Customer service is one of those ancient pillars of business alongside marketing and effective branding. It can feel so ingrained that you might not pay as much attention to innovation here as you might in other areas. However, customer service is something that, when improved, has a lot more to offer you than you might currently be experiencing.
The degree to which you interact with customers in the first place is something that will depend on the finer details of your operations, but even if that amount is low compared to other industries, those few interactions will be impactful.
1. The Customer Experience
It might also be that you don’t consider many of your operations to involve customer service. However, it’s all part of the customer experience. The attention that you pay towards quality in your product or service will affect this experience, as will questions of delivery, marketing, engagement, and how they interact with your apps and websites. So, a commitment towards quality might be valuable in some areas, but as could an emphasis on user-friendliness and improvement, as you might be able to gleam by implementing Kubernetes Ingress on your digital platforms.
2. Responding to Negativity
When a customer is airing a grievance or a complaint, it becomes easy to get defensive. Of course, if they are going about this in a rude or not constructive way, you should be clear that this is an unacceptable way to treat your staff. Even in these situations, it’s important that you don’t escalate the situation by matching their tone – you have to stay calm and be firm. However, when that frustration comes from a place of being wronged and is expressed more constructively, you have to work with them towards a conclusion that suits them.
3. Provide Options
When you are thinking about customer feedback and how they can get in touch with you when there’s an issue, it’s natural that you would resort to including a contact page on your website or app. This is important, but the go-to options of a phone number and an email address might not be going that extra mile. A webchat is often a good inclusion because it allows people to skip any queues that might be included with being put on hold, while also allowing them to be firm and clear about what it is they need help with. A mix of automation and customer service teams might be used here.
4. Staff Training
If it is the case that your staff members don’t often interact with customers, customer service might not end up being a part of their training. This means that when these situations do arise, they might not feel as though they have the same level of confidence in handling the various outcomes. Therefore, even if the situation where it might arise is rare, ensuring that your staff can handle interactions in a way that aligns with what you want associated with your brand is paramount.
