How to Offer Great Customer Service on a Budget

Research suggests that for customers of today, effective client care and positive consumer experiences are a decisive factor in staying loyal to a business. If you are a startup or a small business, how do you manage to offer great service without having a large budget? One of the most important elements is to focus on building relationships and focusing on personalized experiences for your clients. Stay in touch with them on a regular basis to understand their needs and expectations. For clients who have a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset, the solution lies in providing them with self-help methods and then be ready if they need your expertise. Here are a few customer service best practices your business can adopt to deliver exceptional service on a budget:

 

Promote a Service-Centric Attitude

If you’re a small business or a startup, the lack of numbers can play greatly to your advantage as you can offer more personalized service to your clientele. The impactful human touch which will be available in every one-on-one interaction will result in more satisfaction and increase the possibility of loyalty. Conduct regular customer service training to teach your staff essential soft skills so they may be able to deal with client queries in a more effective way. If you promote a service-centric attitude early on, it can act as a USP and help in building a positive brand image. Being readily available and empathetic towards clients will cost your business nothing and goes a long way in establishing your brand.

Be Present on Social Platforms

Social platforms are gradually becoming the next frontline for customer service. In this age of e-commerce and digital devices, it is essential that you stay in touch with consumers on their social platforms of choice. Social media customer support also costs less than phone support. The only investment will be dedicating a resource to keep a track of what your customers are asking for or saying about you. Watch out for mentions to cater prompt and accurate replies. Since social platforms are personal, it is helpful in building long-lasting relationships and offering more personalized solutions. Due to the public nature of platforms, if carried out correctly, social care can be an indirect means of generating positive PR for your business.

Offer In-Depth Knowledge base

The 2015 Global State of Multichannel Customer Service Report states that ‘90% of consumers now expect a brand or organization to offer a self-service customer support portal’. The millennial customers of today often prefer working out a solution on their own instead of getting in touch with a business. Hence, an in-depth knowledge base becomes the means of offering support. For consumers, it cancels out the need to reach out to businesses to resolve basic issues. For businesses, it is a one-time investment which is both effective and inexpensive. If your business has limited resources, it is essential to create a detailed knowledge base which should include frequently asked questions (FAQs) and audio/video tutorials. Even if you have a small support team, a comprehensive knowledge base will help in handling preliminary issues.

Educate Through Specialized Content

Another effective way to deliver customer service in a limited budget is to educate your clients through a specialized content strategy. You can use queries from your knowledge base and expand on them to create scenarios that are at once recognizable and easily relatable. Write blogs, create vlogs and conduct webinars to target issues/complaints in a more conversational manner. Use simple words and sentences to get your message across. Create appealing visuals in the form of infographics, GIFs, etc, to make these comprehensible for a much wider audience.