When it comes to customer service, if you don’t settle on a message then it’s almost always “stop bothering me with your silly questions” – a sentiment that will not endear your leads or clients to your business.
So why is the underlying message of customer service and how do you choose one for your company?
More than anything you have to look at the reason you’re in business and what you’re here to do.
It’s not enough to think that you communicate with people because you want their money or because they need to learn something, want your app or need your product. What’s the underlying message?
For some apps in the marketplace it’s all about fun and relaxation – the underlying message is enjoyment.
For a massage therapist the service is based on health – here the underlying message is self care.
The theme or message of your company will influence how you deal with customers and the overall attitude you bring.
For the game app company, for example, having a team in place that can quickly and competently answer questions so clients can get back to relaxing and enjoying the game is key. You’d have a much different focus and attitude working for an alarm company that monitors for break-ins.
When you have a common message to customer service beyond the obvious “to help people” then it will inform your team to what’s most important.
Don’t just look at how you answer customer service requests, but if you invite them to begin with – we’ve all seen companies who couldn’t care less about feedback in a vain effort to reduce complaints. With social media and 24/7 news there’s no place to hide from customer complaints. So if you don’t want questions popping up on Facebook or in comments on your website make sure you’re clearly showing how people can get in touch with your team for answers.
Even the act of answering customer service gives a message, sometimes subtle and other times not. Any company that requires me to create a new account, verify my email, copy a case number and log in just to get updated on the status of an answer isn’t communicating that they welcome my question.
Consider how many hoops some of your clients have to jump through to get in contact with your team. Businesses that use automated phone systems that require you to scream your answer and route you through a dozen questions aren’t user friendly and if you don’t make it easy and clear how to reach your team your clients may feel the same frustration.
Of course, once you actually get a response it has to be answered. Responses that ignore issues or blame it on the client send the message that you don’t take responsibility. If your answer is dismissive or you fail to respond at all the client will get the idea that your company doesn’t care. Instead, replace these with messages that align with your values such as “we’re here to help” or “we take pride in our products and will replace any faulty items immediately.”
Remember that it’s often the unspoken messages that influence response but if you’re telling the team that you can’t stand complainers, that your clients should just shut up and be happy, etc. then you’ll be influencing the message whether you intended to or not.
To recap, the messages in your customer service fall into a few categories:
what is your business here to do?
what are the values of your company?
do you welcome questions and feedback or discourage them?
are you interested in a conversation or make it unnecessarily difficult?
is your response sending a positive or negative message?
You’re (not) Hired!
Whip or No Whip – Why Customer Experience is paramount
Treating Customers like People