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The impact of excellent customer service and communication
Creating a great excellent customer service and communication means going beyond meeting the basic requirements. All too often, customer communication becomes a mundane script of repetition that robes customer’s and employee’s attention, enthusiasm, and patience alike. Creating a negative experience for both and giving the company a bad image from the customer’s point of view.
64% of consumers aren’t able to get help or solve their problems through their provider’s customer service.
Naturally, service can be provided in a way that builds a positive company image, increases customer satisfaction, and even brings more after-sales. Aside from responding swiftly, genuinely, and empathetically to customer support requests, it’s important to anticipate anything else that can be done to ensure the customer’s complete satisfaction with your business.
Top customer pain points when dealing with service
No doubt, everyone wants good customer service and communication, but let’s delve deeper and look at common pain points that scare off customers across the service spectrum:
Not being heard or understood
It is so simple and yet it's so amazing that this is the most common problem in customer service. The ability to understand is strongly influenced by listening skills. Some service representatives become tired, and impatient from all the multitudes of confusing service requests and assume they know what the problem is before they even finish reading a customer's email or listening fully to the customer via phone. This loses time on both ends.
Painfully slow service options
We all know the situation too well, who hasn’t waited tirelessly on a hotline, for an email, or lost time in line at a store's service center and still couldn't find the right answer despite all efforts? Be honest, no one should experience this and it should not be a description of your customer service. When customers encounter too many obstacles and difficulties, they may give up any effort altogether if they feel it is not worth it. Because of this, it's important to make the service process as easy and painless as possible.
Limited communication channels for service
In a nutshell, customers expect companies to have communication options via multiple easy-access channels, whether be it in person, online, or on the phone. Depending on the type of inquiry, modern consumers expect to be able to communicate with you across different channels. Unfortunately, even companies that offer multiple communication channels tend to have separate provider options for each channel (e.g. Skype for video calls, chatbot for texting, etc.), making it a nightmare for service reps. In other cases, even if they have an option that combines a few different communication channels, the customer is expected to log in. Adding an extra step in the service process and making it less attractive.
The feeling of not being valued as a customer
Of course, we all know the phrase business is business. For many customers, however, it goes beyond. When a customer decides to purchase a product or service, it enters into their personal life and space. It's natural if a problem occurs that they want to be valued, and appreciated. It's often that customers feel like they are just another number in a company's revenue list. This way of thinking does not bring customer retention or loyalty. It is important to treat them like individuals and make them feel appreciated.
The problem just not being solved
Behind every customer inquiry is the desire for a fast solution. Customers don't want to be constantly transferred to the next agent and expected to explain the problem all over again. They want answers to their questions and their problems solved. With every transfer, subsequent phone call, or email, customers lose patience with your business, resulting in a loss of goodwill that can severely impact your company's ability to retain and grow your customer base.
The solution to improving customer service
Now we understand a few fundamental points that help us understand the customer’s wants and needs. All points can be tackled individually with changes in your service process. Another good option to improve service workflows is looking into customer service and experience platforms. One good example is the sqanit solutions, in the following, we will review all the customer pain points and how sqanit answers the call for better customer service and communication.
To have needs understood
A great solution that sqanit offers is an easily accessible ticketing functionality. This allows the company to define what it needs to know about issues in general (e.g. serial number, service type). Creating a standard template, which the customer is then guided through to create a problem ticket, detailing their issue and adding helpful attachments such as images and videos. This gives the agent all the details they need to resolve the issue from the start. In this way, your employee is fully informed, understands the customer, and can process the issue more efficiently and quickly. The customer can also report problems independently of opening hours and does not have to describe the problem again and again.
Quick reaction time, and painless service options
Ticketing not only speeds up the process but even before reaching that step the customer also has easy direct access to all the information they need for self-help without reaching out for external faulty resources on the web. With the aid of guided digital instructions, the customer can be encouraged in solving minor problems. This helps reduce incoming inquiries for your employees and resolves the issue almost immediately. When the issue requires expert advice, the request is routed through a filtering system that connects it to the right agent with the necessary skills to resolve the issue. All together making the response time to issues quick, painless, and easy for both customer and employee.
Expect multiple options when contacting you
Customers want to have many communication options on different channels, and their preferences change from person to person. Luckily, the sqanit solution thoroughly answers that cry by providing multiple communication channel options in one solution. Saving your employees a lot of switching back and forth between providers. Be it online, with chat, AR video call for remote assistance, or messaging, not only can you offer different options, you can do it all with your branding. Thanks to sqanit's white label SaaS, all communication channels and interaction points with the customer have your logo, corporate colors, and your design. You can rest assured that all communications are safe and secure with a fully closed platform. Best of all, customers can communicate with your company without the need for a login or app. Making communication even more attractive.
To feel appreciated and valued
As each case is handled so efficiently and staff requirements are reduced due to improved workflows, the agent has more time to truly process each request with the necessary attention and care that the customer expects. Inquiries are filtered to the right agent from the start who, thanks to the pre-defined problem ticket process, also has the details to get straight to the heart of the problem. The result is increased customer confidence and acceptance that they are being taken care of by someone who knows what they are doing. Increasing customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty.
To have their problem solved
Without a doubt, empowering your frontline agents with the right tools to solve customer problems is key. Resolving customer issues immediately is a surefire way to gain customer acceptance and trust. With all the mentioned options and tools that the sqanit solution offers, improved workflows, customer service processes, and even fleet management can be streamlined to achieve the best results. Issues are resolved quickly for customers, and your organization can even use the service cases to monitor data and statistics that provide a well-rounded overview of your service as a whole.
Bottom line: Understand the needs of your customers and exceed them!
The key to excellent customer service and gaining customers who endorse your brand is really understanding your customer’s pain points, needs, and expectations. Using platform solutions like sqanit will set you apart from your competitors, give you real insight into how to keep your customers loyal, and improve your workflows. Bringing positive advantages for both employees, customers, and your brand as a whole. Now that you know, take the first step to achieving exceptional customer service and communication, by making steps to improve it.
Interested in learning more? Read the top 5 reasons why to invest in software for service management.
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