The 8 Customer Service Skills And Traits You Should Look For

Not even the world’s best training system can change someone’s personality. If they aren’t a people person, you won’t be able to make them one. The same is true for most other traits, which is why it’s important to look out for them during the hiring process. That said, you can teach skills - it’s just a matter of knowing what to focus on. 

Both aspects are key to building an effective customer service team. When the right skills and traits are present, you can have peace of mind knowing that a great experience is being delivered. The following are the eight qualities you should look for when hiring customer service professionals. 

Communication 

Since it’s at the foundation of everything a customer service rep does, it should come as no surprise that communication is a must-have skill. More specifically, being able to communicate clearly. 

A customer needs to know what to do or how their problem will be solved. For example, if a service rep at an auto repair shop says that the tire change will be “included” in the final bill, the customer might think that means the tire change is free when it isn’t. 

Being concise and getting the point across efficiently is also important, especially when the message is written. Let’s not forget about the basics - grammar, spelling, and the like. Organizing a written test when hiring is a good idea. As for the spoken word, empathy and charisma are major factors. We’ll take a look at them in more detail below. 

Patience

While some people are more tolerant to delays, difficulties, and annoyances than others, patience is a skill that can be practiced. It’s especially important for service reps, as being able to listen to customers and handle them with a level head goes a long way in making it a pleasant experience for both parties. 

There will inevitably be times when customers test your patience, be it by letting out their frustration on you or simply talking beyond the point of productivity. In any case, there are three simple steps to keep in mind:

  • Acknowledge the presence of impatience.
  • Notice how it makes you feel.
  • Pay attention to the present moment and how you respond.

Enthusiasm

This trait is often touted as the number one factor for customer service success, and it’s easy to see why. Enthusiasm makes a happy person happier, and an unhappy person is reassured that their problem will be solved. A lack of enthusiasm is no less infectious. 

It’s seldom easy to incorporate more enthusiasm into a support team other than by hiring the right people. But it’s certainly worth noting that you can build on people’s enthusiasm by fostering a positive work environment that motivates employees instead of bringing them down. 

Empathy

This trait can be described as the ability to see the world from the other person’s perspective. It’s why a sociopath is the last person you want to employ as a customer service rep. Granted, they tend to be charismatic - but more on that later. 

Empathy helps you understand how someone is feeling. And while it’s more of a trait than a skill, it can be learned. Being cold and straightforward is seldom the most suitable approach in a customer service environment. A bit of care and concern can make all the difference, especially when a customer is worried or frustrated. 

Charisma

Being charismatic makes you a people magnet. You’re more likeable, and people are more susceptible to acting in accordance with your best interests. This is particularly valuable when a customer is contacting you because they’re interested in purchasing your product or service. 

While charisma is largely a trait, persuasion is a skill that can be improved to achieve the same effect. We can look at the former as three parts, the mastery of which can make anyone more charismatic. 

 

  • Presence: Being able to focus on the speaker and assure them that you’re listening. 
  • Power: Influencing people and resisting their influence.  
  • Warmth: Assuring people that you have the best intentions for them. 

 

Product Knowledge

It’s probably no good hiring someone who has worked in the food industry their whole life to become a service rep for your tech company. Everyone in your customer service department needs to have a deep knowledge of your product or service and the company selling it. After all, most customers call because you know something they don’t. 

The best customer service reps know how to answer the why and not just the what. 

For example, a customer might ask why the return period was shortened. The what response would be along the lines of saying that’s what management decided. But a why response is more compelling, such as saying that customers were abusing the policy and they couldn’t keep that period without raising prices. 

This kind of response justifies what might otherwise be considered wrongdoing from the customer’s perspective. It also brings about understanding and indicates that the customer and their matter are being taken seriously. 

Flexibility

No customer service rep can be blamed for feeling overwhelmed. It’s not uncommon to be handling several concurrent chats or browsing through a knowledge base in search of information while a customer is rambling on the phone. Being flexible and capable of working under pressure is key to ensuring these kinds of situations go smoothly. 

