5 Customer Service Best Practices That Will Make Your Customers Love You
Tue | December 2023
Most people have stopped using a brand because they weren't happy with the customer service.
Excellent customer service can turn a problem into a win for your business. It's what makes customers talk about you for all the right reasons. This guide gives you five top customer service tips to make sure your customers feel valued and keep coming back.
Ready to learn? Let's go!
1. Make Your Customers' Needs a Priority
When you put your customers first, they notice. They stay loyal and tell their friends about you. They're more likely to come back, even after they've made a big purchase.
Spending time and effort on customer service doesn't just feel good—it's smart for your business. It can help you grow, and it's cheaper to keep a customer than to find a new one.
But how do you find out what your customers really need?
Start by asking for their opinions on what you sell. Find out what they like, what they don't, and what they wish was different.
There are lots of ways to do this. You can send surveys, have group chats, or talk on social media. Look up some common questions to ask, like:
How can we do better for you?
Are you happy with what you bought?
What's the best thing about what we offer?
Is there anything we don't do that you wish we did?
Tools like SurveyMonkey or Typeform make this easy. They let you quickly set up good-looking surveys, get answers, and determine what they mean. You can even make the surveys look like they're from your brand.
Ask about the problems customers run into to figure out what to fix first. And see how they feel about your customer service being friendly and helpful.
After the surveys, you'll have lots of information to look through. Use this to make key measures showing how you're doing and where to improve. These can be things like how happy people are overall if they'd recommend you and how long it takes to solve their problems.
2. Quick and Effective Responses Matter
Imagine a customer messages you worried about their order. Weeks later, you see their message, but they've already posted a bad review online! Ouch! Slow replies hurt business. Responding quickly and fixing problems turns customers into fans and builds a strong brand.
Here's how to show customers you care:
Offer multiple contact options: People like different ways to reach you. Give them choices: phone for urgent issues, email for detailed ones, and chat/social media for quick questions.
Have answers ready for common issues: Save time with pre-written answers for frequent questions. This keeps your responses consistent, no matter who replies.
Be available around the clock: Chatbots can answer basic questions anytime, day or night. It's like having a website helper that never sleeps!
Tools to Speed Up Responses:
Phone notification apps: Get instant alerts for calls and even convert voicemails to text for quick scanning (like Grasshopper).
Email templates: Craft templates for common inquiries like returns or shipping times. This saves time and keeps responses consistent across your team. (See more on creating email templates here: Steps To Creating An Engaging Email Template).
Team chat software: Tools like Zendesk or LiveChat let your team chat with multiple customers, making support fast and efficient.
AI chatbots: For 24/7 availability, AI helpers can answer simple website questions. Just remember, offer a way to reach a real person for complex issues.
Following these tips can improve your customer service response times and build stronger customer relationships!
3. Personalize Your Service to Make Customers Feel Valued
Imagine visiting your go-to site for handmade jewelry after a busy day. A friendly "Hi Gabby, welcome back!" pops up, and a new collection seems picked out just for you. There's even a special preview offer that feels tailored to your tastes. This isn't luck—it's personalized customer service.
This kind of service does more than remember your name. It gets to know your likes, predicts what you want next, and treats you like a VIP. Most shoppers stick with businesses that seem to "get" them. This is where small businesses can really outshine the bigger ones by making real, personal connections.
How can you do this?
Use CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools. They track what customers buy and like, which helps you personalize messages, offers, and support. There's much software to fit different needs and wallets. Here are some options:
CRM Software: Manages customer data and makes all your customer chats and emails feel personalized. Examples: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM. Features: Keep track of contacts, what they buy, and past chats, and use tools to segment your customers, send personalized emails, and recommend products.
Help Desk Software: Keeps customer support neat and personal. Examples: Zendesk, Freshdesk, LiveChat. Features: Sort customer questions, live chat, FAQs, check how well your team does, and use customer info to direct questions and tailor your hellos and help.
