IMPROVING CUSTOMER PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

Keeping customers happy pays off. Happy customers buy more, generate positive word-of-mouth advertising, and create great referrals. Unhappy customers complain, and they do it loudly. What’s worse, for every customer that complains, 26 stay quiet. Delivering great customer service can be challenging, but why?

There are various reasons why customer service is so hard:

• It’s not instinctive
• Our customers see what we don’t
• It’s sometimes hard to be friendly
• We aren’t good at multitasking
• Directed attention fatigue

One of the main reasons our customers do business with us is because we solve a problem for them. Depending on your product or service, your business can help customers:

• save time
• save money
• experience something new
• feel comfort
• become healthier

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE?

Companies lost $75 billion in 2017 from customers switching to competitors because of bad service.

That’s up $13 billion from 2016. With customers' demands increasing each year, it doesn’t take much

to disappoint customers with poor customer service. 

Keeping customers happy can boost customer loyalty, corporate productivity, and business

profitability goals for every company out there. 

Delivering epic customer service is essential these days. But that’s easier said than done, given

today’s more demanding customers.

Identify critical thinkers

To manage demanding customers requires someone highly skilled in troubleshooting—someone with

the creativity to solve difficult problems. All while under the pressure of the customer. So, look for customer service people that are creative problem solvers when hiring new workers. These people have a penchant for thinking outside the box to solve problems.

Basic Customer Service Problem-Solving

• Listen to customers
• Acknowledge customer’s pain
• Offer alternative solutions
• Execute/Follow-up

HOW TO HANDLE CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUES: STEPS

• Identify the problem
• Find out what customers need
• Find out how the issue impacts the customer
• Clearly define the root of the problem
• Produce possible solutions
• Evaluate each solution and pick the best
• Plan the solution’s implementation
• Discuss the solution with customers
• Analyze the results

Resolving issues when customers contact your business keeps them happy.

Happy customers buy more, generate positive word-of-mouth advertising, and create outstanding online referrals.