Top Customer Service Guidelines to Contribute to Your Business Growth

Any business strives not only to attract customers but also to retain them. What problem do customers often have? They are trying to solve some issues with the product and are faced with a lack of customer support on the site.

Long waiting times, complicated menus, lack of interest. All this becomes a real test for the buyer. It is easier for them to leave the company than to try to get a response to his request.

What should high-quality customer support ideally look like? An attentive and friendly representative of this service quickly responds and solves the problem. This approach strengthens loyalty and trust in the brand.

In this brief, you will learn the basic principles of customer service. Applying them in practice will help you strengthen your business's reputation and sell more.

How do customer service guidelines help?

A customer service checklist is essential for organizations that want to improve their customer experience. It will also help businesses establish themselves in the market.  

Do you know how important quality customer support is? 

The survey by Statista is a great example. Almost 94 percent of customers said a positive customer service experience made them more likely to buy again. Eighty-two percent of clients would recommend a brand based on great customer support. 

There are many benefits of great customer service beyond the fact that it guarantees you more successful sales. Customer service rules help to maintain the quality of customer support. Here is why you need these guidelines in your business operations:

Consistency in service

Using checklists helps align all customer interactions with an established protocol. It means each client receives the same high-quality service. The result is greater trust and brand loyalty.

Thorough resolution of issues

Following clear customer support rules reduces the risk of missing important information. It is essential to handle customer requests comprehensively and thoroughly. This way, the client will not have to ask the same question multiple times.

Streamlined personnel training

A clear understanding of customer service rules helps new agents deliver better and quicker.

Improved customer experience

Want to increase client loyalty? The customer’s emotions and impressions should come first. The guidelines prioritize empathetic and responsive communication actively listening to the buyers.

Detected points for improvement

It is useful to compare the current level of support with the customer service checklist. It will help you make informed decisions when managing your business. You will also be able to boost overall customer support efficiency.

Main rules of customer service to follow 

Below, we provide a customer service checklist to provide quality customer service. At Simply Contact, we adhere to all these rules when providing customer support. The proof of our success is our partnerships with top companies. These include providing customer support to Wizz Air, the Office of the President of Ukraine, and more.

Establish a clear customer service expectation

What will immediately make customers lose trust in the brand? These are false promises and their failure to deliver. The basic principles of quality customer service are transparency and predictability. Set realistic expectations for customer service to avoid unnecessary disappointment.

You need to clarify expectations regarding customer support within the company initially. Create and distribute a checklist of rules within your service company. Clearly define the level and quality of service provided. What should be the tone of the response? What should the voice be? What should the problem-solving process look like? Think through these points. It is what your customer service standards will look like.

Integrate an omnichannel communication approach

A good way to improve the quality of customer service is to implement the omnichannel methodology. It means that all communication channels will be integrated on one screen. What are the most effective communication channels? Let's take a look at them.

Phone

Modern customers prefer less invasive methods of communication. Chats are now more relevant than phone calls. However, some customer questions require a more detailed analysis of the situation. For example, voice support over the phone is needed in the healthcare sector. People may have an ambiguous question. It is much easier and clearer to answer over the phone.

Mobile applications

This communication channel is one of the most relevant now. It means messaging inside mobile apps. It is vital that customers and agents can see the entire history of past interactions. This method of communication ensures continuity of communication. It also helps to be aware of the context of the request.

Social networks

Social networking platforms are an effective way to engage your customers. Your agents will be able to communicate with customers in real-time. Use social networks to resolve issues quickly and conveniently for your target audience.

Email

Buyers of services and products value email for its convenience. This type of communication allows for a written record of correspondence. Email also makes it easy to share attachments. Businesses can automatically convert emails into trackable cases. It allows you to analyze how each agent on the service team will resolve the issue.

Self-service channels

This type of communication includes online communities for customers. These can be help centers and convenient portals for communicating with buyers. Many people like the self-service option for solving simple questions. It is fast and effective if the question does not require deep analysis.

AI chatbots

Chatbots may be unable to offer an empathetic conversation with a client like a human. But they are some of the best assistants in customer service. AI-powered chatbots provide clear, immediate, and accurate answers to many customers simultaneously. They are effective regardless of the customer's time zone or spoken language.

Video

Sometimes, buyers need personalized help via video. And technology allows it.  Customers can contact agents or tech specialists with the help of video tools. Experts will tell clients how to solve the problem step by step using video conferences.

At Simply Contact, we offer top omnichannel customer support services. They comprise voice services, social media support, and live chat support. We are also professional in chatbot integration to enhance customer experience. Turn to us, and we will close all your problems with client communication.

Make sure it is easy to contact your support staff

Customer service should be easy for customers to reach. Contacting this service should be as easy as contacting a friend. 

You should provide several communication channels. Ensure that they are easily accessible. All communication options should be displayed on the company's website.

What else is important? Clients should be able to ask for help at any time convenient.

Companies usually strive to provide 24/7 customer support. It is especially important for large businesses to increase customer satisfaction. Many resources are needed for a specialist to work on such a schedule. 

In this case, we recommend hiring an outsourced customer support team. One of the advantages of hiring an outsourcing company like ours is budget savings. You can hire people from different time zones who will provide support around the clock.

Respect your customers

What are you trying to avoid by using the customer service guidelines? Conflicts and a loss of clients. But sometimes, difficult cases arise. Your customer service staff should be calm and respectful of each customer and can de-escalate any conflict.