Don’t look for “multitasking” here - that doesn’t exist. Being able to efficiently switch between tasks is key, and it takes flexibility. Young people are at an advantage here, which is why they’re typically better candidates for support centers. 

Stress Management

Similarly, stress is commonplace in customer service, especially when a less savory character phones in. Yelling customers can trigger a stress response, which puts your mind in a less-than-ideal state. Training your customer service reps in stress management techniques can make a difference in helping them stay on top of tough situations. 

Training and looking for the above-listed qualities is imperative if you want to build a capable customer service team. Be sure to keep them on top of mind moving forward. 

 

by Costi

5 Industries Where Customer Service Is Everything

Every business has its priorities. Identifying and allocating resources towards what matters most is key to growth, especially on a tighter budget. Some companies will put marketing at the top of the list. Others might want to hire more talent and build a better team. Then there are businesses where customer service is everything.

Yours might be one of them. And if it is, you need to adjust your strategy accordingly, as it can make-or-break your ability to build and maintain relationships with customers. There are benefits to having solid customer service, too. 

Happy customers mean happy employees, which can improve productivity. Loyal customers mean more repeat buyers and lower acquisition costs. You can also take advantage of insights to improve your product or service, while testimonials can be used to strengthen your marketing strategy. The list goes on. 

But should customer service be your top priority? Here are five industries where that’s certainly the case.  

Retail

Both online and traditional retail is just as much about the experience as the products. In fact, experience is a bigger factor in turning a casual purchaser into a loyal customer. Successful retailers know this. That’s why Zappos is revered for its kind gestures and why T-We Tea, a tea store in San Francisco, hands each customer a personalized note. 

Good customer service is at the foundation of a memorable retail experience. It’s what motivates shoppers to keep coming back to your business instead of the competition. It’s what helps you accumulate optimistic reviews and a positive brand perception that encourages new customers to visit your store. 

So, if you’re in the retail industry, be sure to invest some time into building your customer service infrastructure. 

Weddings

Take a hint from LVL Weddings and Events, which describes themselves as a customer service company that happens to be experts at weddings. Simply getting a potential client onboard, one that is willing to spend (what is usually a fortune) with your business, requires being able to provide a great experience. 

From there, you need to listen to requests, understand requirements, source the right decorations, stay on top of deadlines, keep in touch with customers, and so forth. Doing any of this requires good customer service. 

Financial Services

One place where you can rely on customers to have high expectations is financial services. After all, you play a role in managing or facilitating the management of people’s money, which is incredibly important to them. 

Here, promptness and transparency are a must. You need to be able to react quickly, be it when a customer’s card is stolen and they need it canceled, or when someone needs assistance opening an account. You also need to prove that your service is trustworthy and that your customer’s money and details are safe in your hands. 

Restaurants

You can have the most delicious menu in town, but it will be of little use if the people serving it don’t know how to make the people eating it happy. Of course, that’s not always easy. Even an experienced waiter can be quickly overwhelmed by a large table where too many unsatisfied customers are seated, which is usually when the manager comes in. 

Both need to know how to work under pressure without losing the smile on their face. This extends all the way to the kitchen, where staff need to uphold the highest possible standards when preparing meals, especially if it gets busy. It’s getting this right that brings people back. Just hire a charming waiter and see what a difference it can make. 

Startups

A major factor when launching a startup is building trust with your target audience. You need to make potential customers feel confident in your business, and good customer service can help with this by putting curious customers at ease and providing compelling reasons to open their wallets. 

Moreover, good customer service helps you build a better reputation, which can assist with talent recruitment. It can also reduce marketing expenses by bringing in more repeat customers. As we touched on earlier, happy customers also mean positive feedback and a better public image, which in and of itself serves as free marketing. 

The Importance of Customer Service to Any Business

While customer service might be of utmost importance in the above-mentioned industries, it’s worth noting why investing in your customer service team is a good idea regardless of the type of business you run. 

Here are a couple of reasons why customer service is important to any business. 

 

  • Retention vs. Acquisition: Increasing your number of return customers by just 5% can cause a 25% increase in profit. This is partly because customers who come back spend more than new ones. Retention also costs less than acquisition, and customer service is in favor of the former. 

