Customer service is a vital aspect of any business, but it can be challenging to deliver it effectively in a virtual setting. How do you communicate with your customers, solve their problems, and build rapport without face-to-face interaction? In this article, we will explore some tips and strategies to help you manage customer service virtually and improve your interpersonal skills.
The first step to managing customer service virtually is to choose the right channels for your communication. Depending on your business model, your customer preferences, and your resources, you may use different platforms such as phone, email, chat, video, or social media. Each channel has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you need to consider factors such as speed, convenience, clarity, and personalization. For example, phone calls can be more efficient and empathetic than emails, but they may also require more staff and infrastructure. Similarly, video calls can be more engaging and interactive than chat, but they may also pose technical issues and privacy concerns.
Geography, language, and time zone are also key considerations when managing customer service virtually. After a channel selection has been completed, the overall approach to customer engagement for each channel should be crafted to reflect the company tone and culture while also being respectful of the client personas that are likely to engage via each one. Channels should be reviewed on a regular basis for performance and to validate the methods used are still current in the market so that adjustments can be made as appropriate to remain competitive and to maintain high customer satisfaction levels.
Another important step to managing customer service virtually is to set clear expectations for your customers and your team. You need to communicate what your customers can expect from your service, such as response time, availability, quality, and feedback. You also need to communicate what you expect from your team, such as performance, professionalism, and collaboration. By setting clear expectations, you can avoid confusion, frustration, and dissatisfaction, and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
One of the key interpersonal skills for customer service is active listening. Active listening means paying attention to what your customer is saying, showing interest and empathy, and asking relevant questions. Active listening can help you understand your customer's needs, concerns, and emotions, and provide appropriate solutions. Active listening can also help you build rapport and trust with your customer, and make them feel valued and respected. To practice active listening in a virtual setting, you need to use verbal and non-verbal cues, such as nodding, smiling, paraphrasing, and summarizing.
A best practice for customer service team members is to maintain a customer service lab or practice area where team members can engage with test users for training and development purposes. This will help onboard new team members and will help existing team members develop new skills or expand their skills. It can also be useful for testing virtual agents if training has been underway to expand the scope for virtual agent support as part of the virtual support strategy.
Another essential interpersonal skill for customer service is positive language. Positive language means using words and phrases that convey a positive attitude, a helpful tone, and a respectful manner. Positive language can help you create a positive impression, a friendly atmosphere, and a loyal relationship with your customer. Positive language can also help you handle difficult situations, such as complaints, conflicts, and misunderstandings. To use positive language in a virtual setting, you need to avoid negative words and expressions, such as no, can't, won't, and sorry. Instead, use positive words and expressions, such as yes, can, will, and thank you.
The final step to managing customer service virtually is to follow up with your customer. Following up means contacting your customer after the service interaction to check on their satisfaction, address any issues, and thank them for their business. Following up can help you ensure that your customer is happy, resolve any problems, and generate repeat sales and referrals. Following up can also help you collect feedback and improve your service quality. To follow up in a virtual setting, you need to use the same channel that your customer used, or ask them for their preferred channel. You also need to follow up in a timely and courteous manner, and avoid being intrusive or annoying.
Another best practice is to make sure a feedback mechanism is in place to collect customer satisfaction information from customers. This information is critical to understand what is working well, what is not working, and where improvements are needed. Resolve issues quickly, and measure results. It is important to react and respond when critical issues are raised by customers. Finally, if a customer is open to outreach from the team, it will make a positive difference to a customer if you let them know that their feedback was valued and that changes were made as a result. Thank them for the feedback. This will help reduce the negative experience they had, and they may be willing to give virtual customer service another chance.