19 Sep The Customer [Question] is Always Right
The benefit of the digital age is that we can do so much communication. However, what happens when your customers get stuck? How quickly can you help answer a question? And, what’s the value you can provide?
Best practices:
- prominent toll-free number in the header and/or footer
- easy access to send an email
- live chat
- robust self-service resources
Examples in the field:
But just because your customer starts online, doesn’t mean that the conversation should stay there. Who hasn’t been in a frustrating chain of emails where issues don’t get resolved quickly? How valuable to your customers would it be to pick up the phone and make a call, or even send a text? Understanding your customers, what their worklife looks like, and how to make it much easier will be the value-add that you, specifically, can provide.
What you can bring to stand out:
- Knowledge of your customers and how best to reach them.
- Are they often at their desk?
- Are they often on the road?
- What’s the easiest way for them to respond?
- Don’t go cookie cutter. Pick the approach that makes the most sense for the question.
- Is it a complex question that requires a discussion: give a call
- Do you need to send documentation or a link: send an email
- Need quick information (a photo, a short answer): send a text
- Added value.
- For key customers and key issues: loop your sales team in on customer service activity, so they can follow up to make sure questions are answered
- Thoughtful auto-responses. Write auto-responses that give your customers: expected time to respond, ways to find more information, other ways they can reach you in case of emergency situations.
How it benefits you:
- Save time. Reduce excessive back-and-forth on the wrong platform.
- Provide value. Understand your clients and meet them where they are
- Differentiation. Showing your attention to detail helps your business rise above other partners.