Customer service is the heart of every business. No matter what product or services you offer – the ultimate objective is that the customer should be happy with the overall product as well as the after-sale support and service.
When a customer has a positive experience with your brand, they are more likely to come again.
A bad customer experience on the other hand – can irrevocably ruin the brand image and increase customer churn.
Given the importance of good customer service – undoubtedly you must have read countless articles and blogs on how to make your customers happy. But ever wondered what’s putting your customers’ experiences off?
If you know what mistakes you’re doing when dealing with customers, you can try and avoid them. After all, prevention is better than cure. The following article will thus focus on these mistakes that can make your customer service solutions fail.
Why Customer Service is important?
The value of customer service for businesses cannot be stressed enough. It is the foundation of a successful business. It is the way a company interacts with its customers and addresses their needs and concerns.
Providing excellent customer service can help to build trust and loyalty with your customers, leading to increased satisfaction and repeat business.
Good customer service can also help to differentiate your business from the competition and give you a competitive edge in the marketplace. Additionally, happy customers are more likely to spread the word about your company, leading to new business and increased revenue.
However, as one embarks on a business journey – and as the business grows, managing customers and delivering great customer experience becomes tougher. What many businesses think is a great customer experience, can sometimes turn out to be the worse. A lot of things need to be taken care of – from your industry type to the customer’s interest, age, gender, etc.
By failing to understand customer differences – companies follow the same approach with all. In short, they fail to personalize their customer service.
Let’s look at several other mistakes that you as a business owner might be doing that are making you fail at customer service.
Some mistakes you’re doing in your customer service (with corrections)
1. No customer-centric approach
Not having a customer-centric approach is one of the biggest mistakes you can do in your customer service. It can lead to a variety of issues for not only the customer but your company as well. Customers may feel that their needs or concerns are not fully met which can lead to frustration.
Eventually, the customer may also decide to take their business elsewhere no matter how efficient your product or service is. On the company side, a lack of focus on the customer can lead to reduced customer satisfaction and loyalty, which can have a negative impact on the bottom line.
Tip: How to build a customer-centric approach?
To build a customer-centric approach – make customer experience a priority. An important step is to identify and define your customer base. Understand who your customers are and what they need.
Follow a customer-focused strategy that is integrated into all aspects of your business – from product development to marketing to customer service. Remember that it is not any specific team’s job – everyone in the organization from leadership to front-line – must be involved in this. It should be embedded in your company values.
2. Not responding proactively and quickly
Customers expect a timely response to their inquiries and concerns. Whether they are contacting you through phone, chat, or email – they expect a reply as soon as possible.
Here, if your customer agents are unable to respond proactively and quickly to customer queries – it can lead to frustration and a negative experience for the customers. Now a negative customer experience can negatively impact your company’s brand image and even financial health due to an increase in customer churn.
Tip: How to increase customer response times?
The first thing to do is to invest in a good customer relationship management solution. Explore technologies like automation that can streamline your customer support processes and optimize response time.
Set up self-service options like knowledge-base or online chat. Go for a CRM solution with customer self-service capabilities.
3. Being indifferent and failing to sympathize
One of the biggest mistakes that you can make when it comes to customer service is failing to sympathize with your customers.
The first thing to remember when dealing with customers is the fact that you’re dealing with a human. Learn to empathize with them. They come to you with real problems – even though they might seem petty to you sometimes. Even for basic and common inquiries, you must provide them with utmost care. An empathic behavior will build trust and strengthen the customer-company relationship. They will feel more valued and supported when they feel that the customer agent truly cares about their needs and concerns.
Tip: How to be more empathic towards the customers?
Try to see things from the customer’s perspective. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and try to understand their perspective and how they are feeling. In addition to demonstrating empathy, it’s important to also offer solutions to the customer’s problem or concern. This can help to show that you are actively trying to resolve the issue and address their needs.
4. Talking too much or not letting customers speak
A good practice to follow for delivering a great customer experience is to listen more and talk less. Allow the customer to speak and communicate their issue thoroughly. If a customer agent talks too much or does not allow the customer to speak, it can lead to a negative experience. Many customers might even refrain from calling your customer support and instead directly switch to another provider.
Another benefit of listening to the customer is that you get a complete picture of their issue. This makes the customer feel heard and understood. If a customer agent talks too much or interrupts the customer, it may be necessary to apologize and redirect the conversation back to the customer to allow them to speak.
Tip: How to improve communication with the customers?
One of the best ways to initiate a great conversation is by asking open-ended questions. This can encourage customers to speak more and share more about their thoughts, needs, or experiences. By actively listening to what the customer is saying, you can show that you value their input and are interested in what they have to say.
5. Ignoring feedback
By ignoring feedback, you can miss out on the opportunity to learn from your customers and make necessary changes to enhance the customer experience.
In addition, ignoring feedback can send a message to customers that their opinions and experiences are not valued, which can lead to reduced satisfaction and loyalty.
