There is nothing more frustrating to a customer than subpar customer service. This can be even more worrisome for business leaders who are launching a new company. You only have a few chances to make a good impression. Here are some great ways you can meet customer communication expectations.
The Expectation: Competency
When a customer decides to contact your company for assistance, they are quite likely already at their wit’s end about how to deal with an issue. Their expectation is that your employees understand the problem and know how to fix it. You can empathize with the frustration this customer would feel if they finally reached someone and the “authority” failed to provide them with any competent information. How can you avoid this scenario? First, you need to create a system that makes it easy for your staff to identify common problems. This, of course, involves your internal communication methods. Secondly, you must provide your staff with the appropriate training for them to do their jobs properly and as efficiently as possible in order to serve the customer.
The Expectation: Convenience (for Them)
Today, most people don’t have the time or the desire to speak on the phone for hours. Instead, the best way to approach this issue is to provide your customers with as much communication convenience as possible. Communication convenience means that customers have various options for how to reach you when they need help. There are a variety of ways to connect with customers, and the more options you provide, the more likely you are to include the one that works best for a given customer. This can involve the use of a FAQ section, email access to various specific departments, a live chat feature and, of course, a direct line to your company.
The Expectation: Timely Response
A great way to stay on top of your game is to provide your customers with timely responses to their issues. Some problems simply can’t be dealt with over a phone call and might require some additional research and time to correct. However, this does not mean you should show your customer an indifferent attitude and leave them with a “let’s see what happens” dismissal. Instead, utilize a set scheduler regarding callbacks. This allows the customer to feel confident that the issue will be resolved quickly.
Running a company can be a daunting experience, and not meeting customer communication expectations can make it a lot worse. Therefore, it is incredibly important to adhere to the tips listed above in order to provide your customers with the best possible communication experience.
