Nowadays, customer service is one of the most significant parts of a consumer’s journey. The primordial goal of today’s companies is not only to sell you products but also to offer an appropriate buying experience. This is done in order to create a solid base of reliable consumers.
In the present day, it is very easy for consumers to leave positive or negative reviews on social media concerning customer service. And, because of this, you should focus on having an exemplary customer service in order to grow your sales.
A positive experience for each customer should be the goal of any good customer service department. Even if the customer didn’t get what he was looking for, a good customer service should be capable of making the consumer feel like he has got a fair deal. Customers will better remember the way they were treated; even more than the product they bought!
There are two kinds of customer service – online and offline. Even if there are differences between these two, they are similar in purpose. For example, in case you run an offline company, the way in which your costumers will contact you will be through nearby staff members or telephone. But in case it is an online business, the costumers will be able to contact you by clicking a button or calling a number.
Sales are what every company aims for; therefore, keep in mind that by improving your customer service, your sales will grow substantially. You can achieve great sales performances by following these 10 simple yet powerful tips:
1. Make a great first impression
People in general have opinions about anything and anyone. Therefore, they will immediately form an opinion about your company just from a simple gesture or a salute. This means that the customer service should work on a good first impression strategy while showing how trustworthy and reliable your company is. By having a polite and helpful approach instead of an aggressive one, the company’s ways and solutions will definitely make a difference for the customer.
2. Be vigilant and answer your customers’ needs
If you own an online business, your first concern should be to communicate in an efficient way through Live Chat or Phone with your customers. If you own an offline business, you should always focus on interacting with your customers in the best possible ways. Make them feel welcomed and answer all their questions.
3. Keep your content fresh
Your content must be updated to the latest changes. You should always keep an eye on the new tools that come out and use them to improve your content creation and distribution processes. There are tools for content creation like Essay Geeks which may really help your customer service department expand and improve. Remember, the way you craft and manage your content will have a powerful impact on your sales and your relationships with clients.
4. Reduce customer effort
People, in general, will pay more in order to have a good customer service. The whole point is to make the customer’s job as easy as possible. Customers will always choose the company with the easiest customer job, even if the products quality are not the best. So, remember that a purchase shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes. Your customers want the process to be as quick as possible. So, make it happen.
5. Take advantage of negative feedback
In general negative reviews left by people, as feedback, remain without an answer. An unanswered negative tweet may damage the brand’s image. A negative complaint – if answered by the company itself – will probably make the customer feel respected. And so, he will remain a loyal customer. Answering customer’s complaints will show them that their voices are being heard and that they count. This will increase their love and loyalty to your company resulting in an increase in sales.
6. Know everything about your products
The customer service team should know everything about the products. This will result in a more respected and trustworthy brand. Potential customers will ask for advice and if their questions are answered in a quick and smart manner, they will definitely appreciate it.
One of the most common problems a customer often comes across is the inability of the customer service to offer him the information that he needs. Therefore, you should really focus on teaching your customer support department all the information they need, all so they can offer relevant answers to the clients.
7. Use the reciprocity principle
This principle can be explained very simply. If someone does something nice for you, you will do the same for him. It would be a good idea to implement this principle in your customer support team. Even if it seems like a simple concept, it will make a big difference. A study shows us that if waiters in a restaurant deliver a candy along with their check, tips tend to go up. So, try and think about different ways to use this concept in your business.
8. Treat your customer as a friend
When a close friend calls, you don’t react like this: “Hello, how may I help you?” You normally ask him how he is doing before anything else. Therefore, you should do the exact same thing with your customers. Make them feel like they are part of the family. They will really appreciate it, and the result will be that they will remain loyal clients for long periods of time.
9. Send a handwritten note
If you own an online business, your communication with your clients is mostly made through email. But think about what will happen if you will break this “digital plane”. Try sending your customers hand written letters. Doing this will surprise them in a pleasing way and your relationship with them will become stronger. How rare is in these days to receive a handwritten letter? Very rare, so this will make your company unique.
10. Skip the FAQ
Instead of using a FAQ section, your support team should be the one that answers all the questions. In this way, you will see exactly which questions or which problems are the most encountered by your target customers. Therefore, you will know exactly what needs to be improved or fixed.
You should focus on training your staff in order to make your customer service as competent as possible. By doing this, your brand image will strengthen and your sales will grow. Bear in mind that your relationship with your clients is the base of long-term, profitable collaboration.
Pro tip: Empower your customers
Improve your customer’s satisfaction with a resource hub that’s available 24/7 x 365. Show your customers that you value their time starting today.
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