This post was originally published by Mikyla Houston on lessonly.com.
Let’s be honest, we’ve all had to make a call to a support line, and it’s probably something we’ve dreaded. Whether setting up a new phone, calling about a product or service, or talking to insurance after an accident, I think it’s safe to say this isn’t something that very many of us look forward to.
The barometer for excellent customer service is no longer, “Did they answer my questions?” but has evolved to include the entire customer service experience. Here are some tips to take your good customer service to great:
1. Be human
Customers come to a support line because they want help, if they wanted a generic response they’d stick to Google. A lot of times, customer service teams get so caught up in finding an answer and following protocol that they forget that they’re talking to another human being. So how can reps make more human connections? Empathize with your customers, ask about their day, validate their issues, and make your scripts your own. If you read off a sheet of paper or use canned responses your customers can tell, and it diminishes customer satisfaction.
2. Enable your reps well
Your customers want a human interaction, but they also want their problem solved. Most of the time, onboarding new support reps consists of shadowing co-workers for a few days before going live and talking to customers. While ticket numbers might increase, without a customer service training program, high-quality service isn’t always the norm for a new rep. Even if your hires are rockstars with all of the experience in the world, they need to know about your company, how to be successful, and the “whys” behind those “hows”. As a trainer or manager, it’s your job to teach them.
3. Teach them to fish
Picture a scenario: you’re dealing with a customer with a complicated question, so you put them on hold to find the answer. You turn to your neighbor who is on the phone, you Slack your boss to no avail, and finally, you end up searching the wiki for a few minutes and come back with an answer. At this point, your customer is frustrated and no matter what you say, the call can’t be salvaged. This happens far too often. But the best customer service teams have a different playbook. Companies who give their teams the answers they need at their fingertips will win the day, and the customer. Whether it’s through an LMS, enablement tool, or an internal platform—if your team can find answers in 30 seconds or less it will transform your customer service for the better.
Going from good customer service to great customer service is a journey well worth the endeavor. May the above tips help you in your pursuit of excellence and more satisfied customers!
World-class customer service teams use Lessonly by Seismic
Lessonly by Seismic is training software that helps customer service teams train faster and delight more customers. Managers and trainers deliver effective onboarding, proving ongoing training, and share best practices. The results? Effective team learning, happier employees, and extraordinary experiences. Learn more, and get a demo today.
