We could say that the fundamental axis of any company is the customer. Even if we have the best facilities, a good product and the best trained workers, if we have no one to offer our services to, everything we do will not work. Therefore, satisfying the user’s needs properly is also essential, and to achieve this goal, it is important to provide a quality service.
This is not an easy task, but if you have the right tools, you will be able to exceed customer expectations and build a relationship with them that will help you increase your sales in many ways. In today’s post we give you 4 tips to help you improve your customer service.
What is customer service?
You are probably eager to read what tips we have for you. However, before we start, let us ask you: do you know what customer service is? Although it may seem obvious and we all know what this term refers to, we probably can’t give a clear and precise definition. But it is true that it can help us to know whether what we are doing really contributes to the quality of our service or not.
Customer service refers to a company’s processes that communicate with the customer. Although the term normally encompasses all the departments that carry out this task, the truth is that in companies there is usually a department that is responsible for direct communication with customers, resolving their queries, complaints, providing information…
However, we should not confuse this term with the term “customer service”. This term should not be confused with customer service. Both are aimed at improving the customer experience. However, the fundamental difference between these two concepts lies in the fact that customer service encompasses the actions we can offer the consumer to satisfy their needs, while customer service is aimed at the way we deal with them in the user-company relationship.
In other words, everything we offer the consumer together with our product (after-sales service, guarantee…) would fit into customer service, while the way we make them feel when they contact us (regardless of whether we end up providing a service or not) is customer service. At the end of the day, we can say that the latter is part of the former, as it is an action aimed at improving customer service.
Tips for improving customer service in your company
Being clear that what we want is to improve customer service in our company is the first step to start working on providing a quality service. However, it can seem difficult to make a difference when we are dealing with a complaint or when we are trying to sell our product. Here are some tips that can help you find the best customer service solution.
Optimise time by automating as much as possible
Today, we are aware that technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, so businesses must adapt to this new way of working. Although automation has already been implemented in many areas of business, in customer relations it is still the great unknown. This means that its great potential to improve business customer service is often ignored.
When we talk about automation, we are referring to the use of technology to carry out tasks that are very repetitive and which used to be carried out by people. Although in the relationship between consumer and business it is always advisable to offer a personalised service and to have agents to carry out this task, it is also important to automate tasks that do not require so much concentration.
There are many changes you can make in your business to get closer to your customer. For example, Artificial Intelligence solutions allow that if a client of our company contacts us, the system recognises their telephone number, dealing directly with them by name, understanding the reason for the call and putting them in direct contact with the best agent who will deal with their case personally. In this way, and with little effort, we will improve the customer experience, while facilitating and optimising the process and enabling agents to provide quality service.
Offer different communication channels to your customers
This tip is one of the most useful when it comes to improving customer service. Providing different communication channels, or in other words, following an omnichannel strategy, can change the image that the user has of our company. In these cases, what the customer perceives when contacting us is that we want to make it as easy as possible by allowing them to use the channel that is most convenient for them at that moment. Some of the most useful are:
- WhatsApp API: Nowadays it is almost impossible to find a person who does not use this instant messaging application. And if so many people use it, why not make it easy for your customers by offering them this communication channel? The integration of the WhatsApp API in your virtual switchboard or call centre software will allow you, in addition to allowing your customers to contact you quickly, easily and without queues, to share multimedia files, physical location and automate processes. All completely free of charge for the customer.
- International numbering: having an international virtual number will make your foreign customers see a possibility of contacting a local number, which will give them confidence. In addition, your company will have the image of an international company, which will generate confidence and security among your users.
- Videoconferencing: communication through videoconferencing services gives your company an image of professionalism and proximity, as well as reducing the risk of errors and misunderstandings in communication.
- Click to call: in this case, to talk to you, all your customers have to do is click on the button they will find on your website. In this way, regardless of where the user is, they can communicate with the company simply and free of charge.
Integrate your communication channels with your CRM
Integrating your CRM with your company’s customer service solution brings quality and efficiency to your service. Thanks to this, you will be able to have all the information in one place, your agents will be able to access it without having to leave the call. In addition, they will be able to obtain this information no matter where they are and the solution they provide to customers will be faster and more accurate.
Add other features to your switchboard or call centre
The last but not least tip is to add functionality to your switchboard or call centre. The use of waiting queues, voicemail, voice mail, voiceovers… can contribute to improve the customer service you provide in your company. These features add value to your communications, which the customer will perceive as a quality service.
At this point, it is time to put these tips into action. At Fonvirtual we offer you customer service solutions for your company. Our team will be happy to provide you with personalised attention according to your needs.