 

  • Brand Image: Consumers want to support businesses that care. Having strong values and a mission that speaks to your customers will win them over. Customer service is an ideal avenue for representing your brand image and values. It relays to customers what makes your business worth supporting. 
  • Referrals: Happy customers tell their friends and family about your business. Then those people will tell their friends and family, and so the chain reaction continues. Good customer service is essentially free advertising. 
  • Paying More: According to one report, 86% of customers will spend more money at a business to get a superior customer service experience. It’s safe to say that there are several businesses out there charging more for their products or services purely because of their top-notch customer service. 
  • Valuable Insights: Customers are your leading source of information about how you can improve their experience. A good customer service team will be able to relay useful insights that can spare you the cost of having to constantly survey customers and perform other types of market research. 

 

 

This is by no means an extensive list, but it highlights just how important customer service is in any industry. 

Now that you know why customer service is imperative to the success of your business, it’s simply a matter of how you can make yours better. All that’s left to do is to make it happen. 

by Costi

8 Causes of Miscommunication and Misunderstanding

Effective communication is paramount to building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders. Whether you’re dealing with clients, customers, coworkers, or companies, failing to get the message across can be a costly mistake. 

In one study of 400 organizations with 10,000 employees each, communication blunders were responsible for an average annual loss of $62.4 million. Companies with 100 employees fared no better, losing an average of $420,000 per year for the same reason. Where did they go wrong? 

Understanding why miscommunications and misunderstandings occur will help you prevent them from happening. The following are eight causes to consider. 

Word Choice

If you’re a software developer, terms like API, CMS, CRM, and FTP are part of your vocabulary. But to anyone else, they’re just a bunch of letters. Some legal documents are filled with technical language called legalese. The words are often complex and confusing enough that people hire lawyers to interpret the information. 

Acronyms, jargon, and buzzwords are used within their respective circles to communicate quickly and efficiently. However, they can have the opposite effect with outsiders, which is why you need to adjust your word choice. 

Competitive Conversation

A surefire way to make any conversation less productive is to ignore the speaker and focus on what you’re going to say next. Your attention is on your argument, which can prevent you from understanding the other side, and changing your stance on the issue may require losing face. 

Here are some examples that highlight how common the counterproductive phenomenon is: 

 

  • One-Up: A story is told, and instead of it being acknowledged, the listener tries to tell a more extravagant tale. 
  • Waiting to Speak: Thinking about jumping in and having your say while someone is speaking. 
  • You Know Best: The discussion is less about learning and more about having the winning point of view. 

 

Misaligned Meaning

Sometimes, the intention behind our message is clear. That means it’s explicit. But the subject or situation might lend to framing the message in a way that doesn’t directly convey the intention behind it, making it implicit. 

In the latter case, the message is left open to interpretation and, consequently, misinterpretation. This is especially true if the communication occurs via text, email, or another medium where the tone isn’t tangible. The recipient may have to read between the lines. And if you don’t know them well, it’s better to be clear with your intentions. 

Granted, some circumstances require a more implicit approach for the sake of politeness. Knowing who you’re dealing with and being mindful about how they could interpret your message is key to ensuring that it’s understood.  

Medium

Similarly, the medium or channel used to communicate the message can also cause issues. We know that verbal mediums are more suitable carriers for implicit meaning, while written messages are clear if they’re explicit. Something as simple as the word “no” can be interpreted in countless ways when it’s being read. 

A potential solution comes in the form of emojis, which might be suitable in some customer service settings. It can also be used in more casual emails. 

Negative Perception

Here’s a fun experiment: Next time you hear a noise in another room at night, reach your hand into that room before turning on the lights or walking into it. Chances are that your imagination will conjure up all kinds of monstrosities. Our minds naturally tend to interpret ambiguity in a negative way first. 

This comes with a side-effect, which is orienting towards the negative when something obscure is mentioned. It’s especially pervasive with implicit written messages, as they’re open to more interpretation. Your best bet is to assume misinterpretation before malevolence and to keep negativity bias in mind when sending implicit messages. 

