Customers are not just numbers, but people. For example, you must return missed calls, follow up on any complaints and problems, and avoid long hold times. If you have issues with customer calls, then it helps to use an answering service. It also means that calls are triaged and handled in an efficient manner.

When customers feel that they are able to get prompt responses from your business, they are much more likely to feel satisfied.

Thus reducing your churn rate! Good customer experience will certainly lead to better customer reviews and testimonials and this is important if you want to stay ahead of the competition. Essentially, you need to give customers a reason to choose you over your competitors.

Providing exceptional customer service is one way you can do just that! How many times have you had to call your cable company knowing that you are going to get pushed through an automated menu, sit on hold for 45 minutes and have to attempt to communicate with someone who speaks broken English to get your problem resolved?

No matter how kind you are, it can be difficult not to be a bit on edge in these situations. When a company has already provided you with horrific customer service, you dread having to deal with the company. When something happens that forces you to deal with that company then you are probably NOT in a good mood.

Your customers are no different. To deliver the best customer experience, you have to put in some extra work. You need to deliver unique and positive customer experiences, make yourself available to resolve issues and you need to stand out among your competitors, but the most important thing you need to do is be consistent and reliable.

If you do all of the things discussed in this article, but you do them inconsistently then you will not reap any benefits from these suggestions. Make sure that your entire organization is aware of the changes so that every person involved in the customer journey knows how operations are being changed to accommodate improved customer experiences.

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Studies of customer service have centered on creating the perfect online experience. The first and most difficult factor is the multiplicity of channels.

Today's customers expect to get service through whatever app or device they happen to be using at the moment.

That may be a mobile device or a laptop, a social media site, a text app, or live chat. Once again, the focus has been on packaging how-to content and related resources that are designed for self-service. Increasingly sophisticated data analytics also are being used to identify dissatisfied or low-engagement customers.

But, as always, the most effective customer service apps need to incorporate human contact, if only as a last resort. There are a number of different channels to deliver customer service.

Many companies use more than one way for consumers to reach them, especially larger ones. Smaller businesses may use one or just a few of them. And in the age of social media, it's become even easier to get in touch with businesses to get questions answered and problems resolved.

The following chart highlights some of the most common customer service channels companies can use. For decades, businesses in many industries have sought to reduce personnel costs by automating their processes to the greatest extent possible.

This led many companies to implement systems online and by phone that answer as many questions or resolve as many problems as they can without a human presence. But in the end, there are customer service issues for which human interaction is indispensable, creating a competitive advantage.

Amazon is an example of a company that is trying to automate a vast and complex operation. It has to, given that it delivered 4. Nevertheless, Amazon still offers hour customer service by phone, in addition to email and live chat services. Most successful businesses recognize the importance of providing outstanding customer service.

Courteous and empathetic interaction with a trained customer service representative can mean the difference between losing or retaining a customer. The average annual salary for a customer service representative as of July 21, Much is expected of customer service representatives.

Yet the pay for the job is low. Some of the job expectations:. Customer service is a very important part of the business structure. Having a good customer service plan in place contributes to sales, increases brand loyalty, generates referrals, helps retain customers, and provides businesses with a competitive advantage over others in the same industry.

Effective customer service agents are skilled at listening and being empathetic. They're also very good at problem solving and being proactive. It's important for them to have a level of professionalism, which means that when things get heated, they can take a step back and don't take anything to heart.

Some of the ways to provide effective customer service include providing a friendly and warm experience, listening, and empathizing. It's also important for customers to feel as though their concerns and problems are valid and that they're being accommodated.

Being proactive, not taking anything personally, and following up are also some examples of good customer service. Having a customer service plan in place can make or break a company.

Putting in a good plan with the right people, proper training, and appropriate channels can lead to more sales, customer loyalty, and referrals.

Even though things may be moving in the right direction, corporations shouldn't rest on their laurels. Keeping one step ahead of the game means continuing to find ways to improve and provide an even greater customer experience.

