When a company secures a coveted spot as one of the top ten final expense agencies in the country, people tend to take notice. Then, people always ask, “How did you do it?” And while there are many reasons, we’d like to focus on one huge aspect—customer service.
Customer service is one of those aspects of business that your customer doesn’t always notice…that is, until it’s a bad experience.
People share two types of customer service stories. One is phenomenal experience, and the other, most commonly, is poor experiences. Think about it, when’s the last time you heard a story about customer service going the way it was expected?—Probably never.
No one shares “okay” experiences where the food came out on time at a fine temperature. No, they talk about how they were whisked away by a fantastic staff and had their taste buds tantalized with out-of-this-world, delicious food.
As the saying goes, nothing spreads faster than bad news and gossip. Poor experiences can be sort of cruel fuel for people. It’s drama where they thrive and like to tell stories about.
To become an industry leader, a company must avoid bad reviews and costly mistakes. This is done through quality customer service.
Aspects of Quality Customer Service
Speed: Speed in business is imperative. However, it is also subjective. A missing package can be tracked and either rerouted or have a replacement dispersed in a matter of hours. However, other more complex issues may take months to solve. Whatever is a timely manner for your business, make sure time management is being taken into account. Efficiently finished tasks can do wonders for your customer service.
Communication: Communication is the make or break element. It’s imperative no matter if you’re giving an update on progress, conveying when a problem will be resolved, or informing your customers of new products/trends/services. The other aspect of communication is listening. Your customers may use email, post mail, call, or social media to interact. Always answer in a timely manner with empathy. Some may not even expect a response, but there should always be a pleasant response from your team.
Empathy: Empathy is more than saying, “I’m sorry.” It’s about conveying that you understand their problems and that you’re aware of their inconvenience and feelings. It’s best to communicate that you’re mindful of the issue, making efforts to fix it for them now and in the future, and finally—to apologize in a meaningful way. Even when everything is going according to plan, it’s good to always display empathy through your customer service. It’s understanding that you are conscious of their needs and communicating how your products/service can fill their requirements.
Authenticity: In a world full of fake news, tabloid lies, and forged personas— going above and beyond is found in authenticity. It’s refreshing and automatically becomes a powerful drawing force.
Knowledgeable: When customers come to your company, they are expecting an expert with total product, company, and service knowledge. Every point of contact made with a customer should be filled with assurance that everything is under control.
Employee Advantage: “Take care of your employees and they will take care of your business. It’s as simple as that.” Richard Branson. Having loyal employees is one of the biggest assets that your company can acquire. You’ve got to pick empathetic employees and train them to have the knowledge and skill set to complete their job.
Follow these tips and your company is well on it’s way to becoming a market leader.
