Because more people are using the internet than ever before, businesses of all kinds are now having to prioritize online customer service as a pillar of their overall reputation. However, many businesses are stumped as to how they can achieve excellent customer service results online. If this sounds like you, then read the tips below to learn how you can make your customers satisfied consistently online.
Recruit The Right Customer Service Team
When you are trying to make sure your customers have a positive impression of your business online, then you need the right people at the helm. Whether you are trying to improve your Net Promoter Score (NPS) to attract new clients, or if you are simply trying to put out fires, the right customer service team will serve you in several dimensions.
Begin by vetting potential hires with detailed interview questions. The right training program can also help to educate your team on the specifics of your products and services. It also helps to train your customer service team in de-escalation, so they know how to deal with angry or unruly customer queries.
Make Your Website Easy to Use
Customer service isn’t just about fielding complaints with grace and efficiency. It’s also about making sure customers are having a good time when interacting with your brand. In today’s world, this means you have to build a website that is not only functional but easy to navigate. When you do this, you eliminate a lot of the issues that are typically associated with problematic business models.
A complete FAQ page goes a long way toward answering common customer questions. You should also aim to design your site in such a way that it is easy for people to get where they need to go without any added fuss or hassle. This can also lead to increased consumer confidence.
Create Easy Contact Forms
When a customer does have a problem, the last thing you want to do is to make it challenging for them to get in touch with your team. Providing a wide variety of contact options is optimal if you are able to handle it. Create detailed email forms so customers can describe their issues before a customer service agent handles their problem.
When providing live customer support on the phone, also strive to answer calls in a systematic way. If a customer calls with a problem, it helps for them to know that they are being served with the utmost care. Again, this is where your customer service training comes into play. Remember the old adage: the customer is always right.
Use Online Chat Services
In today’s world, there are several choices for creating a stellar customer service profile online. One of the leading techniques is to make use of live chatbots. These services can be embedded directly into your website. Typically, they collect redundant data to identify your customer and their problem before forwarding the issue to a live member of your team.
In some cases, these chatbots can even eliminate the need for a customer to speak to a member of your support team. You can set your bot up to serve as an advanced FAQ, taking in customer queries and returning common solutions. From there, if a customer still needs help, then you can program your chatbot to escalate the situation to a member of your support team.
Use Social Media
Social media isn’t just for funny cat videos and selfies. It can also become quite a powerful online customer service tool. Sites such as Twitter allow you to stay connected and provide real-time updates to your customers when your website or other services are having trouble. Sometimes customers like the added layer of communication, especially in times of uncertainty.
There are lots of challenges in providing great customer service online. Remember to follow these steps the next time you are trying to make sure your customers are happy with your service online.
