Recently, I needed to make some changes to my home’s insurance policy. First, I tried to make the changes through the self-service portal but was unsuccessful. Then, after numerous failed attempts to contact my local agent, I conceded and dialed the 1-800 customer service number.
I immediately received an automated message that stated my policy required me to contact my individual agent to make any changes. Begrudgingly, I hit “0” until I was routed to a human. As soon as Judy greeted me, my frustration dissipated.
She was friendly, understanding, empathetic, and prompt. She brought humor and lightheartedness to the conversation. She also recommended some next steps for me to ensure that my mortgage lender received what it needed. The entire interaction took less than a fourth of the time I spent trying to get in touch with my local agent. I gave her the highest scores in my feedback survey and noted that she was very skilled in customer service.
What is good customer service these days?
Customers are smarter and more informed than ever before, so their expectations are at an all-time high. Customers also have several options for how they reach out to agents, and there are a number of factors that result in great service, regardless of the channel. These include:
- Personalization: Personalized interactions let customers know that your organization cares about their challenges and questions.
- Competency: Agents need to have strong knowledge about your company’s processes and products in order to provide accurate support.
- Convenience: From social media to email, customers want to be able to reach an agent when and where it’s best for them.
- Proactiveness: Once agents solve the task at hand, they also anticipate additional questions or information that a customer may need and provide it during the interaction.
When it comes to my experience, the interaction hit the mark on three important qualities for customer service. While it wasn’t convenient that I had to reach out to the larger customer service organization, the agent who helped me was competent and proactive. She also provided a level of personalization that I appreciated. Looking back, I know this is because she had the appropriate skills needed for customer service. Here are three of the skills that left such a lasting impression.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. And, it has quickly become a must-have for every team’s modern customer service skill list. Research shows that consumers expect more empathy from agents than in the past, and more than 65% of people believe that it’s a key component of great service. When agents show empathy, they create an authentic relationship of trust with customers. And, when customers trust the information and support they receive from agents, everyone wins.
Quick thinking
Being able to think and act quickly in customer service is extremely important. When I explained that I had already tried contacting my local agent and was up against a deadline for making the change, Judy was quick to respond and take action. She knew what steps to take in order to make the appropriate changes and ensure that everything was updated correctly. We both knew that my policy “technically” required my local agent to process the change, but by applying situational awareness, she was confident in escalating the situation and taking the necessary steps to resolve the issue.
Clear communication
Insurance isn’t the most straightforward thing to understand, and my situation was slightly complex. However, Judy clearly communicated why I experienced the problem in the first place, what she was going to do to resolve it, and what I should do afterwards. Instead of using a lot of jargon and complicated terminology, she broke things down to their simplest terms. Our entire conversation was also easier to understand because we chatted over the phone. Since service channels like chat, email, and social media are becoming increasingly popular, it’s important for agents to learn what clear and effective communication looks like on these channels too.
Closing thoughts
Providing exceptional customer service is no small feat. But, when agents have good customer service skills that enable them to provide support that’s authentic and engaging, customers like me will be left singing their praises. After all, if I hadn’t received the level of service that I did, I would have shared a very different story with all of you. So, when it comes to your customer service, do your agents have the skills they need to surprise and delight customers?
Learn and hone essential customer service skills
Support teams and call centers use Lessonly by Seismic to deliver customer service skills training so agents can learn and practice skills needed for their work. Interested in learning more? Click here to get a demo and see how your team can take their skills to the next level.
