Customer service is not just about the courtesy you extend to your customers in your interaction. It’s an “end-to-end” service. From the moment your clients think about purchasing your product up until they are having problems using it, you need to be there. It’s a driving force that can have a tremendous impact on how people view your business. Good businesses understand that success doesn’t happen overnight and more so, without good customer service.
Customer service is not just about “boosting sales”
The true value that customer service can give you is “loyalty.” Loyalty is what enables success to a business. With loyal customers, you are assured that transactions are sustained and increased. However, it is important to understand that winning loyalty takes time. You have to be patient. You have to be consistent. It’s one thing to have good service, and it’s another thing to be consistent about it. Take note that customer relationships are so fragile. You can lose clients so easily than obtain their loyalty. So, you need to make sure that all your interactions with your clients are consistent and quality-based since customers base their expectations on previous positive experiences. It’s not enough to deliver good customer service when they’re just buying or thinking about buying the product, you need to keep on delivering that same quality of service, if not better every time.
Customer service will always be about the customer and their experience
You need to make your customers feel that they’re valued and important because they are. Your business wouldn’t go far without the support of your customers. Obviously, no organisation is perfect, and there will be times that you will falter and makes mistakes, and that’s okay. Customers understand that. However, customers are more likely to be lenient if it’s an occasional misstep, and the problem is handled quickly and with care. Rude or neglectful behaviours are just things customers will never tolerate.
Customer service is “emotional support”
You see, when we talk about customer service or customer support, it’s not really a technical issue. Sure, you need employees with the necessary technical knowledge to assist your customers, but it’s not about the technical but more of the “emotional.” Your customers have a problem, and they need to achieve an outcome. They’re frustrated. So more than the technical solution, you need to ease that frustration. Customers want to be listened to. They want to be understood. They want to feel that you got their back and everything’s going to be figured out soon. You need to build that kind of confidence in them. You do customer service well not when you figure out the technical stuff but when you communicate well. So don’t hide behind the technology you have in place. Chatbots help decrease and optimise your load, but it does not provide the necessary “emotional support.” So, aid chatbots with human engagement and use your technology to be where your customers are.
Final thoughts
This is how you build a loyal base of followers. Good customer service alone isn’t enough. It’s about the consistency of the service. You always need to look for ways to improve. Continuously find the missing 1% whenever you can. Personalise and humanise your interactions. Be present.