Information Overload

The key points of a message are easily missed when it’s buried under a mountain of arbitrary information. This can result in misunderstanding later down the line when the wrong steps are taken in accordance with the message. 

A reliable solution is to ensure that you only include the most important points, keeping the intention clear. The recipient is then less likely to become overwhelmed. 

Communication Skills

One of the root causes of information overload is a lack of communication skills. Not everyone finds it easy to keep their messages clear and concise. This can make them difficult to follow, which inevitably leads to frustration on both sides. Fortunately, there’s a pretty simple tip to keep in mind here: 

Speak with structure. Start by addressing the problem or subject matter. This requires properly understanding the problem yourself. Then mention why it’s currently relevant. From there, talk about the solution or what steps should be taken to solve the problem. 

Mental Models

Perhaps the biggest reason for miscommunication and misunderstanding is a disparity of viewpoints. In other words, the two parties can have a different idea of what the subject of the conversation means. 

This is due to mental models. There are a few of them that are particularly susceptible to causing misunderstandings. 

  • Cultures: We largely make sense of reality by using cultures or subcultures. They influence the way we see the world and are usually difficult to change. It’s easy to see why culture can cause miscommunication. What’s considered rude in one can be completely polite in another. Culture can determine our views on things like business as well. 
  • Confirmation Bias: This term explains our natural tendency to accept and focus on what fits our current beliefs while ignoring and avoiding anything that challenges them. 
  • Déformation Professionnel: Being confined to a specific profession or expertise can narrow our worldview, making it difficult to discuss issues with someone who has a different perspective. 

With any mental model, it takes being able to view the problem from the same perspective as the other person to resolve it in a mutually beneficial manner. 

As long as we have our own opinions, miscommunication and misunderstanding will always be a part of human interaction. At the end of the day, you can’t expect to avoid it entirely, but keeping an open mind will certainly help. 

by Costi

What’s The Difference Between Customer Service And Customer Support?

Customer service and customer support might seem like interchangeable terms, but they represent different activities. The former involves providing value with the aim of improving relationships. Customer support has more to do with straightforward assistance and resolving any issues that might occur with the product or service. 

Sometimes, the terms can overlap. Both are critical to the overall customer experience. Both utilize certain communication tools, skills, and techniques. Ultimately, customer service and customer support achieve the same goal. However, it’s important to know what the terms involve and what sets them apart. This is key to building an effective strategy.

Let’s start by taking a look at the core aspects of customer service and customer support. 

Customer Service Fundamentals

  • Provides existing answers and solutions (FAQs, auto-responder emails, chatbots, etc.) 
  • Increases the value derived from the product or service
  • Guides buyers through the customer journey
  • Concerned with customer satisfaction
  • Staff in this department mostly utilize soft skills
  • Used in any industry that serves customers

Customer Support Fundamentals

  • Direct assistance (technical support, troubleshooting, call centers, etc.) 
  • Reactive response to issues
  • Concerned with product or service delivery
  • Staff in this department use a combination of hard (technical) skills and soft skills
  • Mostly used in tech and e-commerce

Practical Examples

We can now see that customer service is about the customer, while customer support focuses on the product or service. But what does that look like in the real world? Let’s clear things up with two basic examples: 

Customer service representatives in a clothing store will locate, recommend, and upsell products. They might also ring the customer up or help with an exchange. It’s a transactional relationship that aims to guide the buyer through their purchase as smoothly as possible. 

Customer support agents who work for an online retailer respond to emails or calls made by shoppers who require assistance. They might follow up on a return or send feedback to the product team. Not only do they use customer service skills, but they also communicate with relevant internal departments to improve the experience. 

What exactly these terms involve will differ depending on the business and industry. 

The Role of Customer Service

Customer service takes place at all stages of the sale. Its primary purpose is to solve the common, less technical problems experienced by customers. All interactions between a business and the customer can be part of the customer service process if there’s an opportunity to improve relations or enhance the experience. 

A customer service agent provides both reactive and proactive assistance. They’re focused on engaging customers and offering education or recommendations. They can also provide strategic advice in order to bring a customer closer to making a purchase or increasing their involvement with the business. 

