As the global economy sluggishly recovers from the devastating effects of COVID-19 pandemic, business owners must leverage an enriched customer service experience for growth and stability. A furious customer can switch to your competitor or spread a bad word about your business. With limited control over information flow in this digital era, you need to guard against customer service errors that can mar your brand reputation.
Customer service mistakes are inevitable. But, you must do your best to prevent them from happening to ensure that customers are always kept happy. Here are seven errors you may be making now and how you can fix them.
Identifying and Fixing Common Customer Service Gaffes
1. Poorly Trained or Uninvolved Employees
A well-trained frontline team is the lifeline of your business. Team members fail when they are ill-prepared to perform specific duties. Therefore, your customer service should be filled by competent and seasoned professionals who have a rich knowledge of your business products or services.
The Fix: Regularly train your customer service team using your customers’ feedback and expectations as a guide.
2. Inaccessibility
Business owners often like to hide behind their frontline officers. But, although customer service primarily lies on this team, it doesn’t end with them. There are customers who still want to connect with you directly.
The Fix: Provide multiple channels of communications through which your customers may reach you.
3. Lack of coordination
We’ve all had that experience where we calmly complain about some poor service. We’re referred to a department who then sends us back to another person in the previous department who then directs us to…until we’re seething and ready to explode. Such lack of coordination can transform small complaints into big issues.
The Fix: Set up a functional internal communications system with a well-mapped chain of command, to handle customers’ issues.
4. Poor Listening Skills
Customer service is not primarily about providing answers. It is about listening to your clients to understand their pain points, struggles and expectations. Train your staff to listen and not make assumptions about issues.
The Fix: Allow your customers to speak without interruptions. Be sure you understand the problem before trying to fix it.
5. Overpromising
Over promising always gets businesses in trouble with their customers. Don’t let desperation drive you to make promises you cannot keep. If you have a legitimate reason to fail on any promise, apologise in advance and find a way to make up for it.
The Fix: Don’t promise what you cannot deliver. Also, have a Plan B for when you are unable to deliver on your promise.
6. Reassigning your best frontline staff
It’s normal to reward exceptional team members with a promotion. But, only do that if you have a suitable replacement. Otherwise, appreciate them in other ways that show you value their work. You may choose to raise their pay, but still, leave them at their old position.
The Fix: Always keep your best employees at the frontline.
7. Workplace culture
Excellent customer service goes beyond your front-desk. It permeates every aspect of your business processes and structure. Each of your staff and management, including you, must be trained to handle customer service duties professionally.
The Fix: Every member of your staff must be a trained customer service professional.
Your customer service directly affects your reputation and position in the market. Book a consultation with us today and let us train your team on professional customer relations practices.