Nuts and Bolts of a Customer WOW Machine
Great customer service is essential to any company that is serious about being successful, but providing this is not an easy task when you don’t have the right tools and the proper know-how. Creating a terrific customer service program was the theme at the “Build a Customer WOW Machine” event hosted recently by the gracious folks at Desk.com, in Portland, Oregon. Below are some of the key points I took away from the expert speakers from Desk.com, Urban Airship, Cloudability, and Simple:
How do you create a standout, epic experience?
It’s important to be a good listener and ask what the customer wants. It’s also important to understand what the expectations are and exceed those expectations. Cutting the time down in resolving the issue is key here.
What do you think of when you think of customer service?
People often expect that customer service will often result in a bad experience. They also think of it as a hassle. If a customer reaches out to you, don’t patronize them. Great customer service is about having a relationship with that customer. Focusing only on analytics and overlooking customer service is a huge mistake.
Can you scale that experience across the entire team?
The scale has to be right for the customer and be right for the company to scale appropriately. As you are starting to build your company up, identify your core players who are key to providing great customer service. This may seem obvious, but you should hire the best person for the job. Not everyone is the right fit for customer service. They should genuinely enjoy helping people. Once you’ve identified these key people, you can more accurately size your team.
How do you deal with unhappy customers?
Try to empathize and understand where the customer is coming from. At the same time, this doesn’t mean you have to take any abuse. It’s better for the customer to know that there is a human being on the other end. You can show them this but still keep it professional. Take ownership of the issue while still being realistic about the situation. Know when to say no and be honest with them — don’t sugar coat it. It will save you a lot of heartache in the end.
Can you measure customer satisfaction and how?
This one is tough to answer because it’s somewhat theoretical. You can definitely take surveys of your customers to get a feel for how your team is doing because customers don’t normally take time out of their day to call and say, “By the way, I’m really enjoying your product/service! [click/dial-tone]” There are some other metrics and data you can collect to get a bigger picture, but by all means, this is not conclusive. Keep in mind that one thing you can measure is your response time, which is critical to how a customer perceives your brand. Therefore, it’s important to resolve any issues as quick as possible.
How do you establish a customer-centric brand?
Know what your company’s mission is and make sure that everyone is on the same page. If you don’t know what your mission is, it’s important to find out what that is! Furthermore, be humble by knowIng that the customer is the reason you are there.
What are some essential values to delivering great customer service?
When a customer purchases a product and has to pay extra for customer service, something isn’t right. To put it frankly, give a damn about the customer and their needs. Also, sometimes what you are offering might not be the right fit for a customer. Be willing to admit that, but don’t go out of your way to sever ties with the customer. They will more than likely appreciate your honesty. Also, they might need your services or know of someone who might need it in the future.
For more information on how to create your own Customer WOW Machine, check out the Desk.com blog and our Desk.com partner page.
–Isaac Wong, Community Manager