Customer service agents utilize their soft skills to answer queries and onboard new customers while following up on existing ones. They might also collect feedback and perform tasks that go beyond providing assistance. The following are some key soft skills that a customer service agent should have.

  • Conflict resolution
  • Empathy
  • Communication
  • Active listening
  • Positive language

Within the realm of customer service is customer support, which can be considered a more specialized activity. 

The Role of Customer Support

Customer support includes a range of activities that revolve around assisting customers with the usage of a product or service, such as installation, purchasing, troubleshooting, maintenance, and returns. The term is most commonly used to define teams in tech companies, especially those with products that require ongoing assistance, such as SaaS. 

Knowing the above, it makes sense that customer support agents require a more technical set of skills in addition to the above-mentioned soft skills. To provide a satisfactory service, agents need to have a deep understanding of what their company offers. Their job is made easier through the implementation of knowledge base documentation.

For example, the company can create help manuals and FAQs to ease the load. It’s not uncommon for customer support teams to collaborate with other departments like product development to enhance the customer experience by relaying feedback. Companies use KPIs (key performance indicators) to monitor and improve their customer support. 

Delivering Better Customer Service

So, what makes a good customer service department? Consider the following factors. 

Know the Product

Customer service agents need to be experts when it comes to what their company sells. They should believe in the product or service and understand it inside-out. They should be able to discuss the features and use cases in a simple way that anyone will understand. They should also know what to do when something goes wrong. 

Stay Positive

Keeping your cool when dealing with unhappy customers is no walk in the park, but it’s absolutely necessary to maintain a good image. This is why it’s important for customer service agents to have strong communication skills. They should also be familiar with the tone synonymous with their company. 

Respond Quickly

Now more than ever, customers expect quick responses from companies when they have an issue. Resolving queries in a prompt and efficient manner is key to satisfactory service. It will also ensure that customer support doesn’t get overwhelmed with requests. That said, quality should remain a number one priority. 

Personalize

The best customer service departments treat their customers as individuals and not just numbers. The interaction should feel real and personal. Sometimes, going off script and adding something unique is all it takes to show customers that you care. 

Pay Attention

To identify areas for improvement, customer service agents need to look into the data and listen in real-time. This is key to effectively solving problems and finding ways to do it better. Paying attention also means being mindful of the customer’s issue and their emotional state, as well as their personality. 

Conclusion

Both customer service and customer support have their place in any modern business. Done right, they can serve as valuable sources of insights into how the customer experience can be enhanced while building lasting relationships that increase sales and drive future growth.

by Costi

How to Deal With Rude Customers

We’ve all come across someone who, no matter how kind and respectful you are towards them, wants nothing more than to release their frustration on you. It takes a great deal of patience to communicate with difficult people - especially when your job is to help them. Support agents and representatives know this all too well. 

When it comes to rude customers, the last thing you want to do is continue speaking with them. But if you’re working in the customer service department, bidding them good riddance isn’t an option. You need to keep your cool and resolve the problem. That is undoubtedly easier said than done, but it’s not impossible. In fact, it’s necessary. 

Consider a recent study conducted at the University of British Columbia. Researchers found that simply expecting to encounter rude customers will make you react less strongly when it happens. It was also reported that knowing how to effectively manage disputes leads to reduced stress and improved performance. 

Here are some more tried-and-true solutions to help you deal with rude customers. 

Mindset

Maybe the customer is taking themselves on a power trip. Perhaps they want to provoke a reaction. They could be venting. Some just don’t have manners. More often than not, rude customers aren’t even aware of their rudeness. 

They also fail to realize that their problem isn’t your fault and that you’re only trying to help. As absurd as it may be, it’s simply human nature. That said, it doesn’t warrant an equally thoughtless response.

A better approach is that which was practiced by the ancient stoics, who sought to ensure that their behavior was guided by reason and not temper. This requires some practice, of course. Incorporating it into your daily life, which in and of itself has some great benefits, can help you maintain a stoic state at work. Here are some tips:

  • Think ahead. Consider the situations that cause your anger and determine how to deal with them. 
  • Stay mindful. Being aware of the symptoms that bring on anger will keep them in control. 
  • Use body language. If you look like a calm person, you’re more likely to act like one. 
  • Take it slow. Close your eyes and take a breather before answering a rude message.
  • Enjoy human comedy. Your best weapon against nasty people is to see the humor in their behavior. 