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Table of Contents Expand. Table of Contents. What Is Customer Service? How It Works. Traits of Good Service. Delivering Service. Job Requirements. The Bottom Line.

Business Business Essentials. Key Takeaways Customer service is the interaction between the buyer of a product and the company that sells it. Good customer service is critical to business success, ensuring brand loyalty one customer at a time. Recent innovations have focused on automating customer service systems but the human element is, in some cases, indispensable.

For example, when the business first started out, it experienced sudden growth. Recognizing this flaw in its service experience, Santa Cruz adopted customer service tools to aid its support team.

Reps started recording data on customer issues and highlighted problems that were most common with their customer base. They created a shared inbox with an email alias so customers could easily contact the support team.

They also created a customer feedback loop to collect and share customer reviews with the entire organization. When your company experiences growth, it can sometimes create unexpected problems that pop up down the road.

Santa Cruz recognized a potential flaw and acted immediately. They adopted customer service tools to ease the pressure on their support team while improving the customer experience. Additionally, Santa Cruz used its new tools to conduct reporting as well. This allowed the company to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction while its customer base continued to grow.

Even though more customers interacted with the business, each interaction still felt genuine and personalized because of the customer data Santa Cruz had gathered. Ride-hailing app Lyft succeeds in the customer service space by making its customers proud by putting its money where its mouth is toward values and causes customers truly care about.

For example, Lyft announced its commitment to minimizing the environmental impact of the millions of car rides it provides every day by declaring all of its rides to be carbon neutral, thanks to its voluntary purchase of carbon offsets. Lyft announced the Lyft Up program , where Lyft is working to make sure everyone has access to affordable, reliable transportation to get where they need to go — no matter their age, income, zip, or postal code, through partnering with brands like Goodwill and United Way.

An important facet of customer service that can be difficult to measure is standing for the values that are important to your customers. Getting customers involved with and excited about fundraising and charity partnerships can go a long way toward fostering loyalty.

To that end, customer support reps spend two hours per day off the phone lines and away from the queue — and they re-dedicate that time toward other projects.

Employees have more opportunities for company-wide impact by collecting research, analyzing data, identifying patterns and trends, and working on projects and processes to achieve better results.

Two hours per day, or 10 hours per week, might sound like a lot, but it paid off for Basecamp. Our friends over at Wistia — a video hosting and analytics platform — believe in the power of video to help tell company stories.

Wistia team members create personalized how-to videos and individualized thank-you notes to help customers and demonstrate how to use different aspects of the software using a visual medium. Realistically, eyes will gloss over a wall of text.

By showing, rather than telling, customers how to troubleshoot, users can learn more effectively and remember solutions better. That beats reading an email or hopping on a phone call.

Instead, use technology to deliver support in the medium that makes the most sense. Tools like SnagIt , Awesome Screenshot , LICEcap , QuickTime Player , and even your smartphone or webcam can be used to create helpful resources customers can refer to again and again.

Zola is an online wedding registry, wedding planner, and retailer. Understanding what is essential for not only their customers but for everyone, Zola advertises and fights for marriages for everyone. Senate to pass the Respect for Marriage Act. No one could question where Zola stands on important issues, and Zola continues to advocate for marriage equality.

Be vocal about what matters to your business and your customers. In it, customer experience expert and author John DiJulius describes the story of his stay at a Ritz-Carlton hotel — when he unknowingly left his laptop charger behind in his guest room. Before he even got a chance to call the office, he received a package from the hotel.

DiJulius, I wanted to make sure we got this to you right away. I am sure you need it, and, just in case, I sent you an extra charger for your laptop. The first step toward employee empowerment is engagement: Make customer service part of your mission and your mission a part of everything your organization does.

Then, structure and incentivize your team so employees can work independently to solve customer problems and think creatively. Super Runners Shop is a running apparel and equipment store located in midtown Manhattan. It differentiates itself from competitors through its above-and-beyond customer service experience.

