Customer service is much more than offering products to customers. It calls for a personalized experience and modern software can greatly help you towards that.
George Myriallis, Account Manager, NetU
Is customer service all about offering the desired products or services to the customers? No. It’s not only that! Actually, it’s a whole lot more!
Customer service is everywhere! It is inside and outside the organization, it is internal and external. It’s actually in every transaction of an organization. That’s why it is of paramount importance and an organization should in no case neglect its significance. An organization should always bear in mind that customer service means building relationships with the customers and effectively communicating with them. It means working towards the aim of covering their needs and if needed, adjusting processes to reach this goal. In other words, organizations should go further in their efforts and offer more than what is expected; customers like to be positively surprised! A satisfied customer will be a returning customer and a returning customer can become a loyal one! What’s more valuable than that?
So, one could say that customer service is rather a trivial topic for an organization to deal with, since the organization is offering good products or services. Good products or services are not by themselves enough to make an organization successful and profitable in the long run. It is a good starting point, but that does not mean that the organization has secured its competitiveness to survive in the demanding markets. Customers are educated and expecting more nowadays since there are tons of information easily accessible to everyone through the internet and the media. So, covering basic needs is one thing and going the extra mile is another!
Thriving in Customer Service is a DNA issue; it’s a corporate cultural fundamental. The company’s management has to be the greatest sponsor of this and needs to believe in the importance and value of customer service. Trained employees who have adopted the philosophy of offering great customer experience, independently on their position in the organization, will reflect it in every aspect of their job and that’s priceless! The value we offer to the customer, the timeframe within which we respond to their requests are extremely important. Even the way we answer the phone makes a difference!
Sounds too much for an organization to control? What is equally important to the human factor and culture, is the available technology! Organizations must employ the tools to design, control and maintain a high level of customer service. Technology helps to be more effective, fast and punctual. It is definitely worth the investment!
For example, when your customers have questions, your service team needs to be equipped to answer them quickly and easily. Platforms like Salesforce Service Cloud give agents the tools to deliver an outstanding customer experience, enabling them to work faster and more productively, which improves customer satisfaction and reduces costs. Combined with Salesforce Community Cloud, you can create a self-service community that allows customers to tap into the best information about your product, connect with peers, or contact a support agent when needed.
Times have changed, businesses are running in a dynamic and fast-changing environment! Customers are also more demanding! The cost of losing customers is high and has been proven that it is considerably more difficult to attract new customers than retaining the existing ones. So, keep the pace, monitor your processes thoroughly, train your team, stay informed to any evolutions on your sector and utilize best of breed technology to provide your customer the best experience.
Don’t forget … competition is always just a click away!