the problem without needing to speak with a customer support agent.
Don’t make the customer wait on hold. Customers respond more positively when a live person answers the phone. While wait times are sometimes unavoidable, callback options help reduce the burden on the customer.
Hire good people. A good customer service person is invaluable, able to assist and reassure the customer while quickly solving the problem. Set limits to avoid costly situations, but allow them the flexibility to solve issues using their discretion.
Increase staff at peak times. Certain times of the year call for an increase in customer support, such as over the holiday season. Using proactive methods to ensure enough customer support staff on duty at high-volume times will help reduce wait times and improve customer satisfaction.
With these simple steps you can improve your customer support and your reputation.
