When all is going right, the world of customer service can be a delightful one. After all, there’s nothing more satisfying than solving a customer’s challenge. Such opportunities allow you to prove your worth and smooth out any anxieties the customer has about your business. A successful customer service experience can turn casual shoppers into raving fans. 
Unfortunately, though, not every interaction you have with customers will be positive. In fact, some of the most common customer service mistakes can be downright horrifying. Such encounters can leave both employees and customers beyond frustrated. Thankfully, there are ways around these awkward moments – knowledge is power. Be on the watch for these customer service mistakes and avoid them at all costs:
Attack of the Clones
When you’re stuck answering call after call, it’s easy to lump all customers together. Faceless voices blend together as the hours tick by – even the most well-intentioned of employees can get bogged down by high call volume. In turn, your team may lose patience and empathy for the people on the end of the line. This kind of burnout quickly leads to a decline in the quality of service, and in turn, a lower rate of customer satisfaction. As a customer, it’s very easy to recognize when you’re dealing with a representative that doesn’t care about your experience, and it sets a negative tone for the entire interaction.
This customer service mistake has an easy enough solution: employ virtual receptionists or an answering service staffed by people who are truly passionate about the customer experience. A call center can serve as your customer service department, addressing the most common challenges on an individual basis while alerting your team to bugs, glitches, and errors. By outsourcing your customer service calls, you’ll also preserve the focus and attention of your own staff for other business needs.
A Customer’s Revenge
Imagine your custom wedding gown design service is experiencing a possible delay in production time. Rather than break the news to disappointed brides-to-be across the country, you sit on the information and hope the delay won’t impact your bottom line too much. When customers call to complain, you apologize and offer a discount on future services, but the damage has already been done.
This customer service mistake is all too common. Rather than own their mistakes, many businesses hold out hope that customers won’t notice errors. Taking a reactive approach to bad news is never a good idea. Waiting for customers to call and complain may jeopardize your ongoing relationship and customer loyalty.
Whether you’re supplying wedding dresses or playground mulch, take a proactive approach to bad news. Be upfront and transparent about the issue and then present possible solutions so customers know you’re thinking about them and have their best interests in mind.
Robots Rising
Chatbots, voicemail, and automated customer service departments are incredibly convenient. They’re also incredibly off-putting to customers who are fed up with talking to machines. The most cutting-edge technology can’t come close to the patience and understanding offered by a real, live, helpful customer service agent.
By relying too heavily on automation, your company risks alienating callers who are eager for connection. Chatbots and other automated customer service technology can help support your team in a pinch, but you’ll want to take a more human approach in the long run. A virtual receptionist with first-hand experience and training can help you avoid many of the most common customer service mistakes associated with automated solutions.
Spooky Inconsistency
When it comes to customer satisfaction, reliability is key. Visitors to a busy theme park, for instance, don’t usually mind a short wait. After all, queuing for a ride is par for the course. It’s not until you have an expectation for short lines and fail to deliver that the lines become a real challenge.
Busy call centers and offices aren’t so different from a crowded theme park. Ultimately, waiting a couple of minutes to talk to someone is no big deal if you’re consistently delivering on the expectations of your customers. However, unless you’re equipped to handle high call volumes and surges, that short wait can quickly turn into an eternity on hold.
If you’re hoping to avoid this customer service mistake, you’ll want to streamline the way you handle incoming customer service requests. Whether over the phone, via chat, or by email, customer concerns and complaints deserve to be addressed in a timely fashion. The best way to handle calls is to work with a call center partner who can siphon some of the work off your plate during busy times to ensure every caller is taken care of in a timely manner.
Without a Trace
When you have dozens of callers dialing you each day, it’s easy to lose track of individual concerns. While it’s easy enough to prioritize the customer experience the first go around with a caller, follow-up conversations may become muddled. This customer service mistake plagues companies large and small. Without a clear policy for documenting calls, your team may grow confused over why a person is calling back and how to best address their concerns. No customers enjoys having to re-tell their story each time they contact you only to have to wait while you scramble to catch up.
A comprehensive suite of online tools – like the ones offered by MAP Communications – can solve this common challenge. Agents can take notes on individual accounts, leaving behind a clear description of their efforts to address concerns so far. Solutions like these are a total message management solution that makes administration of client accounts a breeze. Keeping the entire team in the loop is easy once you have a plan in place.
The Hero You Deserve
Customer service mistakes can be truly terrifying. Don’t let them keep you up at night – partner with MAP for better communication with your callers. Allow our team of highly-trained virtual receptionists to save the day. Your employees and your customers will appreciate the seamless service MAP can provide, and your reputation for stellar service will no doubt drive future growth. Contact us today to learn more about how we can customize a solution to fit your unique requirements!
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