How to Improve Customer Service

As a small business owner, you may have reviewed some of our previous how-to posts geared toward you and your unique situation. This article will cover how to handle something that is vital in keeping clients happy and satisfied with your offering: customer service. We’ll outline the importance of good customer service, as well as how to make improvements.

Why Does Customer Service Matter?

Customer service refers to the practice of supporting and assisting customers. It may occur before, during or after a sale, and it’s a vital element of the overall customer experience. Depending on what your business offers, the service provided will vary. For example, a company selling software would likely offer support during implementation to get the system set up, as well as be available for needs that arise after the customer starts using it.

While the idea of customer service conjures images of support representatives wearing headsets, the reality is that your business must take a wider approach. Every interaction with a potential customer reflects the business and its ability to provide ongoing support. Continuing to inform people who decided not to make a purchase also falls under the customer support umbrella.

Customers are the lifeblood of any business. Ensuring they always feel valued and supported is one of the keys to ongoing success. Qualtrics research indicates that companies spread across the globe are missing out on as much as $2.8 billion in sales simply by failing to provide a positive customer experience.

If a customer isn’t satisfied with the service your company provides, they are highly likely to find a company that does it better. It’s an issue you can’t afford to ignore if you want your business to succeed and have a loyal following.

4 Signs Your Customer Service is Lacking

According to Qualtrics, fewer than two-thirds of interactions with customer service are rated as satisfactory. This fact indicates that there are certainly areas that could be improved. Some of the signs that your company’s customer service is lacking include:

• Receiving complaints regularly
• Lack of loyalty among customers (don’t return to make additional purchases)
• Poor feedback from customers (online reviews, etc.)
• Slow response times

Tips to Improve Customer Service

With a better idea of the indicators of poor customer service, you can implement changes that ensure a better experience. Here are three tips to get started.

Train employees to show empathy

A positive customer experience starts when someone feels that the person on the other end truly cares about their situation and frustration. The ability to empathize is a skill that must be instilled in each of your team members who interact with customers.

Identify opportunities to train in conversational intelligence. Listen to calls and monitor interactions conducted in other ways to ensure that all customer support reps are showing empathy in their communications. By implementing this tip, you can ensure that your customers feel heard and understood, which will go a long way in boosting loyalty and satisfaction.

Take an omnichannel approach to customer service

Satisfaction among customers is often impacted by the length of time it takes to get an answer. According to HubSpot data, up to 90 percent of customers believe that receiving an instant reply is important. In order to monitor all inquiries, your approach to customer service must span multiple channels.

A customer should have a consistent experience, regardless of what medium they use to contact your company. If you have individual people assigned to monitor different channels, check in regularly and review the interactions to ensure consistency.

Prioritize what matters most

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to make improvements to your business. After all, there are endless ways to enhance the way you interact with customers, make products, deliver services, etc. But your customers matter most in the end, so prioritize them and their experiences. Taking steps to ensure a more positive experience can do wonders for your business.

Real-world example

One example is Chewy, an online pet supply retailer offering various food, supplies, treats, and medications for animal companions. The company has experienced great success over the years, as evidenced in a recent financial report that reported year-over-year growth of between 3 and 4 percent.

Chewy consistently receives excellent ratings for its customer service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. One customer reported receiving a full refund for pet food purchased for an animal companion who passed away prior to consuming the full order. Additionally, the service representative went beyond by sending a condolence gift to the customer who was mourning the loss of their pet.

Multiple customers stated their commitment to continuing to support Chewy based on interactions with customer support representatives. And since it costs as much as five times more to acquire a new customer than retain a happy one, it makes sense that investing in a good experience is financially worthwhile.

Need more advice on running your small business? Check out other posts in this series:

• How to Fund a Business
• Adapting to Change: How to Pivot Your Business Model for Success
• How to Deal with Difficult Customers