It’s important for customer agents to take the time to listen to and consider all feedback, whether positive or negative, to continuously improve the customer experience and build strong, long-lasting relationships with customers.
Tip: How to encourage customers to leave feedback?
Provide multiple channels for customers to leave feedback, such as email, social media, or a feedback form on your website. Make it clear how to leave feedback and ensure that the process is quick and simple.
Consider offering incentives for customers who leave feedback, such as discounts, coupons, or other perks. This can help encourage more people to take the time to share their thoughts and experiences.
When customers do leave feedback, be sure to thank them for their time and input. This can help show that you value their feedback and encourage them to continue sharing their thoughts in the future.
6. Arguing with customers
Something worse than not understanding the customer’s problem is – underestimating it.
Customer agents and companies sometimes try to argue with customers or try to prove them wrong. This can lead to a negative experience. It can seriously harm the customer-company relationship.
It can make the customer feel disrespected or dismissed which can lead to frustration and anger.
It’s important for customer agents to approach interactions with customers in a professional and respectful manner, even if the customer is upset or angry. Rather than trying to prove the customer wrong, the customer agent should focus on finding a resolution to the customer’s problem or concern and working to address their needs.
Tip: How to deal with an angry customer?
It can be difficult to remain calm when faced with an angry customer but try to keep your emotions in check and stay professional. This can help you think more clearly and respond in a more effective way.
Once you have a clear understanding of the customer’s concerns, work to identify a solution to the problem. This could be a refund, exchange, or some other form of compensation, depending on the specific situation.
7. Making fake promises
Setting false expectations can do serious harm to customers’ experiences with your brand.
Many businesses over-commit when resolving customers’ queries. This can lead to false expectations and disappointments.
If this happens repeatedly, it can lead to increased customer dissatisfaction – eventually leading to broken trust and increased customer churn.
Tip: How to avoid setting fake expectations in customer service?
The first thing to do is to be transparent and honest with customers.
Make promises that the company can realistically fulfill and be upfront about any limitations or challenges that may impact the ability to follow through on these promises.
If you are dealing with direct communication mediums like chat or phone – let the customer know in advance that they will have to wait for a few minutes (be specific).
8. Not giving training to your team
For delivering a positive customer experience, companies should focus on providing training to their customer agents and staff.
When employees are well-trained, they are better able to meet the needs and expectations of customers, leading to increased satisfaction.
Well-trained employees are more efficient and effective at their jobs, which can lead to cost savings and increased productivity.
Tip: How to improve the productivity of your customer agents?
Help your customer agents understand what is expected of them by setting clear goals and objectives. This can help them stay focused and motivated and allow them to track their progress and performance over time.
Equip your team with intelligent CRM support solutions with support for advanced technologies.
The right CRM solutions can free customer agents from overloaded customer requests. This can help them improve their personal productivity and performance and work with greater enthusiasm.
9. Forgetting to follow-up
Customers appreciate being kept informed about the resolution of their issues and following up with them helps to demonstrate that their concerns are being taken seriously.
Companies that are proactive in following up with customers on query resolution are more likely to be perceived as responsive and customer-focused, which can enhance their reputation.
Customers who feel that their needs and concerns are being adequately addressed are more likely to remain loyal to the company.
Tip: How to follow up with customers more effectively?
Consider using multiple channels to follow up with customers, such as email, phone, or social media. This can help ensure that you are able to reach them in the way that is most convenient for them.
Be mindful of the customer’s time and respect their preferences for communication. If they prefer not to be contacted frequently, be sure to respect that and only follow up as needed.
10. Being inconsistent
Customers appreciate a consistent experience and knowing what to expect when interacting with a company can help to build trust and confidence.
Companies that are known for providing consistent, high-quality customer service are more likely to be perceived as reliable and trustworthy, which can enhance their reputation.
If the customers have a consistently positive experience with your company, they are more likely to remain loyal and continue doing business with you.
Tip: How to provide consistent customer service?
Define clear standards for customer service, including expectations for response times, resolution of issues, and overall service quality. Make sure all customer service agents are aware of these standards and are trained to adhere to them.
Invest in CRM software that can help you track and manage customer interactions and requests and ensure that all customer service agents have access to the same information and resources.
11. Not being available on multiple channels
Customers appreciate having a choice in how they interact with a company and being able to choose the channel that best meets their needs and preferences can enhance their satisfaction.
Companies that offer a range of channels for customer support are more likely to be perceived as customer-focused and responsive.
A multichannel approach can help to distribute the workload across different channels, which can improve efficiency and reduce wait times for customers.
Tip: How to be available on multiple channels?
Research the channels that your customers are most likely to use and establish a presence on those channels. This could include social media platforms, email, phone, or chat.
Decide how you will manage and respond to inquiries on each channel. This could include assigning specific team members to handle certain channels or setting up automated responses to common inquiries.
