Starting a business is fun, and running a business is hectic but making a business successful is a completely different ball game. This is one of the things that I learned from my entrepreneurship teacher.
Later, when I entered the market, I realized that since customers sit at the core of the business, it is very difficult to keep them happy. One bad customer service interaction, one bad product, or a delay in reply can cost you your business. Since word of mouth travels like wildfire in the era of social media, there is no way to soften the blow. Similarly, if you work on your customer service, you might end up having a loyal customer base that will help you run a successful business.
As a business owner, you might be thinking, about how you can build solid customer service. Well, worry not, as I am going to jot down five killer tricks straight out of a big brand customer service playbook.
5 Companies That Offer Top-Notch Customer Service
- Inclusive Customer Service
Inclusive customer service is another name for diverse customer service. Companies with a vision to reach wider audience generally offer inclusive customer service. This type of customer service makes sure that the response is tailored according to the needs, requirements, and culture of the customer.
One of the best examples in this domain is Spectrum. Spectrum has a wider English-speaking audience but they also cater to Spanish audiences because they have a full range of Spanish entertainment packages. Moreover, the company offers dedicated Spectrum en español customer service for their Spanish-speaking customers.
- Empowering Customers Via Self-Service
Companies receive millions of calls every day. These calls might come from different customers but nearly half of the calls are related to similar topics. This means that when most customers will call you about the same topic, this will choke the lines and the waiting time will increase.
To cater to this issue, most experts recommend the FAQ section within the website. Nearly all the big brands have now added a FAQ section that contains at least 5-7 questions that are frequently asked by their customers. Eventually, when customers have to seek guidance, they simply visit the website where they can retrieve the answer to the question without calling. The best thing about these open knowledge-based resources is that users’ response time is minimized and the customer feels empowered.
- Omni Channel Customer Service Experience
Nearly 40% of customers today feel uneasy while calling a customer service number. This is not an anxiety that is just linked with customer service; in fact, the internet generation likes the idea of written communication compared to voice calls. However, most companies have a much wider audience that is not just limited to post-internet generation.
To appeal to their wider audience, these brands build a solid Omnichannel experience that has customer service via call, text, email as well as social media accounts. Building an Omni channel experience might seem like a difficult task but with the use of AI, management dashboards, and online integration tools, things can be made easier.
- Minimum Repose Time
Who likes to wait in line? Not me. Well, customers feel the same way. Regardless of how many calls you receive every day, your customer wants to feel valued when he has feedback to share or a complaint to report. This is the reason why most customers either end up disconnecting the call or respond more aggressively when they have to wait.
To ensure that customers do not have to wait, big brands are using AI automated messages. Once the customer calls or texts the company, they receive a basic greeting via AI. Then the AI asks the customer about the reason they have called. This enables the AI to categorize the customer and then redirect their call or text to a dedicated department.
- Customer Follow-Up Feedback
Feedback is very important for the company, be it post-sale feedback or post-complaint feedback. While most companies fear the feedback will be negative, others simply neglect the idea of seeking feedback and automatically closing tickets once they are done resolving the issue.
This eventually results in miscommunication and in some cases; customers feel that they should take their business elsewhere. On the contrary, big businesses invest millions in feedback collection and try to implement suggestions to improve their brand.
Bottom Line
Running a business and making sure the customer feels valued is very important. The above-mentioned simple yet effective customer service tips can help you improve your brand in no time.