Customer loyalty is the new name of the game. Call centers provide an excellent chance for your business to shine and retain customers. All while improving overall member support that will boost your rapport, customer retention and your business overall.
Creating a robust customer experience strategy is the finish line. But in order to get there, the appropriate steps have to be taken to prepare you for the end goal.
Hire right the first time
The right customer service comes from the right people. That’s why it is crucial that you seek out the right candidates for the job. Standing out in the new standard of customer service means going above and beyond for your customers.
Look for candidates that have gone the extra mile for a customer, found creative solutions to a problem and have an overall appreciation for helping someone out. Find candidates with great customer service records — this may seem obvious, but it is often ignored. The best hires have deep empathy reserves and are conscientious — they understand that a problem is just another way to find a solution.
Training
Providing excellent tools, manuals, sample calls, visuals and education about how to handle various situations is essential. You found the right candidates. Now it’s time to arm them with information and equipment necessary to compliment the things that made them the right hire in the first place.
There are so many different situations that can arise when dealing with a customer. Be sure they know how to deal with not knowing the answer — or how to manage a displeased customer.
All of your training should be about going above and beyond for your customers. Exceeding expectations should be the baseline. Here are some ways to stay ahead of the competition.
- Educate your representatives on the target audience and customer base
- Monitor agents during training and provide detailed feedback for improvement
- Check in to ensure they are enjoying their work — this will carry over to the customers
- Never stop training, there is always more to learn
Proactive approach
This is a huge facet of the customer experience. Getting ahead of customer concerns before they even arise will inevitably satisfy your consumers. Providing tools for your customers is a great way to mitigate any issues or questions they may have — reducing the chance that they will ever need to speak to a representative. Here are some great ways to take a proactive approach.
- E-books
- Tutorials
- In-depth manuals
- Video
- Infographics
Educating the customer is the new standard. The modern consumer is educated and wants to understand exactly what they are purchasing and using. This is also a fantastic way to turn a customer into an advocate.
Reduce wait times
No one likes to sit on hold. This can be one of the most damaging customer service roadblocks. Customers truly don’t forget a company where they spent hours listening to music on hold. Customers also prefer speaking to human representatives — although automated services have made great strides in the past decade, they still cannot replace the human touch.
Automated routing to get the customer to the correct department is essential. Creating an omni-channel approach will also help with a consistent customer experience.
