No one can deny that the public is one of the most important parts of a business, right? Companies develop solutions for them, and the business revolves around them. Therefore, it's essential to pay close attention to customer service .
In times of such intense competition and high levels of consumer demand, having a good relationship is necessary, and knowing how to provide good service can win over customers and build loyalty to your brand .
What have you been doing to strengthen your relationship with your audience and ensure excellent customer service? Check out our tips!
Why does customer service matter?
Customer service, when provided appropriately or not, reflects on the company's objectives and planning and on the construction of the brand's image in the market and consumers .
In this age of technology and social media, people say whatever they want about a brand, and this can take on immense proportions, especially when it's negative.
Some companies neglect customer service, and what should be a must for brands sometimes becomes a differentiator for the public.
Customer service is all the support a company offers its consumers , whether before, during or after the purchase, making the purchasing journey satisfactory and generating good experiences for individuals.
The company's service must be aligned with its planning, goals, values, and the overall image it wants to convey to the general public.
Contrary to popular belief, customer service isn't simply about answering the phone, responding to emails , and responding to questions online. Customer service is about relationships and the importance a company places on its customers.
Customer service is essential for understanding customers, helping them efficiently resolve problems, and truthfully communicating what needs to be done to resolve the issue .
It is clear that no consumer likes to be mistreated when looking for a company, so this is a decisive factor in whether or not customers stay with your services or products .
Omnichannel service: how to offer an integrated experience
Omnichannel service is a customer service strategy that integrates different communication channels, allowing customers to receive consistent service regardless of the channel they choose to contact the company.
This means that whether a customer contacts a company by phone, email, or social media, they will have a similar experience regardless of the channel they choose.
The benefits of omnichannel service are numerous, including:
- Better customer experience: Customers value convenience and ease of contact with companies. Omnichannel service offers a consistent and integrated experience, which can improve customer satisfaction.
- Increased productivity: Omnichannel service can help improve agent productivity by allowing them to access customer information across all channels.
- Cost reduction: Omnichannel service can help reduce customer service costs by allowing companies to centralize service operations.
How to provide good customer service?
We know that customer relationships are essential to the success or failure of a business, but how do you establish and maintain this excellent service? Check out these important tips!
Know your audience
To develop customer service strategies, the first step is to understand your audience. Organizations are different, audiences have different needs, and even with effective practices, each must be tailored to the customer's needs.
Therefore, gather information, send surveys in which consumers provide data, practice empathy and put yourself in the other person's shoes, trying to understand the customer's profile as much as possible.
Without a doubt, knowing who your company works with will make it easier to find solutions and offer differentiators to customers .
Offer personalized services
Personalized service is essential to strengthening the company's relationship with its customers. It helps customers feel more important to the organization.
Simple actions, such as calling the customer by name, congratulating them and offering benefits on special dates, such as their birthday, and offering solutions that fit their current needs, for example, can make a purchasing journey even better .
Follow up with the customer
Customer service needs to happen at every stage of the customer journey, so you need to keep up with them and not abandon your customer.
From the moment a user contacts your company, whether for complaints, suggestions or to resolve problems, you need to respond and follow up on requests until they are completely resolved .
Maintain direct contact with those seeking help, check their impressions of the service and support, and gather feedback to implement improvements based on the public's perspective.
Don't forget about after-sales service, which demonstrates the importance of a customer to the company, showing that they are not just a number .
Have agile service
What consumer likes to contact a company and be served by several people, go through many extensions, listen to music on hold and, in the end, not even have their problem resolved?
Delays and lack of resolution are frustrating, making the customer's experience with the company completely negative.
There are many channels that people can use when communicating, whether by phone, email website forms , social media, or even in person.
Regardless of which channel a consumer chooses, they need to be heard quickly and have their expectations met . If your company intends to offer multiple channels, you need to know how to truly operate in each of them.
Requests can't always be resolved immediately, but it's important to be honest with the client, set deadlines, and keep them informed of what's happening.
Train your employees
For customer service to be carried out efficiently, it is necessary to have employees prepared for the task .
Many companies are already establishing Customer Experience departments, demonstrating the importance of having teams that are primarily concerned with customer relationships.
Whether you have specific teams or just a few employees, they need to be ready to convey your brand's image to the public . Therefore, offer training, workshops , and engage everyone in this important role.
Use technology
Technology can also help with efficient customer service, so make it an ally of your business.
Having a CRM, for example, is very advantageous for you to learn more about your customer, personalize service, and offer solutions at the right time.
Additionally, it's a good idea to invest in chatbots , which are virtual services that allow for automatic and extremely fast responses, optimizing simple services.
Using WhatsApp is also a great way to improve your company's customer service experience. With this WhatsApp link generator , you can create a free link that quickly directs your customers to a new conversation with your company through the app.
Have a FAQ
Many customers contact the company because they can't find answers to simple questions through official channels. That's why it's important to have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
FAQs, based on research and experience, gather consumers' most frequently asked questions . Questions and answers must be objective and clear, helping both the public and the customer service team.
Track metrics
When implementing customer service, you need to monitor performance and seek results, aiming for improvements . Therefore, define metrics and keep an eye on what may be important to you, such as:
- Average wait time – the average time your customers wait to be served across different channels;
- Abandonment rate – monitoring user abandonment during a service;
- Conversion rate – percentage of contacts that converted into sales;
- Direct evaluation – request feedback through forms, NPS or reactions.
Conclusion
Valuing customer service is essential for a satisfactory journey and for the public to have good experiences with the company .
By understanding who you're talking to, it becomes easier to offer solutions and solve problems. Putting the customer at the center of your business and communicating your company's values to them is crucial to winning over, retaining, and turning your audience into your advocates .
Structure your communication and never forget the customer, this important part of your business.
How have you been doing with your customer service, and what can you improve based on our tips? Implement a few simple actions and further enhance your customer relationships! Now that you're more familiar with customer service, learn more about our solutions to delight your customers and make changes.
