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Customer service doesn't have to be an oxymoron. In fact, what if you were so proactive with your service that you were able to delight customers before they could even become disappointed? Or, when they do become disappointed, if you could react so quickly and effectively that you can delight them straight away?
Before we talk about the how, let's talk about the why. Recent statistics reveal that poor customer service results in an astonishing $83 billion loss through defections and abandoned purchases in the United States alone.
At first this seemed incredible, but then I recently had my own poor customer service experience and suddenly I understood how much of an impact this had on my own propensity to deal with the company, let alone this particular purchase. The question is, how do businesses provide delightful service, either before or promptly after their customers become disappointed to avoid revenue loss.
Below are the insights I gained from my experience:
This is key to avoiding customer agitation at the start or during an issue. In my experience recently, I raised the issue with the company and they looked up my details. Then, they proceeded to ask me detailed questions about the product specifications which they actually already had on file.
A more effective approach could be to review the data first and then use probing questions based on this. For example, "I understand this was the product, correct?" or "I see we gave you this size, was that the right size?" -- rather than "Can you let me know what product you purchased from us?" or "What size was it you were given?"
Key learning: Keeping a centralized view of your customer data is critical. This is both to allow for proactive customer contact (based on key stages or timelines) and to make sure you can react effectively when issues arise.
However, the challenge doesn't end there. The staff need to be disciplined in taking time to review the data they have on hand.
After raising the issue, it became apparent that a senior manager needed to be involved. The manager was called and began with "I heard there is a problem, can I help you?"
I will let you make bets on whether having to repeat the issue would make the situation more positive or negative for you. Of course, it just detracted from the experience since my expectation was that the information would be relayed during the key handover point from sales rep to the manager. This could have been far more effective if the manager used a confirmation approach rather than starting from scratch. For example: "I understand you are having an issue with... is that correct?" -- rather than "I heard there is a problem, can I help you?"
Key Learning: In a previous Salesforce article of mine, I wrote about the importance of team handovers between departments, particularly when handing over sensitive issues. Ensure that the person you are handing the issue to has a good executive summary of the issue, whether this is verbal, or in a central system if you are geographically dispersed. Conversely, if you are handed an escalation or issue, take the time to ensure your staff fill you in on the details first.
During my experience, it became apparent very quickly that the staff was looking for every opportunity to dismiss the issue, rather than assist. This comes out in many ways from language, to tone, to action, and was pervasive among the staff, particularly the management.
I also found out that whether they resolved the issue or not, there was no satisfaction or financial impact to the staff, which may have been an underlying reason why it didn't excite them.
Key Learning: The culture of business (while not the easiest thing to change) is critical. Leaders and managers in the business are key, and should lead by experience, going out of their way to challenge themselves and solve issues, and cultivating this type of action among their staff.
KPIs (key performance indicators) and bonuses are also important to regularly review. Do you track and make visible your customer service success' to your staff? Furthermore, are they the right targets? Are they measured on how quickly they close down an issue, or how happy the customer was? Are your staff or key management motivated financially or verbally for providing good customer service?
The biggest issue I had in my recent experience, was trying to get a holistic outcome. The store I bought the product from in whole, now claimed that behind the scenes the product had several components, and those companies didn't allow for changes after the sale. They did offer that I could go and escalate or contact those companies separately to try work it out and come back to them. Delightful, or disappointing?
Key Learning: Constantly look for ways to break down traditional barriers and retest assumptions about how your company and partners can and should work. Remember that customers are looking for holistic outcomes and service. The less that you can expose them to internal red tape and complications, and the more you can help manage their outcome, the more satisfied they will be.
The final issue was a lack of an attempted understanding of the true outcome I desired. The manager began to offer me a whole gambit of solutions to the problem, but none of them were really solving the problem and lead to my desired outcome.
Key Learning: Have your staff act like doctors. It is their role to not act based on initial symptoms, but to ask questions and probe deeper to understand what the true issue is. Like a doctor would commit malpractice for prescribing medicine based on first impressions, staff should make sure they uncover and assess various elements and draw together a holistic and relevant solution.
Does this remind you of a recent personal experience that contributed to a revenue loss of a business you didn't do business with? I also encourage you to think very carefully about your own business and how you bolster your customer satisfaction. Let me know any other key concepts you can think of and share this with businesses who you feel could benefit from it.
For more information on this topic, join the free salesforce.com webinar Make Customer Support a Competitive Advantage: Service Cloud Creates Visibility this Wednesday, May 21st, 2014. Click here to register.
Leigh Fletcher is a millennial sales executive, blogger and entrepreneur, with a passion for sales improvement strategies.
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