How do you measure and improve the quality of your customer service when delivering bad news?

1 Define your standards

Before you can measure and improve your customer service quality, you need to define what it means for your organization. What are your goals, values, and expectations when it comes to handling customer complaints and issues? What are the best practices and guidelines for your industry and niche? How do you want your customers to feel and react after receiving bad news? By defining your standards, you can create a clear and consistent framework for your customer service operations.

2 Track your metrics

Once you have your standards, you need to track your performance and outcomes. There are various metrics that you can use to measure your customer service quality, such as customer satisfaction (CSAT), net promoter score (NPS), first contact resolution (FCR), average handling time (AHT), and customer effort score (CES). These metrics can help you assess how well you are meeting your customers' needs and expectations, how loyal and engaged they are, how quickly and effectively you are resolving their issues, and how easy or difficult it is for them to interact with you.

3 Solicit feedback

Another way to measure and improve your customer service quality is to solicit feedback from your customers and your team. You can use surveys, reviews, testimonials, social media, or direct communication to ask your customers how they felt about your service, what they liked or disliked, and what they suggest for improvement. You can also ask your team members how they felt about their interactions, what challenges or difficulties they faced, and what they learned or improved. By soliciting feedback, you can gain valuable insights and perspectives that can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and address any gaps or issues.

4 Train and coach your team

To improve your customer service quality, you need to train and coach your team on how to deliver bad news effectively. To do this, you can use various methods and tools, such as role-playing, scenarios, scripts, templates, videos, or online courses. These tools can teach your team key skills and techniques such as using positive and polite language, showing empathy and understanding, explaining the reasons and solutions, offering alternatives and options, apologizing and thanking, and following up and confirming. Additionally, providing regular feedback, recognition, and support to your team can motivate them and help them grow.

5 Monitor and improve your processes

Finally, to improve your customer service quality, you need to monitor and improve your processes. You can use various tools and systems, such as CRM, ticketing, chatbots, or automation, to streamline and optimize your workflows, communication, and documentation. You can also review and update your policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure they are aligned with your standards and customer needs. By monitoring and improving your processes, you can reduce errors, delays, and confusion, and increase efficiency, accuracy, and consistency.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?