Customer Service Support Should Be Perfect

By: Frank Vanderlugt

Customer service support is what you get when you contact the customer service division of a company to ask a question or get help. Customer service support ranges from outstanding to mediocre to non-existent. You hear people talk about good or (more usually) bad customer service experiences. But what makes one better than another?

1. Simple availability is key. Can people actually reach you? Someone who has to stop what they’re doing to contact customer service is likely already a little irritated. Inability to reach anyone, or getting into a circular pattern in a phone tree or web page is going to make your customer go ballistic.

Even if you can’t afford to be open 24/7, make sure your customer service hours, for all types of service, are clearly posted in as many places as possible. For instance, you may only have people manning the phones during business hours (don’t forget to post your time zone, too!) but there’s self-help and FAQs available on the web. Make sure your customers know that.

2. Whether in-person or via your web site, offer more than one solution to a given problem. And have some way of tracking those problems that come to your people who answer the phones. If you notice the same problem being called in repeatedly, it’s time to explore the reason and get it fixed. Yes, you can make people happy when your customer service support people can resolve the issue. You can make them happier if the issue never rears its ugly little head in the first place.

3. Exceed your customers’ expectations. This shouldn’t be too hard. In this day where people have steeled themselves to expect dismal customer service, if they get any service at all, reaching someone who actually listens to their concerns can make them so shocked they’ll stay with you forever. Take responsibility for the problem, even if the customer is at fault. Apologize for the problem—again, even if it’s not your fault. Make sure the customer leaves happy.

4. Stay ahead of the curve. This actually goes with number three, exceeding expectations. You know your company best. You, of all people, should be able to spot trouble coming down the pike and head it off at the pass. Listen to your employees. Don’t dismiss an issue that someone raises. Look for trouble so you can do something about it when the issue is still small. Little problems that remain ignored will, almost without exception, grow into much larger and much more expensive problems. Keeping your ear to the ground is as valid today as it was in the days of the early railroad.

5. Know your employees as well as you know your customers. Customers are key to your business, and your employees are key to attracting and retaining customers. Companies spend thousands or millions of dollars identifying target customers, and little to nothing identifying what it takes to attract and retain employees, or providing them with a career path beyond the job for which they were hired. Customers experience great customer service via your employees. Don’t forget them in the equation.

Providing great customer service support takes time and energy, but it will definitely pay off in the long run. Your customers, your employees, and your bottom line will all reflect the thought you put into the process.