3 Rules of Online Customer Service
More people are communicating online when they need help with a product or service instead of going to a business in person or talking on the phone. Because much of customer service has moved online, you must know how to deal with these situations and what makes them different from traditional methods. Make sure your call centre agents and customer service representatives are aware of these rules.
1. Answer Often
People who use the internet for communication expect immediate results. If you have a social media presence, you should monitor it constantly. Respond to questions or complaints in a short time. In many cases, you’ll see a note saying something like “Thank you for your question. We respond to inquiries within one hour.” You can set this to whatever time frame works for you, but remember sooner is better.
Never go more than a few hours without checking your online profiles and pages. Otherwise, potential customers will go somewhere else while current customers will become more upset or look for a new company.
2. Remember Your Audience
Speaking with someone on the phone is much different than having a conversation on social media or your blog post. On the phone, it’s just you and the customer. Online, you have everyone who is following you or reading your blog listening in. You must be careful of what you say and how you say it.
If the question is general, you can easily answer it on the page for everyone to see and learn from. If the comment is a complaint, you’ll want to acknowledge it on the page where others will notice, but you’ll want to continue the conversation privately. Move to instant messenger or a phone call if possible. This ensures that certain information remains private while you work to resolve the problem.
3. Be Real
Transparency is important in a business, but even more so when the company has an online presence. Don’t try to hide behind silence because it will only make you look bad. Respond to complaints and show you care about your customers.
For other interactions, put yourself out there to get to know your customers. Unlike with phone calls where you discuss one issue and stay on topic, social media allows you to converse about many different topics. You’re building a relationship, and you want your followers and fans to like you. To do this, you have to show them who you really are. For some companies, this means creating a video with the owner speaking to viewers, telling them a bit about who he or she is.
For many businesses, the person who handles customer service and call centres with phone calls is not the same person to deal with online interaction. You need someone who understands how each works and what customers want. Make sure you find someone who understands these three rules so you can provide exceptional customer service online, over the phone and in person.
Ashley Meszaros is the Owner/President of We An-Ser Communications in Calgary. We An-Ser Communications provides award winning call center services in Calgary, dispatching, medical answering services, man down services, lone worker support, wireless panic services and more. They service the North American market.