They guide you through every step of the buyer journey. For example, I went there to purchase a pair of running shoes. A disclaimer: I have been a runner all my life and have been stubborn in the past about my shoes and my brands.

So, when I needed a pair of shoes and was hesitating to try something new, friends referred me to Super Runners Shop. I told them I needed shoes, and they paired me with one of their running specialists. This rep knew his stuff.

He asked me about my running style, where I ran, and how often I would run. Then, we talked about price range and brand preferences. They even had a high-tech foot scanner that analyzed my feet to match for potential inserts and shoes that would fit my arches.

It was clear that every step of the experience was planned and detailed. Your service should be consistent throughout the entire customer experience.

This, in turn, produces loyal customer advocates who willingly refer new leads to the business, and I will tell all my running friends about it. Every year, customers change their buying habits, marketing preferences, and so on. Plus, in the age of social media, small issues with customers can quickly get blown out of proportion online and become a big headache for your company.

Friendly customer service is exactly what it sounds like: Your customer service employees are pleasant and make the customer feel welcome. Efficient customer service means reps are knowledgeable about your products or services and can quickly give customers the answers they need.

If a problem arises, they resolve the issues and leave customers satisfied. That may mean improving your overall customer service experience with a combination of in-person and online tactics. This is actually a win-win proposition, as the results of efficient customer service will help your customers and your company.

Amazon, one of the most successful internet companies of all time, is built on the foundation of efficiency. Your business will reap a number of payoffs from efficient customer service — five, in particular. Whether you outsource your customer service department or provide customer service via text message for a more personalized experience, there are key strategies all businesses should embrace if they want to deliver efficient customer service.

Consistency is another important aspect of efficient in-house customer service, especially if you have multiple locations.

You need to deliver the same message and level of service across the board. According to SuperOffice, 12 percent of customers expect businesses to respond to email inquiries within 15 minutes, and 46 percent look for a response in less than four hours. Fortunately, some of the top CRM software has customer service features and social media integrations that can help you quickly address customer inquiries and complaints from a single platform.

Of course, some customer questions are very simple to answer, and you may find that you receive certain inquiries over and over. Equipping your team with suggested responses can cut the time your customer service reps spend answering questions.

Another function of being socially available is that providing customer service through social media is an additional way to manage your online reputation. Given adequate resources, many customers can do just that, potentially lowering the number of customer service staffers needed on hand. If you offer enough quality self-service options that can direct clients to the answers they need quickly, you can provide efficient customer service without relying on employees to deliver personalized experiences.

Self-service tools are a scalable solution to customer service problems. As a customer support agent, you spend all day troubleshooting for customers, and that means you need to be a product expert. Expansive knowledge of your product is an essential customer service skill.

Your job is to help your customers get the most out of their purchase and feel like they have gotten true value for their money. Make it your goal to learn everything there is to know about your product so you can amaze your customers with timely recommendations for using new features and services.

Attitude is everything, and a positive attitude goes a long way in providing excellent customer service. Since most customer interactions are not face-to-face, your attitude should be reflected in your language and tone of voice.

Everyone has heard of the legendary customer service at Zappos. For example, they once sent a best man free shoes the night before the wedding after his order was sent to the wrong location due to a mistake by the delivery company.

Resolving customer queries as quickly as possible is a cornerstone of good customer service. Customers understand that more complex queries take time to resolve.

You should, too. Complex cases often require multiple touchpoints within a company. Having access to the most important information up front ensures that your team can provide customers with the best resolution in less time. That means they want to feel like more than just a ticket number.

Customers want to interact with a person — not a company. How about their interests or hobbies? Can you make them laugh? In Help Scout , tickets are called " conversations " to encourage support teams to think about requests in the queue in a more personalized way. So whether you're using Help Scout or one of its alternatives , consider how the support tool you use can help you personalize your support interactions.

Your customers are the most integral part of your business, and they come before products or profit. Treat them like they are the center of your world — because they are. So, get to know your customers.

Humanize them. Humanize yourself.