5 New Customer Service Strategies Small Business Leaders Should Adopt
by Leyla Seka, SVP and GM, Desk.com
Running a small business is hard work! It takes a lot of time to get new products out the door and keep up with customer inquiries. Who has time to watch out for new customer support trends, let alone sort through what’s important for your business? Don’t worry, we have your back. Here are five important customer service strategies SMBs need to embrace in 2016:
Make support part of every job and department.
Customer service is no longer just that department down the hall — now it’s everywhere! Many small businesses are training everyone on their customer service tools from the very beginning, so every employee from CEO to intern can pitch in to help with support during busy times. They’re also integrating support with other parts of their companies so everyone has access to the latest customer data at any time. Support teams can see a customer’s billing and purchase history. And sales teams can see if their top customers have had issues in the past. Connect service to the rest of your business in 2016, and you’ll collaborate more effectively and build closer relationships with customers.
Treat self-service as your most important support channel
According to Forrester, 72% of respondents check a company’s FAQ first when they have a question. Not only do today’s customers expect to get help online, but small businesses have discovered that it’s an incredibly cost-effective way to support their customers 24/7. If you don’t already offer online help, you need to make this a priority for 2016. It doesn’t have to be hard, or expensive. Even if you already have a support portal, you also need a process for keeping your content up-to-date. For an even better experience, you can add graphics and video content to your support center.
Include in-product support in your product plans
Increasingly support is becoming a part of the overall customer experience that companies offer. Many companies are adding a self-service experience directly within their web sites or apps by including links to relevant support articles, or even a button to call a support agent. Others are giving customers the ability to log new cases from their apps. In 2016, look for ways that you can offer help while keeping customers within your product.
Investigate ways to be proactive about support
Today’s agents no longer clock in and wait for calls and emails. There are an increasing number of connected products and wearables that initiate their own service tickets. Many companies companies know when customers are having trouble and can reach out before customers even have a chance to pick up the phone (and sometimes before they even know there’s an issue). This isn’t just a big company thing. Bitium, a small business which provides single sign-on and identity and access technology for cloud computing companies, can tell when users are having trouble logging in and proactively reach out to help. See what processes you can measure and how you can begin adding your own levels of proactivity in 2016.
Give your service roadmap as much priority as your product one
Today’s customers only love a product as much as they love the service it’s backed with. Customer support can’t be an afterthought to product development. Today’s hottest startups make launching a full customer support experience on day one as much of a priority as getting a product out the door. To be successful in the future you need a plan for an online support center, social media support, and for expansion to new markets — especially if you plan to offer your product or service internationally.
It doesn’t matter what business you’re in; improving the customer experience is paramount. Connect with your customers — hear their voices and let them get to know yours. Start 2016 off right with a customer service roadmap for the year, and be sure you ride the wave of the future.
To learn how to create a roadmap of your own, check out this e-book.
