Secrets of customer support - issue number 2

    image

    We continue to reveal secrets to improve the quality of support. This article will focus on a positive language when communicating with customers, clearly expressing their thoughts and finding effective communication channels.

    1) Focus on the positive aspects


    Not always an employee can do what the client asks for. This is normal. However, in such situations, it is important to minimize customer distress.

    The best way to achieve this is to use a positive language . Direct communication from negative points towards alternative solutions to the problem. Do not just state the facts, but focus on how you can help.

    For example, when you want to report problems with a task, there are two ways to do this.

    Standard: “We can not yet carry out individual customization for you. A developer who does these things is on vacation right now. We can start in two weeks. ”

    Positive:“We can start customizing for you in two weeks, as the responsible developer is now on vacation. I will talk with the management and let you know if I can appoint another employee for this task.

    How fast would you like to get the changes you need? ”


    2) Express yourself clearly


    Customers describe problems using their own terminology, while employees usually “call a spade a spade.” This leads to misunderstandings and communication difficulties.

    To prevent this from happening, speak with clients in a language that they understand , use clear language and avoid technical jargon .

    For example, which of the following phrases will be understood by more customers?

    • “We will let you know when the web developer closes the bug.”
    • “We will let you know when the programmer corrects the error.”

    The ability to express your thoughts is indispensable when communicating with clients, but mastering them is not as easy as it seems. The formation of this skill will take more than one year.

    3) Use effective channels


    Providing customer support across all communication channels is wonderful, but not always productive. Some channels spend more resources than good.

    Find out which channels are most important to your customers and try to increase their effectiveness. Turn off each channel one at a time and analyze key indicators (the number of received calls, the speed of the first response, the number of closed calls and the level of customer satisfaction).

    If you have explicit "stars", temporarily discard the worst channels . This will only improve the quality of support. Nevertheless, once a few months repeat the check so as not to miss the moment when the channel that was not needed before became popular .

    For example, hosting providers most often focus on real-time support (chat or calls). This is due to the fact that the problems of their customers in most cases require quick solutions.

    However, for a young company, in support of which there are two people, it hardly makes sense to connect the “Calls” channel, as it can significantly reduce performance on other channels. Most likely, the situation will change in the future, but it is necessary to use the available resources as efficiently as possible right now.

    Also popular now: