Any job can be frustrating if you don’t have the right tools. Anyone who has ever attempted a DIY project without the necessary ingredients can assure you of this fact. The same principle applies to customer service. When it comes to keeping customers happy, the task is made infinitely easier with the proper tools.
Inadequate tools can limit the way you do business. The right tools can expand the reach of your marketing campaigns, making tracking your budget easier, and reduce friction between customer service agents and customers. Given that time and energy are the main assets of your customer service agents, you’ll want to supply them with the tools they need to work smarter, not harder.
If you’re searching for tools to help keep customers happy, look no further. Our guide to customer service tools is a great starting point for any business hoping to up their game. Keep reading to learn which resources are worth investing in – and which you can skip out on.
Customer Portals
Customers nowadays are more attuned to the supply-chain rhythm than ever before. From the moment they add a product to their virtual shopping cart, the oversight of the process begins. No longer content to simply sit and wait on orders to arrive, customers have grown accustomed to minute-by-minute tracking of their deliveries. The process isn’t over once they receive their order, either. Options to review the product, initiate returns or exchanges or chat with an employee are no longer a luxury. To compete in a crowded industry, you’ve got to hand over the reins to your customers now and then.
By creating a dedicated internal system for your customers to access their personal data, you set yourself up for transparency. Customers will love the chance to look back through old orders, track purchases and save favorite items for later. Customer portals allow for the ultimate personalized shopping experience. They also encourage repeated interaction with your brand, upping the odds that customers will return again and again.
Live Support
There’s nothing quite like instant gratification, especially when you’re frustrated. Strive to deliver assistance at the precise moments your customers need it. Do so, and you’ll be forever remembered for your excellent service. Offering live support over the phone, email, live chat or text message is one way to do just that. Multichannel support with live representatives is a way to do it all at once.
A trained, experienced customer support agent can provide the kind of customer experiences your client base deserves. It takes hard work, practice and a good degree of skill to be a dedicated customer service rep. While you can certainly assign phone or chat duty to your current staff members, they won’t relish the additional duties that take away from their to-do lists. Instead, partner with a professional customer service call center to ensure your conversations with customers are always handled with utmost respect and care.
Appointment Scheduling Software
It’s a common misconception that quality customer care has to be expensive. The reality? It’s more affordable than ever to provide great service. It’s true that hiring a full-time administrative assistant can be costly. Having them around to schedule appointments and manage your calendar is priceless, though – right? There’s no denying the added value that an administrative professional can bring to the table.
Thankfully, you don’t have to blow your staffing budget to ensure your appointment book is full. Scheduling software has made it easier than ever for customers to call and make an appointment at their convenience. When it comes time to remind them of their upcoming engagement, reminder calls can be automatically placed. Of course, not all conversations can be automated – nor should they be. By partnering with an appointment scheduling service, your company can rest easy knowing the calendar is being handled responsibly.
Assessment Software
They say you can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been. Similarly, it’s difficult to know how to improve without first understanding your shortcomings. Tune into the opinions of your customers to do just that. Assessment software makes it easier than ever to quickly ask customers about their experience. Though these voluntary surveys often elicit the most extreme opinions, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. By catching upset customers at their peak point of frustration, you’ll be able to put out fires more quickly and avoid them altogether down the road.
Customer feedback collection can be daunting, especially if your company is growing at a rapid pace. While it’s tempting to write the process off altogether, do right by your customers by putting assessment tools to work. Quickly generate surveys and send them to the specific group you’re interested in, or poll individuals as needed. Eager to follow up after an order has been placed or services have been rendered? There are quick and easy ways to do that, too.
The Professional Touch
Implementing a customer service strategy isn’t always smooth sailing. It can take a lot of trial and error before finding tools that work for you. In that time, you risk alienating customers with your experiments. Cut through the options and opt for an ideal solution. MAP Communications offers customer service programs for businesses of all sizes. We’ve got a track record that proves just how effective our highly-trained agents, leading technology, and customized approaches can be.
Regardless of how you solve common customer service challenges, there’s no denying how instant and thorough the work of an experienced professional can be. If you’re eager to scale up your customer service offerings, connect with MAP today!
Previous chapters in the Complete Free Guide to Setting a Winning Customer Service Strategy:
Chapter 1: Setting A Winning Strategy
