Mistakes to Avoid in Customer Service
Businesses that provide quality customer services always come out at the top, as opposed to those that do not value the needs and wants of their consumers. It is a fact, that the success of any company lies in how they treat its customers. Their prime concern is to keep their customers satisfied. A company must establish a link with its consumers, and for this, the support department plays an essential role. Having said that, if you are starting a new company, and want to know about the mistakes you should avoid in customer service, then keep reading this article.
Making the Customer Wait for Too Long
Every company should understand that customers often run low on patience when they are calling your business for a complaint. Of course, the last thing you want is to give them more reasons to get angry at your services.
In fact, it is not only the customers, but in this age and time, where everyone is in a rush to get things done, no one wants to wait in line for so long. This greatly affects your company’s image in the market. As a result, your customers begin to turn away from your services and it can also leave a poor impression of your company on your future clients.
In this regard, you can look at one of the largest telecom companies in the country such as Spectrum which provides unmatchable customer service. This company is well-known for its remarkable customer support. The agents are available around the clock and they are always working to help you fix any technical issues. Not only this, they never make you wait in line to answer your queries. On the whole, their customers are satisfied with the hassle-free experience they get while interacting with the representatives.
Passing Callers Around
One of the biggest things that irk the customers the most is being tossed around constantly. No one likes to keep passed around from one support agent to another, especially when none of them are interested in providing a solution to their problems. It suggests that your business is in need of some serious work on its structure and overall maintenance.
If your agents show incompetency in coming up with the solutions to the problems of your customers by repeatedly answering their queries with “I don’t know”, consequently, it renders the purpose of having a customer service department null.
Of course, no one expects the customer support representatives to have all the answers to their questions. After all, they are human. But shooing them away is a big no in the industry of customer support.
One of the things that jump out the most to your customers is how much your agents are willing to go the extra mile, to find the answers to their problems. They should be ready to make the efforts so that the customers don’t have to.
A simple honest answer such as “I don’t know, but let me find it out for you” goes a long way in satisfying your customers. It also helps in building a healthy relationship.
Failing to Follow Up
This one kind of goes hand in hand with the point mentioned above. Leaving your customers hanging can end up in your losing the customer altogether. Put yourself in their shoes, if you had a bad experience with any company, wouldn’t you warn your peers to steer clear of them?
If you leave a customer dissatisfied and do not follow up to accommodate their concerns, chances are they are going to tell a bunch of people about their bad experience. This, as a result, creates a negative reputation for your company.
In order to avoid it, instruct your agents to always check in with their customers especially when they promise them by saying that they would get back to them right away. If not, prepare to put your company’s rating in danger because word of mouth spreads more quickly than you anticipate.
For this, companies should give proper training to their CSRs to be diligent in returning customers’ calls on time. Moreover, instruct them to make follow-up calls so that the customers are even more satisfied with the services.
Losing Composure
Calm composure is one of the basic things a service agent must practice before interacting with the callers. Your company’s support team must know how they should carry themselves while answering the calls.
An agent comes across customers of all kinds. This includes those who are quite rude and angry. Making them even angrier only provides them more reasons to turn away from your services. In this situation, it is always a wise decision to stay composed and patient. Consequently, this lessens their anger as well.
Thick skin can help you a lot, considering that a CSR has to deal with all kinds of callers on a daily basis. Even if the caller keeps giving rude remarks and threats, it is the job of the representative to keep speaking in a calm tone. Think about it like this, if both begin to talk in the same manner, then the whole conversation will not end well for the image of your company. In addition to this, it could jeopardize the future of the agent in the said company.
Final Words
A single mistake in your customer support department could cost your company a huge loss. This is why it is highly crucial for any business to avoid the mistakes mentioned above. You must train your agents as to how they must communicate with the callers. Poor customer experience can result in a significant decrease in your sales. And we all know that a satisfied customer is a key to a successful business.