At the end of the day, it’s mostly a matter of not taking it personally. This ensures that you aren’t bringing yourself down to the customer’s level, allowing you to continue providing the support they might not deserve, but still need. 

Understanding

Sometimes, the cause of a customer’s frustration isn’t all that unreasonable. Getting down to the heart of the matter and identifying their problem will shift the focus on to what’s important. 

If it’s something that can be fixed, then display your sincere sympathy and sort things out in an efficient manner. Your choice of words is key to making this happen. Switching to future tense and prioritizing the solution will help you avoid any unnecessary debates about who’s right and who’s wrong. 

If it’s clear that the customer falls in the latter category and their rudeness cannot be justified, your best bet is to politely ask them for a suggestion. This puts them in an unfavorable position, as their only options are to give up or make an unreasonable request that you can decline. 

Recovery

Being bombarded by a constant wave of rude customers can quickly wear away your armor and leave you unable to cope with any more damage. This is no way forward, which is why it’s important to know how you can recover and continue on with your head held high. 

Being mindful and observant of your emotional state, as difficult as that may sometimes be, will help you avoid entering a downward spiral. There are several ways that you can reduce the amount of stress brought on by customers: 

  • Eliminate negative thoughts by focusing on something positive. 
  • Take a loss or defeat as a lesson. 
  • Uphold your values and self-esteem. 
  • Identify healthy ways to cope and use them when necessary. 
  • Discuss your thoughts and feelings with coworkers. 

Remember that it’s not impossible to misinterpret behavior and perceive it as rude when it isn’t. Some customers are simply in a rush, and others might be nervous or lack etiquette. Either way, they mean no harm and are genuinely looking for help. It’s better to see their messages as that than to assume malevolence. 

Apologizing

Few things in life are as difficult as having to apologize, especially when you know that you aren’t in the wrong. However, it’s necessary to show that you’re aware of the fact that the customer should not have been in the position of needing to contact you in the first place. 

That said, there are certain situations where an apology isn’t necessary. If the customer can see that it’s not you or the company who’s in the wrong, then it’s better to avoid admitting guilt, as it can appear fake or scripted. Careful use of language will help you sympathize without taking nonexistent blame. 

Refusal

There are few cases where the best way to respond to a rude customer isn’t by being polite. When a certain line is crossed, and all of your attempts to be reasonable are to no avail, then the last resort is likely to cut them off. 

Granted, the answer as to when this is appropriate will depend mostly on local legislation. It’s usually the case that you can refuse to deal with customers if it isn’t driven by unreasonable discrimination. In other words, you can refuse to talk to someone unless it’s because they belong to a certain group, be it gender, race, religion, nationality, etc. 

So, if there’s no hope that the issue can be resolved in a civil manner, then waving goodbye might be the solution.

It goes without saying that putting this information in practice is no small feat. But with some persistence, it won’t take long before you can quickly and effectively deal with even the most unreasonable customers, which will certainly be a valuable skill, both in and outside of the workplace.

by Costi

17 Customer Service Tips to Keep Your Clients Happy

Delighting customers has stopped being about what you give them but rather, how you give them what they want. Customer experience is what's driving sales now. In the modern world, people want the best, they want it now, and they seemingly can't stand mistakes. That demands a lot from you and might seem like a daunting task, but here are customer service tips that will make all the difference for your business.

 

 

  •  Service is Secondary, Treat the Customers Like Royalty

 

It might seem strange and even a little weird, but people like being treated like royalty. They want to know that you are not chasing sales. They want to hear the empathy in your voice, the transparency in your process, the genuine effort to resolve their issues, and personalization of the interaction between your business and their needs. 

If you take things personally, you will be seen as an extension of the company. When customers are not happy, they can become quite mean. Usually, they are not attacking you; they are just responding to what is happening. 

