3 Ways to Improve Customer Service Interactions

Your customers will always remember the service you provide. Along with the quality of your products, the way you communicate and handle them are decisive factors that will determine their experience and decision to return to you for business. Keeping this in mind, every interaction with a customer needs to be designed in a way that it is a memorable and pleasant one. Evaluate all the different touch points and create a strategy which best serves customer needs. While the first impression you create is important, consistency throughout the customer journey at every interaction is key to client retention and loyalty. Positive interactions are more likely to result in personal recommendations and testimonials for the brand.

Good customer service skills are necessary to bridge the gap between the company and its customers. Here are a few ways to improve interaction with clients.

Use Positive Language

Using positive words and phrases can get you the right results. Tell customers what you can do, not what you can’t do. Give them options and choices and don’t let them walk away empty-handed. The phrases, “Let me help you with that”, “I can do it”, “I can solve it” and “Here is what we can do” sound encouraging. Be attentive and listen to them with empathy. If the interaction is happening face to face, make sure positivity is reflected through your body language and tone of voice. If a customer is presenting you with a problem and you are unable to find an immediate solution, reassure them that you will work on it, instead of saying “I don’t know”, “It’s not available”, “that’s not my responsibility”, or “ I don’t think so”. Positive phrases and gestures are also helpful when dealing with disgruntled clients. Understand what they need and make sure you personalize the conversation accordingly. You can train your team with the relevant customer service training programs that focus on communication skills so they are equipped to effectively deal with clients.

Make Yourself Available

There is nothing worse than not being there for your customers when they need you. The rapid change in communication technology has had a strong impact on customer expectations and businesses need to show availability round the clock.  Businesses can no longer ignore all the platforms where their customers expect them to be and to instantly answer their queries. For instance, the tech savvy millennial customers prefer using apps and social media to communicate. Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram have millions of users and there is constant growth in the way these channels are being used to engage and interact with audiences. Customer service and social media go hand in hand. One of the biggest concerns of customers is response time. Cutting that down would mean better experience and improved customer satisfaction. According to Forrester Research, “73% of people say that valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide them with good online customer service”. Thus, swift response would always work in your favor as it is one of the fundamental factors towards enhancing experience of the interaction. This holds true for all channels and forms of communication.

Minimize Customer Effort

Reducing customer effort is another vital factor that contributes towards a pleasant service experience. Simplify the process and make it easier for people to do business with you. If they are approaching you with a problem, give them a clear timeline on when the issue will be solved. Do not make customers wait and never put them on hold. Integrate the latest tech innovations that makes everything convenient and simple for people coming in contact with your company. Another way of reducing customer effort is by being proactive and reaching out to customers yourself by offering your assistance. This helps in creating a positive brand perception that your business cares. Evaluate your current business processes and map out the journey to analyze what can be changed to minimize customer effort and offer more convenience.