3 New Secrets to Outstanding Customer Service

Have you ever experienced bad service? Imagine yourself at a new restaurant, your reservation gets bumped, your food is late, the order is even wrong – how do you feel? My guess is you aren’t going back to that restaurant again.

Now imagine the same scenario taking place, but the staff being exceptional in the way that they handle it. Although your reservation was bumped, they’ve offered you a free beverage while you wait. Although your food was late, they are empathetic and apologetic. Although your order was wrong, they’ve offered to cover your bill for the night. The wait staff has undoubtedly gone above and beyond to ensure that you are happy, regardless of the scenario. Great customer service? I would say so, and I would also say that I’d be back to that restaurant even with all the hiccups.

The same approach should apply to your call center. Your agents/consultants are the front line of your customer service department and can make or break the customer experience.

Here are 3 customer service secrets you should know!

1) Think multi-channel customer experience

It’s not enough for companies to simply have a social media presence. Consumers expect the same level of response regardless of whether the channel is Facebook, Twitter or a phone call. Aim to deliver the best experience across all channels and ensure that agents have a 360 degree view of the customer.

2) Don’t leave customers in limbo

Customers are increasingly frustrated with the level of services they experience: 90% by being put on hold for a long time. More and more, contact centers are realizing the negative effect this is having on their customer satisfaction scores and the overall customer experience they deliver. Luckily, there are easy ways of correcting this issue. 50% of customers say providing an exact wait time would appease them, however according to Forrester, 75% prefer the option of a call-back.

3) Empathy works best

Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Think about what they’re asking for and ask yourself what response would make you happiest. This is the response your agents should be trained to give. Treat each customer with care and they’re sure to stick around.

Interested in learning more about call center tactics for the year ahead? Join today’s online roundtable where experts will discuss the top 4 call center trends to expect in 2015.