Out of every 10,000 companies that claim to offer a superior customer experience, only 100 or so are actually delivering it.
That’s one out of 100. Ouch!
We invest way more trying to win over new customers than we do in keeping our existing ones happy, it should be the other way round.
Really, customer service is marketing ~ the “relationship marketing” and that’s why every interaction should be treated like a deal-clinching pitch. The good news is millions of naira and a huge team aren’t required when it comes to out-servicing your competitors.
Human input is what customers crave and the best way to go about building an amazing customer relationship is through your staff. The more trust you invest in your staffs, the more independence you allow, the more mutual respect will flourish. Here’s how to empower your customer support staff and skyrocket their service:
SAY THANK YOU. Reward them. Treat them. These people are life-savers. Sounds simple, doesn’t happen enough. Go do it now. Reciprocity is a powerful thing.
DON’T make them ask permission to bend the rules, waive fees or issue a refund. Encourage discretionary power.
GIVE them more power to use their own initiative to delight and surprise customers, whether or not there is an issue at hand. They probably have awesome ideas that never crossed your mind; I know my support staff does.
REVIEW and adjust customer support processes whenever necessary, especially during times of growth. Different team sizes require different approaches.
ORGANIZE daily/weekly meetings to update one another, discuss issues, read positive feedback and generally share the love.
When your staffs feel empowered, they will respond by making sure their performance exceeds expectations. It worked for us and I hope it can work for you, too.
