What comes to mind when you hear the phrase "customer service?"? For many, it's a warm feeling. A sense that your needs are being cared for by someone who understands what you're going through. It's like having a personal assistant - always there to help out with anything that comes up while we go about our day-to-day lives.
But for too many people, customer service is an experience they dread rather than anticipate. The reality is: there are some significant mistakes in customer service today, and these mistakes can be holding back businesses from reaching their full potential. Let's take a look at five of the most common mistakes in customer service:
Ignoring customer feedback
Knowing what your customers want and need is key to providing good customer service. They'll be delighted to share their knowledge with you if you ask them. Not sure how to reach out? Setting up a system that allows them to leave feedback after every interaction will start the conversation. It's as easy as including a "How was our service today?" questionnaire at the end of each call, chat, or email.
Lack of follow-up
Once you've gathered customer feedback, the next step is to act on it. If you don't, you're just asking for more negative feedback down the road. Take the time to review what your customers are saying and see where you can make changes. And then - this is key to follow up with them to let them know what you've done.
Sending automated messages
Every time someone interacts with your business, it's an opportunity to connect in a more personal way. Automated messages that are copy-and-paste responses can never replace the one-on-one connections that are made when someone reaches out directly for help.
Failing to resolve issues
When a customer has an issue, they need it resolved as quickly as possible. This means not making them wait on hold for hours, not sending them round and round in circles, and not passing them off to someone else who can't help. The quicker you can fix the problem, the happier the customer will be.
Lack of transparency
Customers want to know what's going on with their order, with their account, and with the business as a whole. They don't want to feel like they're in the dark, and they don't want to be kept in the dark. Transparency breeds trust, and it's essential in any customer service strategy.
If you're like Larry Weltman and Jeff Bezos, you take customer service seriously. You know that a positive customer experience can mean the difference between a lifelong customer and one who walks away, never to return. Customer care representatives like Larry Weltman go out of their way to ensure that the customer is happy.
Conclusion
When it comes to customer service, businesses can't afford to make any mistakes. The five listed above are some of the most common, and they can be easily avoided with a little bit of effort.