Treat them like a princess throwing a tantrum. You can't hit her, but you can do something to make her calm. 

 

 

  • Technology Should Be a Part of Your Business

 

Good customer support is better in this age when you have the technology to aid you, but with a human touch. No one wants to talk to a bot. It does not take long for anyone texting a bot to realize that they have hit a wall. 

There are tools and software that can make this easier for you to do. Think about live-chats, co-browsing, screen sharing, video conferencing, and instant texts. 

With technologies like these, you will find it much easier to not only accelerate the process but also seem transparent and helpful in a way that most businesses are not. The customer should not be sitting on the other end of their screen, waiting for a reply. 

They want answers, and you can give those answers right now. 

 

 

  • Communicate Like a Person

 

Have you ever seen emails that use words like “your support ticket is #346879579? Include it in all future correspondence…blah blah blah.” It sounds like the customer is being reduced to a number. People do not like that. 

Try to infuse some personable and casual air into the conversation. Do not go too casual because you don't know them like that. There is a line; it is not that fine; you can straddle it quite easily. 

Thank them, use simple words, and make your language as friendly as possible. 

 

 

  • Empathy, Patience, and Consistency

 

Customers come in all forms. You have the chatty ones, the angry kind, and others who just want to take their stress out on you. You have to be prepared to empathize with each of them and handle them in the same way, with patience, all the time. 

If the customer feels understood, they will deflate and even be willing to see things from your side. It is easier to walk a customer to a solution that works for both of you when they are calm. 

Practice this consistently and become as invulnerable as stone while being empathetic. 

 

 

  • Do Not Be Vague

 

Picture this: a customer buys something, thinking that it is 25% off when actually, they are getting 25% more of the product. They get their product, and now they're mad. Why? Because you were not clear about what they were getting. 

If you are vague, you will frustrate people, and when they get frustrated, they will come back very mad at you. Stay positive, use cheerful language, and never end the conversation without making sure that the customer is satisfied. 

In case someone misunderstands something, even when it is simple, and they are mad at you, make them understand. 

 

 

  • Smile

 

A smiling face is always a great way to make customers feel welcomed. When you approach a customer, who is within 10 feet, let the smile loose and offer assistance. Walmart has been doing this for years, with its sales executives’ team, and it has won them awards in the industry. 

Never underestimate what a warm, friendly, and welcoming face can do for business. 

 

  1. A Positive Attitude Is Infectious

There is no other substitute for maintaining a positive attitude within the company. It helps avoid conflict, helps weather against the storm of angry customers, and keeps people working on an even keel to make everything smoother. 

Apple has a specific employee guideline that has a significant section on how integral attitude is, to excellent customer service. 

 

 

  • Make a Lasting Impression

 

Not only will this ensure they come back to you for your products, but for the way that you treated them the first time they ever tried your business. If you do not take care of the customers you get, someone else will get them. 

Do not get complacent, and do not get bored. Make that great impression again and again until you have honed it to a fine point. Let the customer leave with a smile on their face. Be the reason their day just got better and watch them come back to you for more. 

 

 

  • If You Have to Correct Customers, Do It Right

 

Here's one thing you may not have realized, but customers do not like getting corrected. The customer is always right, they say but, you and I both know that they're human and that saying is not technically accurate. 

However, do not communicate to the customer that he/she is wrong. That will not win you any favors. Start with showing you understand, say you are happy you help, be educative instead of argumentative and then be sorry for the fact that they got wrong information. 

Finally, make it clear that there is correct information, and you would be more than happy to avail it to them. Keep the sales alive as you do this. 

 

 

  • Apologize for Inconveniences

 

It does not matter what happened or what role your business played in the inconvenient situation. What you do is apologize to the customer and say you are sorry for the inconvenience. This is a rule straight from the Customer Support basics. 

Delays, products not working, credit card not working; all these are inconveniences attributed to you. If the customer is upset, apologize for it. It softens the hearts of even the meanest people. Some will fire back and be condescending but, maintain that humble profile. 

 

 

  • Listen More and Talk Less

 

Customers do not reach out so you can lecture them. They want to say their piece, and they want you to hear them more than anything. It does not matter what tone they take with you or how irate they sound. 

