A lot of people start off with a great idea to provide a service or offer a product to the market. They then work on that idea to be able to make that into reality and start a business that would bring their service or product to the market. Many think that having a product or service that works as promised is enough. However, that is just the beginning. There are still a lot of things that should be given focus on by business owners and one of these is being able to good customer service that would satisfy its customers. Having a customer service guide is something that businesses should have.
Why is good customer service important?
Businesses that provide poor customer service do not fare well in the game. When customers receive poor service, the chances of them doing repeat transactions go down. Some even do not push through with any purchases or transactions that they may have planned on making. That is why business owners should focus on making sure that aside from a remarkable product or service, they are also able to give their customers really great customer service. Keep in mind that when customers get great support, businesses are able to build strong customer relationships, which, in the long-run, is good for any business. This is why knowing the common customer service mistakes is important so businesses can avoid them.
What are the 6 key mistakes on customer service and how can they be avoided?
We have identified six key mistakes that businesses commonly make in terms of customer service. Here they are, learn about them, and know how to avoid them.
Key mistake 1: Not being available for customers/Customers find it hard to speak to a human. Technology has been quite useful in many ways and companies have been taking advantage of this advancement to help their processes including customer service. There are phone numbers that customers can call which allow them to get the information they need via pre-recorded messages on machines. There are also chatbots used to answer customers’ queries via chat. These allow for real-time assistance 24/7. However, many customers still prefer to speak directly to a human. Despite being able to contact a business 24/7, there are still some questions that need to be answered by humans and sometimes, this is not available all the time. This is why it is highly recommended that businesses use a mix of technology and human customer service agents to provide a good experience for people. They should also make sure that customers are easily able to speak with a human without a lot of runaround. Key mistake 2: Not listening to customers. When a customer feels like their concerns are not being heard, it can get them frustrated and disappointed and businesses should avoid that at all costs. One of the key mistakes in customer service is not listening to what the customers are saying. Customers want solutions to their queries and actively listening to what the customers are saying and not saying is a skill that customer service agents should have. Assuming things is not going to help at all. Agents should give customers their full attention and should try as much as possible to take note of what customers are saying. It would also not be a good idea to let the customer repeat what he/she has said as it can be frustrating for them as well and it shows that the agent is not listening properly. Asking for customer feedback should also help improve a business’ customer service. Key mistake 3: Not giving a quick response to customers. Customers hate being put on hold for a long time. It makes them think that they are not important and that they are being disregarded. That is why businesses should make sure that their customer service agents are able to provide a quick and timely response to their customers. If there are cases when the agent has to do research or check something out, it is best to inform the customer about what they are going to do and give them an estimate about when they would be back. That way, customers would know when to expect the agent back. It is also important to make sure that the customer is made to wait for the shortest time possible. Key mistake 4: Being passed around. Who like getting passed around? Nobody does! That is why business owners should make sure that customers are not passed around to get the solution that they want for any issue or query they may have. Training customer service agents to provide a resolution at the soonest time possible would allow customers to be happy with the experience and would also allow the business to accommodate more customers. Key mistake 5: Rude service and unapologetic agents. Nobody wants to deal with rude people and customer service agents get a lot of those from their customers. It is important for them to understand that customers can be rude because of the experience they may have had with a product or service they purchased and did not get their money’s worth. However, this is not good reason for agents to provide a rude service and be unapologetic to the customers. Agents should try to be in their customers’ shoes and try to apologize as necessary for any shortcomings that their business has provided. Key mistake 6: Forgetting that customers are always right. Customers do not call or chat just because they are bored. They do that because they are unsatisfied with something or need help with something. That is why customer service agents should always keep in mind that customers are always right. There may be rules and policies to protect a business’ interests but it is also important to train them to be flexible to make sure that the customers are appeased without breaking any policies.
Keeping customers satisfied helps businesses get more transactions and providing bad customer service is not helpful at all for the business. May these mistakes and solutions serve as a customer service guide for many businesses.
published under Business Address Guides
