subject: 5 Tips for Customer Service Success [print this page] 5 Tips for Customer Service Success 5 Tips for Customer Service Success
Customer service is a huge component of any consumer facing or business-to-business company. The ability for a customer to immediately get help for the product they are paying for is integral. Although customer service is often just one part of a service or product's success, it can be a difference-maker in any competitive marketplace. Especially in the software and web sector, where customers are often in the dark with figuring products out, great customer service is of the utmost importance.
So, what exactly is good customer service?' Although the answer to this question is fairly simple, the devil is in the details, literally. The following are five traits that define great customer service, specifically in the software sector, along with a few examples of companies that exemplify the traits:
1. Developing a Meaningful Relationship: Whether it be for five minutes or five years, a software company with a great help department' should be bent on creating a meaningful business relationship with their customers. This means keeping track of who has what problems and questions and the ability to refer back to those prior items in future conversations.
2. Listen First: The ability to listen is an extremely important trait for a customer service department. The thing a customer doesn't want to hear in response to their problems is a pre-fab list of items that is clearly being read off of a template. A customer wants to know the person on the other line is listening first and then replying with a direct response to the specific question at hand. Salesforce.com is known to have great customer service representatives who listen to very detailed customer problems and provide meaningful feedback regularly.
3. "I've Got Your Back": Although being available 24/7 is harder done than said, providing availability on the customer's watch is very valuable. This means a customer service rep. should work their schedule around the customers', not the other way around. Good availability shows a client that a company is there for them when they need it (even if they don't need anything at all). One company that is known to have great 24/7 customer service and availability is Zappos, the online shoe store.
4. Beyond the Call of Duty: This means not just answering the question or problem at hand, but extending help and suggestions that go beyond the standard call of duty. This could mean that a company listens extremely well to customer suggestions and actually builds out new products based on the feedback and needs of clients. In the end, this strategy will not only satisfy customers, but also improve the actual service or product (isn't that the point!?) One great example of going beyond the call of duty is Newton Software, an applicant tracking product whose customer service department is top notch.
5. Small Talk Helps: Although a client probably doesn't want to hear all about what a representative ate for dinner last night, nowadays it helps to know that there is a real person on the other line. Making some small talk not only helps break the ice,' but also helps solidify a long term customer service relationship.
