Why is customer service important?
Even though nowadays customers are far more independent and likely to find solutions for their problems themselves than decades ago, they sometimes need professional help for issues they cannot remove autonomously.
FAQs and forums are simple ways to respond to common customer questions.
But when it comes to more complex and personal questions, these tools are often of limited use. Customers then prefer talking to somebody – whether on the phone or via LiveChat – whom they can fully explain their problem and who exactly knows the next steps that need to be done.
In the end, it is most important that all these tools cooperate. If a customer cannot solve a problem by researching, he should be given a hint on how to easily reach a customer agent.
Customer Service is often the only direct contact your company has with the clients. As much as marketing can have a positive impact on your brand, your customer service can quickly destroy this effort when your customers feel badly or insufficiently treated. He or she will spread her negative experiences to friends and family (so remember: The customer is king).
To make sure this does not happen, there are some easy rules you should always keep in mind when it comes to successful customer service:
Keep it simple. Create an easy-to-use and well-structured website with clear instructions. The better the information on your website, the fewer questions entering your customer service.
If a customer asks for help no matter on which way (mail, phone, live chat), don’t make them wait. Do they hate to wait like we all do hate it, right?
Be an expert. Make sure your customers feel that you know your job, your product, and your company perfectly. Impress your customers with competence.
Transparency. Customers who feel they are not completely informed, lose trust in your business. Make sure they know all conditions and information for they won’t feel betrayed or badly surprised in the end.
One thought that always helps: Imagine you are the customer. Which companies do you trust and why? What would you say is a good service to you? And, please, be demanding!
