Customer Service Standards to Look Up To

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February 28, 2023 Marketing

As more people are opting for online shopping, the shift in business is becoming evident. Companies are no longer investing in maintaining big warehouses and extravagant outlets; instead, they are investing in online shopping experiences and things that can make them stand out. One of the biggest standout features that most companies use for their benefit is the use of customer service.

According to Forbes, more than 96% of customers prefer a business with good customer service. In short, customer service works as the face of the business and one impolite interaction, a rude comment or negligence can go a long way. A small interaction can influence the success of the business and push your customer away from your business. With such high stakes on the line, you need to set a few benchmarks for your business and follow the lead of international customer service standards as well.

As the wave of inclusivity, diversity, sustainability, and environmental awareness is taking a full hike, more customers are selecting a brand based on how sensitive they are toward communities. This is the reason businesses are focusing on these aspects as their unique selling points. More businesses are becoming culture sensitive even in the case of customer service, making sure they accommodate all customers regardless of their language and cultural background.

Customer Service Standards to Look Up To

As a team leader in customer service, you have to keep an eye on international standards so your customer gets to enjoy the best customer support service. Now that Gen Z has entered the workforce, their spending limit has increased, which is making them an ideal customer for most businesses. Gen Z has changed the expectations of the business from the customer and vice versa.

To make sure your business gets to meet the international standards of customer service. Here are some of the basic customer support standards that you must add to the KPI of your team.

1. Quantity of the Calls

Although, for some people, this might seem like an odd parameter, however, the quantity of the calls ensures that the call flow is steady. In case, agents end up engaging with the same customer for hours, this will only choke the call lines, keeping the inflow of the calls on hold. A good customer agent always makes sure that he can conclude the calls on time.

2. Prompt Solution

Since cloud-based customer management systems are becoming common, companies are offering their agents, access to the central customers’ data management system. Within these customer management systems, agents get to record all the interactions they had with the customer. Company also maintains a catalog for future reference so; the next agent gets to retrieve information right away.

3. Personal Touch

Most customer service agents try to conclude their conversation as soon as possible. However, this hasty exit means you are wrapping things far too soon neglecting details that can help you connect with the customer. Asking the customer about the weather or offering them a compliment is one of the most basic ways to connect with your customers. It further helps in boosting the reliability and satisfaction level as well.

4. Omni Channel Experience

Customers do not want to spend time searching the brands on different platforms; instead, they want the brands to have a strong online presence everywhere. Omni channel experience will make sure that your customer has a choice to pick the channel they seem suitable. As a brand, you need to make sure that you have a strong online presence on all social media channels. In addition to this, you must also provide customer service via phone, e-mail, and chat.

5. Self-Service

For most brands, self-service might seem like something related to empowering the customer with choices. However, you are not only empowering the customer but also sorting the influx of calls for future. Though some customers may feel anxious while interacting with a customer service agent over the phone, others might not want the technical team to pay a personal visit.

In both conditions, if you offer the choice for customers to select if they want to interact via phone call, message, or social media, this will make them feel comfortable. Moreover, by choosing a self-fixing service, you are empowering your customer for independent choices in the long term. Next time when the customer will come across the same issue, there is a high chance for them to resolve the issue autonomously.

6. Exit and Greetings

Most companies opt for a standard greeting and conclusion, which generally consist of a basic introduction, the department name, taking consent for the recording, and concluding with a feedback request. Although, this is based on, international standards but greeting when repeated for every customer becomes expressionless and quite mundane. When customer detects the loss of enthusiasm in your tone, this instantly makes them feel like a brick in the wall. Based on a recent study quoted by Forbes, the customer who does not feel heard and valued, ends up abandoning the brand and taking their money else ware.

Bottom Line

Setting an international benchmark for your brand is the ideal way to ensure good quality service. However, it might vary based on the niche of your business and the way you want to help your customers.