If a mistake was made on the part of the support service, then it must be admitted. In such cases, it is necessary to apologize. Sometimes, it is even worth doing publicly. This way, your customers will see that you are responsible. They will be convinced that you can solve any problem.

Showing respect for customers is not limited to conflict situations. Many people have difficulty expressing themselves clearly. They do not often use customer service and may hesitate. In this case, it is very important to show empathy. Warm and empathetic responses show that you share the customer's feelings. An upset customer calms down because they know they are heard and respected. 

Patience and empathy are the qualities that a support team must have to de-escalate any tense situation.

Listen more, talk less

The process of selling a service or product is not a straightforward task. Half of the buyers may have many questions for clarification or solution. It is important to recognize the importance of each client. You must actively listen and be attentive to their problems. It is what trust in your business is built on. People must feel that they are valued and respected.

Focused listening allows customer service employees to think through and adapt solutions. In this way, solutions will meet the needs of the client.

It seems simple. More listening and less talking, and that's it? However, this approach requires adhering to a specific strategy. Instead of template answers, you need to ask open questions. Help customers express their thoughts. This way, you will better understand the essence of their problem or question.

Practice proactive customer service

Many customer problems can be predicted and helped to overcome them in advance. Don't wait until your customers have questions. Take the initiative. What do we mean? For example, you can send out a newsletter with personalized product recommendations in advance. You can also inform customers about the status of their orders in advance. No need to wait until you receive a bunch of requests from customers.

By being proactive, you will improve the overall customer experience. You will establish yourself as a reliable company that puts customers' interests first. People appreciate personalized, proactive, and thoughtful support very much.

Train staff to adhere to rules for customer service 

The appropriate staff training is one of the common pitfalls that customer support outsourcing companies face.

You have multiple communication channels and seamless customer support processes. But if your staff regularly make communication mistakes, it damages the brand's reputation.

So, how do you prepare your team? We have some practical tips for you:

• Develop empathy. Train your staff to deal with different customer perspectives and emotions.
• Try stress management workshops. It is a great way to learn effective coping techniques.
• Integrate role-playing exercises. You can simulate real-life situations with customers. It will help improve the self-control of agents.
• Take care of the morale of your staff. Provide time off and support channels for staff well-being.
• Recognize and reward. Notice how people have successfully coped with difficulties and demonstrated exceptional patience and calm.

And this is not all you should keep in mind. Your employees should be well-versed in everything related to your services or products. They should know all the company protocols. How do you check staff expertise? You can schedule observation sessions with your company's CX (customer experience) experts.

Your agents should also be well-versed in technology. You can conduct a masterclass training on the latest features and capabilities. Agents should be equipped with modern tools and know how to use them to provide real help.

Make follow-up a part of your customer service strategy

Customers will be loyal to a company that helps them promptly and shows exceptional customer service.

Follow-ups are one of the important standards of customer service. It means going beyond simply answering questions. Follow-ups are messages you send after the initial interaction with the client. Continuing communication aims to ensure customers are satisfied with the services. 

Why do follow-ups matter?

• Follow-up messages demonstrate genuine care and concern for customers.
• They suggest ideas for improving communication and customer service.
• Follow-ups improve lead conversion and impact customer satisfaction.

Integrate follow-ups into your customer service strategy to get more loyal clients and sell more.

Collect and improve based on feedback

It is essential to always remain sensitive and open to any feedback from customers. You can collect feedback through reviews or surveys to understand customer service quality. This way, you will understand what needs to be improved. For example, you may need to increase the speed of processing requests using AI tools. Why are they so effective? Many studies confirm this.

McKinsey reported that customer service that applying AI technologies is now the most effective route for businesses to deliver personalized and proactive experiences. The use of modern AI tools drives better customer engagement. According to Grand View Research, the global chatbot market is expected to reach USD 27,297.2 million by 2030. 

You may also need to conduct additional training for your staff. However, hiring a reliable customer support company will solve these problems.

Pick a reliable provider that follows customer service rules 

If you need to improve customer service, our company is always ready to help. We are a reliable partner for many top global enterprises, SMEs, and startups. Our main goal is to improve the efficiency of customer service. For this purpose, we offer the creation of targeted outsourcing contact centers.
One of our cases that we are proud of is providing customer support for the airline Wizz Air. We processed calls and written requests from customers in different languages. On our part, we supported customers when booking tickets in real-time.

The results? Customer waiting times were reduced, and customer loyalty and service quality increased. It was also important for the airline that we successfully adapted to seasonal changes in demand.

Pick a reliable company like Simply Contact to take your customer experience to the next level. We have extensive experience in established pipeline processes. It and the technologies we use, like AI tools, help us provide the best customer support services.

Conclusion

Excellent customer service will help your business stand out in the market. You can establish yourself as a reliable company and sell more. Use our recommendations to improve your customer support and accelerate growth. Think about how you can adapt them to the needs of your business. 

Focus on clear communication, empathy, and proactive service. Respect your customers and train your staff to perform best. Provide follow-ups and always collect feedback.

Partnering with a credit card service provider will save you from having to train your team. It is quite an expensive and time-consuming process. At Simply Contact, we provide quality customer support outsourcing services. So, contact us to turn your company into one where customers want to return.