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Be-human

In an age when the social customer demands and expectaions have risen to new heights, customer support teams have been required to adapt accordingly. In the case of Desk.com, our team strives to provide what we like to call: "Customer WOW" across any medium.

 

The real Customer WOW happens when you combine empathy and understanding for the challenge the customer is facing, identify and resolve the issue with skill (and bonus points for style), and drive and scale that learning back across the organization.

 

Desk.com's Customer WOW team has agreed to divulge some the deep secrets of how to achieve these results. Check out their 13 principles to providing Customer WOW:

 

1. Team Work Makes the Dream Work

It's unreasonable to expect any individual to have a perfect grasp of what's going on for all customers. Maintaining open lines of communication with your teammates allows everyone on the team to have a more representative view of what's going on.

2. Ask Questions

What information do you need to answer people's questions? Never hesitate to ask questions. The more you know about your customers and their needs, the more of an asset you are to both the company and your customers.

3. Be Human

Robots are cool but people would rarely choose to have a conversation with them. 75% of customers believe it takes too long to reach a live agent. [Harris Interactive, Customer Experience Impact Report] Show the customers that you aren't a machine!

4. Be Personal

Get to know your customers! Having an open dialogue with your customers is key but at the end of the day it's how you make people feel that matters most.

5. Be Honest

Nobody likes being lied to. A customer can't expect anything more than the truth. When you maintain an open dialogue with your customers and keep them informed at all times, you'll earn your customer's commitment to your company.

6. Never Stifle Innovation

Listen when customers or coworkers can make suggestions. Even a half-baked idea might have a kernel of greatness to be extracted.

7. Strive for Knowledge

The more you know, the more of an asset you are to our customers. Take every moment you can to expand your knowledge base when it comes to the product.

8. Advocate for the Customers

Your support team is the closest connection between your customers and the company. It's your responsibility to bring any problems they might be having to light.

9. Angry Users Aren't Angry At You

Be sure to listen to their problem and take time to understand how the issue is impacting their work. Often you may find alternative solutions to help them and if not, you have more information to help be their advocate.

10. Be Objective

Use the information relevant to the given support situation when looking for a solution.

11. Not All Customers Are Angry

Always keep in mind that customers are more likely to send us feedback if something is wrong. While that does mean we deal with a lot of angry people, just remember that for every one angry customer there are ten more that love everything about what we do.

12. Seconds Leads to Hour

Strive to help each customer as quickly and efficiently as possible without undermining the quality of the support experience. Reducing the time it takes to assist a customer directly reduces the time other customers must wait.

13. Be Empathetic

We've all been in a support situation before.Put yourself in the shoes of the customer when you take their case. Your empathy will show, and they'll certainly appreciate it.