Keeping your customer service up to scratch would be a reliable way for you to foster growth in your company. According to one statistic shared by Business News Daily, 93% of customers are more inclined to buy repeatedly from firms offering excellent customer service.
However, you could be making rookie errors with customer calls you do make. Here are five simple methods that can often be utilised for enhancing such calls.
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1. Smile as you start answering the phone
This might initially sound like a strange tactic, given that someone on the other end of an audio-only call obviously won’t be able to see you smiling.
However, when you do smile, this will automatically make your voice sound warmer — making it easier for you to establish a warm, friendly relationship with the customer right from the start.
2. Try not to leave the customer’s concern unresolved for too long
The Customer Service Manager website indicates that, with 52% of calls that client service representatives take at call centres, the customer’s problem is not resolved on the first call.
Fortunately, the other tips in this article can help you to dramatically cut down the amount of time it takes for you to find a solution to a customer’s dilemma.
3. Maintain an optimistic tone
If the customer’s issue does turn out to be trickier to sort out than you had originally expected, don’t allow negative, despondent talk to slip into your exchanges with the caller.
So, rather than uttering phrases like “What a mess” or “I’m not sure we can fix this”, reassure the customer with statements along the lines of “I understand how frustrating this must be for you” and “I’ll find you someone who can resolve this for you”.
4. Seek permission from the customer before transferring them
You might find that you are unable to rectify their issue yourself — perhaps because it is outside your own remit. In that instance, you could need to transfer the customer to someone else within the company. Before you do this, though, ask the customer if this would be okay with them.
This is simply good customer service etiquette anyway — and taking measures to reduce holding times can further smooth the process of transferring customers.
5. Always tell a caller why they will need to be put on hold
As it is never convenient for the caller if they do have to wait to be transferred, you should at least explain to them beforehand why this needs to happen. When you return to your caller, thank the caller for holding.That way, you will come across as efficient and accountable.
6. Implement a virtual phone system
Some things that let down your customer service calls could actually have a lot more to do with the phone system being used than the customer service rep who is using it.
If, say, the quality of the audio is often scratchy, or callers get cut off unexpectedly, this could be your cue to upgrade the phone system. If your business is small, a virtual phone system can help you with cost-effectively making your customer service calls better.