Customer Service in 2022

Customer Service in 2022:

Excellent?Customer Service?is essential for business. In fact, consumers are willing to spend 17 % more with companies that deliver great customer service, according to?American Express.

Unfortunately, it’s true that bad news travels faster than good news, especially in the age of social media. Most customer service stories online are about a bad customer service experience, and consequently, you don’t always hear about companies who are achieving customer satisfaction.

What does excellent customer service look like?

The definition of “good” customer service is flexible, because it entirely depends on the level of expectation that customers have for your brand. This can be affected by variables such as your industry, product cost, brand reputation and more.

For example, if you’re flying in Economy, you don’t expect a 5* service with champagne and snacks – but if you were flying Business class, you’d be annoyed if those things weren’t provided for the higher cost of your seat.

What consumers expect from your customer service experience is the key factor in whether they perceive your brand to be great or terrible.

Do they want to be able to resolve issues on multiple channels, or do they go to one channel for specific problems?

Is your average response time more important to them, or is it how many self-service options you provide that matters?

Is poor customer service the main reason why they might try a competitor?

Your support teams are your front line, shaping customer experience on a day-to-day basis. They can be proactively helpful in providing customer service that’s memorable, and turn a bad customer service experience around.

Investing in great service is worth your while. Don’t lose customers and brand loyalty by failing to meet and exceed expectations – grow your business’ revenue by ensuring that your excellent service keeps customers coming back.

Examples of good customer service experiences are more often than not the result of a kind, customer-centric service agents who are good at the following things:

·???????Responding quickly: A customer will appreciate fast response times when they want to ask a question or highlight a problem. Research has shown that the average

·???????Acting on customer feedback: When a customer support agent acts on the feedback they’ve received, it shows them that their opinion mattered.

·???????Showing empathy: Employees that try to understand a customer’s point of view make a customer feel valued, and can turn an angry customer into a happy one.

·???????Maintaining customer self-service options: Sometimes customers would prefer to find their own answer to problems rather than getting in touch with your customer service centre. Having an up-to-date FAQ page or knowledge article base can be very helpful.

·???????Providing omnichannel support: Different communication channels can support customers that have busy schedules or want flexibility in how they connect with businesses. Your customer service teams need to be prepared to offer support through email, phone, live chat, and social media.

·???????Going the extra mile: When an employee is able to deliver excellent customer service beyond the customer’s expectations or adds a personal touch to the service experience, it can leave a positive impression and increase customer loyalty.

Why is delivering excellent customer service important?

There are several reasons why great customer service is important for your business. Below we list the most important ones.

Satisfied customers will spend more

According to?HubSpot, 68 % of consumers are willing to pay more for products and services from brands associated with excellent customer service. When you invest in delivering great customer service, you’re creating happy customers but also generating enough brand equity to charge a premium for your offering.

Your ROI will improve and profits will increase

Deloitte?found that brands that were customer-centric were 60 percent more profitable when they were compared to companies that neglected to focus on customer experience. Your support team should be empowered to provide excellent customer service, not just for the customer’s benefit, but for your brand’s financial benefit as well.

Customers are more likely to forgive you

If you provide good customer service, you can convince customers to return, even if something didn’t go as they expected.?Salesforce?found that 78 percent of consumers will do business with a brand again after a mistake is made if the customer service is excellent.

Customer loyalty improves with great customer service

Microsoft?says that a whopping 96 percent of customers believe customer service is vital when they’re choosing to be loyal to a brand. If you don’t provide customer service that meets expectations when dealing with an upset customer, you risk alienating them from returning to spend more. Quality service will help you to increase customer lifetime value.

A great customer experience means a higher chance of recommendations

Consumers who have a good customer service experience are more likely to recommend your brand to other people. XM Institute?found that consumers who rate a brand’s service as “good” are 38% more likely to recommend that company to others.

Good customer service examples

It’s one thing to talk about what good customer service is in theory, and another to apply it to real-world companies. Below are eleven customer service examples from companies that go above and beyond:

1.?????JetBlue – Thank frequent customers with small gestures

2.?????Tesla – Meet your customers where they’re at

3.?????Adobe – Respond to customer service complaints before they happen

4.?????Trader Joe’s – Help those in time of need

5.?????Coca-Cola – Get involved in social causes

6.?????Zappos – Personally reply to every email

7.?????Us! – Provide an exceptional event experience

8.?????Sainsbury’s – Don’t be afraid to change everything

9.?????American Express – Give customers benefits that can be used globally

10.??Walmart – Invite customers into the company family

11.??The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company – Turn customer errors into service opportunities

How to provide great customer service

The best way to provide a good customer service experience is to gather feedback, set metrics and take action on your overall?customer service. Invest time and effort in training, coaching, upskilling your frontline people so that they consistently deliver great customer service.