12. Assuming that the problem is resolved
Customer agents should never assume that the customer’s query is solved because it can lead to a negative experience for the customer and can damage the customer-company relationship.
Even if the customer agent believes that the issue has been resolved, it’s important to confirm that the customer is satisfied and that their needs have been fully addressed.
If the customer’s issue is not fully resolved, they may become frustrated and feel that their needs are not being adequately addressed.
Customers who feel that their concerns are not being taken seriously are less likely to be satisfied with the company and may be less likely to remain loyal.
Tips: How to ensure that the customer’s query is resolved?
Ask questions and clarify any points that are unclear to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the customer’s issue.
After the issue has been resolved, consider following up with the customer to ensure that their concerns have been fully addressed and to see if there is anything else you can do to help. This can help improve the customer’s overall experience and build loyalty.
13. Rushing the customer
Customers expect to be treated with respect and to have their concerns and need adequately addressed and attempting to “get rid” of them can make them feel dismissed or disregarded.
To provide a positive customer experience, it’s important for customer agents to approach interactions with customers in a professional and customer-focused manner. This may involve taking the time to fully understand the customer’s needs and concerns and working to find a resolution to their issue.
Tip: How to deal with customers with patience?
It’s important to remain professional and avoid getting defensive, even if the customer becomes angry or confrontational. This can help keep the conversation on track and focused on finding a solution.
If you find that you are getting overwhelmed or frustrated, it’s okay to take a break and step away from the situation for a few minutes to regroup. This can help you maintain your patience and come back to the conversation with a clear head.
14. Not putting in extra efforts
If a customer is having difficulty with a product or service, a customer agent can offer additional assistance or resources to help them resolve the issue.
Going the extra mile may involve taking the time to understand the customer’s individual needs and tailoring the service experience to their specific situation.
After resolving an issue, customer agents can follow up with the customer to ensure that their needs were fully met and that they are satisfied with the resolution.
Tip: How to go that extra mile for exceptional customer service?
Try to anticipate the needs of your customers and proactively offer solutions or assistance. This could involve offering additional resources or information, or simply checking in to see how they are doing.
Follow-up once the query is resolved. This is something that they do not expect. If you do this, they will feel that their queries and well-being are taken care of by your brand.
15. Not understanding common pain points
Customer agents should be aware of common pain points because it can help them better understand the needs and concerns of customers and provide more effective support. Common pain points may include issues such as difficulty using a product or service, long wait times for support, or unresponsive customer service.
By being aware of common pain points, customer agents can be more proactive in addressing customer concerns and can work to find solutions that effectively address the customer’s needs. This can help to improve the customer experience and build trust and loyalty.
Tip: How to resolve common customer pain points?
Consider self-help portals and knowledgebase articles to help customers find answers to some common pain points. As per Statista, 88% of customers expect companies to offer an online self-service portal.
If you’re using chat support, note new queries and develop articles around them, so you can proactively handle upcoming queries on the topic.
Freshdesk Omnichannel Suite – the most complete support solution with the fastest time-to-value
Building a successful customer support team requires time, dedication, and the right strategy.
It is more than hiring a few people and training them. As your customer base grows, you will soon run out of the capacity to manage so many customer requests. In fact, as per Gartner research, 53% of organizations don’t believe they offer effortless experiences that make it easy for customers to handle their issues/requests and 7.6% of companies are shifting their budget to technology to overcome the challenge.
Here, you should consider a highly efficient support solution like Freshdesk.
Freshdesk Omnichannel Suite is the most complete support solution with the fastest time-to-value.
It can help you simplify every experience and put customers back in control by offering the support they expect, in their channel of choice. It gives agents more context and automation to proactively understand customer needs and offer the next best action.
It can equip you with the following abilities and help you deliver awesome customer service:
- Support Desk: The solution helps agents rapidly resolve simple as well as complex customer inquiries with workforce automation and knowledge with a single pane of management.
- Freshchat: Ensure your customers always have the necessary assistance and guidance throughout their journey. Create an integrated experience spanning multiple channels, from live chat to web and app support. Leverage AI technology for faster query resolution – let chatbots do the hard work (where needed) so that you don’t have to.
- Freshdesk Contact Center: Unlock the potential of your customer service team by equipping them with a comprehensive view of each client and powerful tools to help facilitate smoother conversations. Say goodbye to long wait times, improve call productivity and ensure customers are quickly connected with the right expert – all from start to finish.
- Field Service Management: Route service teams judiciously while leveraging their availability, proximity, and expertise to resolve issues quickly – spearheaded by conversational bots that keep customers apprised of developments in real-time with simple appointment scheduling functions as well.
Have any queries regarding Freshdesk Omnichannel Suite?
Let us know in the comments section or get in touch with our experts by dropping us a mail at sales@znetlive.com.
Read Next: 15 reasons why you shouldn’t ignore IT service management solution