To pick the right software:
Do your homework and try a few out.
Look for free trials to see how they fit your business.
Pick one that makes it easy to see and use customer info.
You're not just fixing issues; you're making every chat count. Get this right, and customers will become loyal fans, making your business brand stand out.
4. Share What You Know with Confidence
Good customer service starts with a team that's well-informed and eager to help, just like the customer service team that works at Apple's Genius Bar. They know the products inside out and meet customers with patience and enthusiasm. Help your team reach this level with the right resources, straightforward ways to talk to each other, and ongoing learning opportunities.
Build a Go-To Guide for Your Team
Any customer must get accurate answers from anyone on your team. Set up a knowledge base, a central place where all the important stuff about what you do is stored. This should include details about your products, how you do things, and the common questions people ask.
Tools like Zendesk Guide and Confluence can help build this knowledge base. Ensure it's easy to use so your team can quickly find information. For instance, a "Sales Tax" section could explain how to calculate it and when to apply it. It could also include links to the tax policies for each state you operate in. Keep this resource updated, and let your team know any new information.
Talk to Each Other Easily
Great teams support each other. Set up a system where they can chat or email questions and get real-time help. Use apps like Slack or Microsoft Teams, where you can have different chat channels for topics like orders or shipping. This helps keep info easy to find and share.
Keep Learning
Your team interacts with customers daily, so they need to be sharp and knowledgeable. Encourage them to stay current with industry news. Provide access to relevant publications and learning resources. Resources like the Harvard Business Review are valuable if you're in marketing. So are courses from the American Marketing Association.
Invest in your team's education because their growth benefits your business. Allow them time to learn and provide access to educational materials. This could mean covering the cost of courses or giving time during the workday for training and development.
By fostering a culture of continuous learning, you empower your team to be customer service stars and drive your business forward.
5. Go Above and Beyond with Customers
Great customer service is more than just fixing issues; it's about giving your customers a reason to say "Wow." When you do more than they expect, you start to build trust. And that trust can turn into a robust and lasting relationship.
Surprise with Little Extras
People love a special treat, like a discount, a personal note, or a small gift. Take Chewy, the pet supply site. They're not just fast and friendly; they also send birthday and condolence cards that show they really care.
To manage these extra touches, you can use online shop platforms to keep track of any discounts or gifts you send out. A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system helps you remember personal details like customer birthdays, which is perfect for sending those surprises. Food websites sometimes add free samples to big orders, which customers love and can help promote new items.
Be Part of the Community
Your customers are more than just buyers—they're real people you can connect with. Being active in your community or online groups related to what you sell helps build genuine ties. Social media is perfect for this. It's where you can share things that aren't just about selling, like a toy store posting fun ideas for playtime that match what they sell. When you share helpful tips without asking for anything, you show that you're more than just a shop; you're a helpful friend.
Organize events that unite people, like Petco does with pet adoption days. They might not profit just from the event but show they care about pets and their owners. It's also a chance for people to see what Petco offers without the pressure of sales.
Making Customers Happy for a Better Business
We've looked at many ways to make customers happy and keep them returning. It's all about listening to them, solving their problems fast, making them feel special, knowing your stuff, and giving them pleasant surprises.
Putting these ideas to work means your customers will trust you more and want to stick around. Little things like saying thank you, helping before they ask, or remembering their birthday can turn a simple buy-and-sell into a real friendship.
In the end, good customer service is about more than fixing things. It's about making people feel good when they talk to you and even when they don't. It's about being a part of their day in a good way so they'll keep coming back.
Try out these tips to see how being nice and helpful to your customers can grow your business. It's all about making sure every customer feels like they matter because they do. And when they're happy, your business does better.
Disclaimer: The content of this post has been prepared for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for tax, legal, or accounting advice. Consult with your tax, legal, and accounting advisor before engaging in any transaction.