Bad customer service is unacceptable. Not just because it ruins your reputation and pushes away potential leads; it’s because your business has everything it needs to offer good customer service. It is easy to make up for bad marketing with good customer support. But once a client turns away because of bad service, it is nearly impossible to change their mind.
Why Good Customer Service is Essential
95 percent of customers tell at least one other person about their bad experiences with a company’s support team. 54 percent of clients will tell at least five people. These numbers should scare you.
In addition to reputation, customers rate businesses based on their response time, their attention to detail, and their level of professionalism. 88 percent of buyers make their purchase decisions based on a company’s online reviews. Never underestimate the value of a good referral. We might have moved into the age of digital marketing, but word of mouth marketing is always a bonus for your business.
So How do you Provide Good Customer Service?
It all comes down to two factors; time and efficiency. When a customer needs help from you, make it a point to keep the conversation going until you fix their issue. Customer service used to be about keeping customers on hold or replying to their emails 24 hours after they ask a question.
Your business can and should move past the era of ‘slow but somehow efficient’ customer support. However, good customer service is not just about automating your responses and quickly moving clients along the sales funnel.
Develop chatbots that pick up the conversation beyond the limit of your client support team. Take it further and build a custom web-based CRM application (customer relationship management).
The best customer service practices keep track of all interactions your business has with a particular customer throughout your business relationship. Get help-desk software that receives customer questions, logs them, and allocates technical issues to the appropriate staff.
Customer service doesn't start and stop with new clients. It also applies to existing clients who expect you to continuously improve your services. Ask for feedback and expand your business solutions to fit the needs of your clients.
Don't forget to Repair Your Reputation
Social media management may be about interacting with customers, but you should always stay ahead of your company’s narrative. If you receive negative online reviews, own up to your mistakes and apologize (publicly). Tell your customers that you slipped and you are doing everything possible to fix the issue.
However, never engage in an online banter. If a pissed-off client tries to lure you into a twitter war, chat with them privately and offer a discount to make up for your bad customer service. Good customer service leads to long term client retention and enhances your company’s reputation. With chatbots and a CRM system in place, it should be easy to answer all of your clients’ questions on time. Leaving you to only work on the technical aspects of your business.