How many times have we bought a product and have had to use customer service to solve an incident? How many times have we called by phone and they have kept us waiting for several minutes without giving us an immediate solution. How many days have we waited for an answer.
It is usual that we have suffered some bad experience that has conditioned us not to buy any product or service in that company again. And not only that, but we have warned our environment so that they do not do it either and published their incompetence on social networks.
In this article we are going to discover what are the factors that influence customer service, the benefits that providing a quality service brings to our company and how to achieve the optimal quality standard .
What is quality in customer service?
We can define it as the ability to meet customer needs by meeting their expectations . Meet the demands of users and give added value to the decision to purchase a good or service.
In order to be able to solve possible incidents or solve any query, we have to know our products and services perfectly . The client cannot know more than the representative of the company.
As a general rule, the questions posed are usually the same or similar, so we must have the appropriate answers in each situation. The customer service professional must be qualified to do so and avoid improvisation.
We must bear in mind that quality is achieved through the purchasing process, so all company personnel must be aware of this and have a proactive behavior in order to achieve it.
Customer service techniques
The best strategy to ensure that the customer has a good experience is to avoid unpleasant surprises and unforeseen situations. If we have not been able to avoid it, we must be able to offer an adequate solution in the shortest possible time. For this we will take into account the following factors :
- Empathy and active listening: it is essential to put yourself in the customer’s place in order to understand how they feel and to be able to offer them the best solution. Our ability to respond must be immediate and show that we are willing to resolve your query or problem.
- Information and security : the information must be clear and avoid technicalities or words that could lead to confusion. We must convey confidence and inspire credibility.
- Commitment and reliability: meeting the deadlines agreed with the user and being consistent with what was agreed will show that we are a responsible company committed to the client.
- Time: the best result is the immediate resolution of the issue raised. If it is not possible, we must be agile and solve it as soon as possible.
- Continuous improvement: in addition to paying attention to your request and solving it, we have to detect if your problem is due to the fact that we are not carrying out the procedure correctly. If so, we must correct it to avoid future claims.
A sum of all of them will help us so that the client has a good perception of the service we have provided and continues to trust in our professionalism.
Importance of customer service
As a result of excellent customer service and quality customer service, we can highlight the following advantages:
- Reputation and image of the company reinforced: a satisfied customer will have a good perception of our entity and will feel that we will be willing to help him when he needs it.
- Good referrals – Word of mouth advertising and referrals to other users will help us gain more customers.
- Customer loyalty: if we offer a quality service, buyers will once again trust us with the peace of mind that if any unforeseen event arises, it will be resolved.
- Increased sales: good service will make the customer buy more products and services.
- Increased productivity: the less time our employees spend solving incidents and complaints, the more time they will have available to spend on other areas that make our company more competitive .
The key is to turn an unfavorable situation into a good experience . In this way we will have taken advantage of the contact that the user has had with us to demonstrate our professionalism.
How to provide an optimal quality service.
If we want our company to provide optimal quality in customer service and stand out from the competition, we must be the best version of the market.
Currently customers not only take into account the product, service and price. They look for a good experience, sensations or emotions that go beyond the good itself.
The key to success in customer service does not only lie in the products or means available. The most important factor is people . The competitive advantage lies in human resources, in their training and motivation.
Also Read : Guide To Learn How To Detect Fake News: 8 Tips You Should Know.