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.