One of the areas where many online businesses consistently fall short is offering excellent customer support. This isn’t completely their fault. The expectations of customers have rapidly changed in the Internet era and there are a wide range of different software solutions that can help you to gain a stronger hold on the experience of your customers. Take these tips into consideration when you are looking at revamping your online customer support practices:
1. Invest in a Ticketing System
Trying to maintain excellent customer service practices through email is almost impossible. It is always a good idea to invest in a basic ticketing software so that you can better manage the requests for support that you receive. This will help you to not only manage requests, but also ensure that they are assigned to the person that is best suited to help them with their issue.
You may want to look into web-based solutions, because they allow you to access your support tickets while out of the office. Being able to quickly respond to support requests will provide a better experience for each customer and make them more likely to recommend your service to friends and associates.
2. Provide Resources for Common Questions
Any company that receives support requests on a regular basis eventually begins to notice that the same questions are being asked repeatedly. It’s just something that all businesses have to deal with. Instead of wasting your time going through each of these requests and answering them, try to create resources or resolve the problem internally. A simple FAQ page can be a great way for you to address common questions and limit the number of support requests that you receive on a daily basis, freeing up your support staff’s time to address more pressing issues. (A FAQ page is also great for SEO ie. getting found on search engines – but that’s another blog post for another time. )
3. Accept Requests Through Multiple Channels
The truth is that we do not have a lot of control over where complaints and support requests come. Whether your customers reach out to you through email, Twitter, Facebook, or through your actual support ticket system – you must be equipped to deal with these issues. Remember, support requests that are issued on a public social network can be seen by prospective customers. Making them wait for service in those situations is never a good idea. Try to find a software solution that will provide you with multiple channel compatibility when dealing with support requests.
4. Be Personable, Not Robotic
No one likes to feel like they are talking to a robot. Far too many companies try to automate portions of their customer support or have their customers deal with third-party support reps that are based across the world. To improve customer support and deliver a higher caliber experience, offer personal customer support for every request. Not only will your customers appreciate it, but it will greatly reduce the chances that you receive negative reviews on popular online platforms.
5. Escalate the Request When Required
When customers feel that their needs are not being addressed, they will ask that you escalate their claim so that they can deal with someone who has the power to fix the issue. When these requests are made, do not hesitate to push the person up the ladder. Not only will this result in a better experience for the customer themselves, but it will ultimately save your staff time in the process.
Delivering excellent customer support is all about going above and beyond to make the customer happy. However, far too many businesses try to deliver excellent support with primitive technology like email. Instead, look for software solutions that automate portions of the process and make it easy for you to organise, delegate, and ultimately solve report requests.
Are you looking for support in supporting your customers? Get in touch with us to see how we can help you.
