Weekly Roundup in Customer Service
March 2, 2015
“The smile is the most overlooked gesture in customer service and it’s the most impactful” — Carmine Gallo
This past week, I came across some great articles discussing customer happiness (with one highlighting a real life customer interaction), some great CRM tools for your company, and the ways you can make your customers’ lives much easier (which will have tremendous benefits for you in the long run).
Going above and beyond. When you ask your customers how their day is going, do you genuinely mean it or care? Or is it simply a pleasantry or a conversation filler while you’re on the phone with them? In Madeline Stone’s article, Warby Parker Sent a Customer a Gift Card, she talks about how one Warby Parker sales associate and her colleagues took genuine interest in a certain customer. The question was simple: “How is your day going?” and turned into a tale of how the customer’s car was stolen; instead of shrugging it off with a “I’m so sorry!” or “That’s awful to hear”, these wonderful staff members asked her more about her favorite places to eat and her interests. Just a week later, the customer received a gift card in the mail to her favorite bar — a place the staff members had remembered her mentioning. They made a concerted effort outside of the realm of their job and duties to make the customer feel appreciated, especially on her lowest day. Let us strive, no matter what position we may hold in a company, to sincerely care about each and every one of our customer’s and their needs!
The software is important too! Certainly the combination of caring staff members, an encouraging culture and strong values can pave the way for a successful customer service department/company; however, finding and implementing the best CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools to fit your company’s and customers’ needs are just as essential. Inklyo in partnership with Business 2 Community, focused on the Top 5 Customer Relationship Management Tools today for companies to explore and try out. Each of these systems provide their own unique features, which should be taken into account when aligning with your department’s goals and duties. Zendesk and SurveyMonkey are among the ones noted, but as more CRM tools continue to be developed, it’s also essential to stay informed about what is the absolute best system for your needs.
The best things in life are free… And a smile is certainly no exception! Carmine Gallo talks about the The Simplest, Free Customer Service Gesture That Builds Loyalty, which is to simply smile at your customers — a sincere one, of course! When we are happy and smile at our customers, it causes them to feel important, cared about, and cherished. Think about a time a customer service rep smiled at you and were truly happy to help you. Now, think about another instance where a rep groaned and grimaced. Which place are you more likely to return to? We live in a world where we feel that by giving customers a free trial or a discount, we might reel them in and keep them coming back, but a good product on its own isn’t enough. Add a smile and turn a potential customer into a loyal one.
Taking care of all customers. One of the benefits of working in customer service is being able to interact with and learn about many different people and their behaviors. We’re able to understand those who are laid-back vs those who are more Type A; some who love calling in vs those who couldn’t imagine picking up the phone. Because of this reason, we need to make sure to not fit our customers into one mold, and to cater to all types of people! Sarah Chambers wrote about the 5 Quick Ways To Support The Busy Customer, and how we can help those who are always on the move and expectant of fast customer service. For those companies who may not have 24/7 coverage, for example, by having your hours clearly stated, it will give the customer a better understanding of when they could expect a reply back. She also discusses having clear and succinct communication (especially via email), a comprehensive support section (for self-help) and to stick to the same channel of communication always (if they emailed you, don’t ask them to call in). As a customer, feeling like our experience was personalized to our needs and behavior traits makes all the difference in the long run!
Check out last week’s roundup:
Here are a few more great articles I’ve also found:
Here are additional articles I’ve written about customer service:
