You might have the most incredible products in the Southern Hemisphere and enough Instagram followers to build an army, but how do you interact with your customers? Do you reel them in with lots of shiny new offers and free shipping, but leave them hanging when it comes to online enquires and Facebook messages?
Unsurprisingly, the research shows that poor customer service is bad for business. In fact, one study found that in 2020, 40% of people stopped doing business with a company due to poor customer service.
Businesses that thrive are those that are in the business of giving – not taking. If you’re only doing what you do to make a profit and take what you need from customers, it’ll show. Providing five-star customer service can be the most joyous aspect of running a business – and getting it right can be rewarding for everyone involved.
Wondering how to improve customer service in your business? Here are our top tips for impressing, delighting, and providing value to every customer.
Empathise for your life
What is empathy? In business, it means putting yourself in the shoes, socks, and slippers of your customers and really understanding their point of view. When a past, present, or future customer contacts you, they’re usually seeking a solution to a problem. They might be confused, annoyed, or just curious – either way, they should be responded to patiently, professionally, and [most importantly] on a human level. Â
Listen up
Already know what your customer is going to say before they say it? Trying to reply to their email as quick as you can without taking time to read it? There’s nothing worse than feeling unheard, and it’s likely to drive your customers in the direction of your competitors.Â
If you’re unsure about what your customers really want, then ask questions. To provide excellent customer service, either in-person or online, you have to understand their needs and pain points. Along with listening to individual queries, making it easy for customers to provide feedback, then acting on it, will help you improve to infinity [and beyond].
Your website matters
Amazing customer service isn’t just about how you communicate when there’s a problem. It’s about creating an enjoyable, effective customer experience from the moment people interact with you until, well, forever!
Your website can be the perfect self-service tool because it can help customers find what they need without having to take that extra step and reach out to you [which they might not have time to do]. For example, a well-thought-out FAQ page can answer questions about delivery fees, turnaround times, and things like product specs. The best FAQ pages are never missing personality and brand voice – they can actually work as the next-best-thing to an in-person interaction. If your brand has a quirky little personality, don’t make your FAQ page snore-worthy. Be human.
Product and service pages should also include as much information as possible in the most accessible way, and video and photography can act as helpful replacements for valuable in real life [IRL] experiences.
Measure your metrics
Whether you decide to use live chat bots, hire a team of knowledgeable agents, or use social media as your customer service secret weapon, measurement is essential. Â
Do you know what your average response time is? How do you think you could improve it? How many complaints are you getting? Tracking them and aiming for zero can help you get more customers, improve their experience, and seriously increase your customer retention rates.
The best part about measuring your customer service metrics? When you hit your goals, you’re allowed to celebrate!
What would you want?
As with all effective digital marketing, it’s a good idea [and pretty fun] to look around at other businesses you love and see how they’re doing things. What do they do well? What is it about their customer service approach that inspires you? If you love it, chances are, your customers will too.
If you’d like digital advice from an approachable team of experienced, professional humans, reach out to 3PM. We love helping businesses increase their sales and grow, and our track record is bloody brilliant.