If you do not interrupt them, they will say what they want to say and that right there is half the battle done. When they pause and allow you to counter, that is when you speak. If you keep your ears open, you might learn something about people. 

If you never listen, you will have a much harder time solving the issue. 

 

 

  • Incentives and Rewards Work

 

Loyalty cards and memberships to the regulars is a common thing. With these rewards and incentives, you will profoundly change the way a customer sees your business. If you want happy shoppers, reward them. 

Make them feel like they are part of the family. The discounts should be sent to loyal customers first (use emails, texts, or any other method you can think of that works for you). If they feel like you think of them first when you have something great, they will stick with you. 

If you would like some ideas on how to do this, take a good look at Amazon’s Prime membership. Make them feel proud to be doing business with you. 

 

 

  • Avoid Using ‘NO’ as the Final Answer 

 

The customer service agent speaks on behalf of the business. They are the mouth of the business. When they say 'NO', it's like the business is saying 'NO,' and that word triggers people. 

You can start a situation with ‘I do not know’ or even ‘no,’ but you should always end them with a final answer that is positive. Give alternatives if something they wanted is not available. Find viable options. 

Always resolve, but never with a ‘NO.’

 

 

  • Solve Problems on The First Try

 

When a customer walks in or calls in or texts, they expect that you will have solutions immediately. Only 20% of businesses can solve the issues in the first attempt. Redirecting their calls through other options or having them call back again, is simply not going to work in your favor. 

So not bounce them around. Invest the time and resources needed to make sure that your team always has answers when they are required and that they can solve problems on the first try. 

 

 

  • Train Your Customer Support Staff To Believe In Your Products

 

If they can believe in the products, they can be very effective at keeping sales alive when there are problems or when they have to pitch something to a potential customer. Clueless customer support staff are a nightmare to a customer who needs solutions. 

Proper training can take care of this little problem for you. Before the customer service agents can be expected to deal with the customers, they first have to know the products and believe in them. 

 

 

  • Personalization Wins Customers

 

When you address people by name or in a friendly way, you project a human image to the business. Do not be a cold and faceless business that uses prompts to communicate. The best way to get personal is through the use of membership plans and email lists. 

Avoid sending people generic messages that sound like the computer wrote them. They need to hear the voice of the business; it needs to be human, and it needs to be friendly. 

Personalized emails alone have 29% higher open rates, 41% higher click rates, and they deliver six times more transaction rates. 

 

 

  • Thick Skin is a Must

 

People will come at you, sometimes for no reason other than to be antagonizing. That is when your thick skin will come in handy. Swallow your pride, accept blame and negative feedback, do not go on the defensive, and work to resolve the issue. 

That is your goal, always. If they become too unreasonable even after you have done all you can to help them, then you can level with them and let them know you are doing your best.

by Costi

7 Essential Customer Service Skills (And How To Master Them)

One of the most important aspects of running a successful business is good customer service. Without it, a business is likely to fail even before it begins. 

If you have ever been on the receiving end of terrible customer service then you know how much effect it can have on future purchasing decisions. You are more likely to go back to a place where you were treated with dignity, than a place that did nothing but frustrate you. 

Today, most business owners have taken into account that customer service is an important skill to have which is why training programs are coming up every day.

There are, however, businesses that are still dragging their feet when it comes to good customer service practices as long as sales are being made.

According to an America Express report, 33 percent of Americans claim that they are likely to change companies when they are subjected to poor customer service even if it happens once.

More so, these customers are also likely to talk about a negative experience they had with a certain brand than about the positive experiences. That is how much good customer service is important!

Contrary to popular belief, customer service skills are not only a reserve of the customer service department or those who are in marketing and sales.

Every person needs to have good customer service skills as long as you deal with clients and customers whether directly or indirectly.

Empathy

The first step to being good in customer service is mastering empathy. Empathy involves the ability to put yourself in the shoes of the other person to be in a better position to understand their feelings as well as their emotions.  

Why is empathy important in customer service? According to several studies, 70 percent of buying decisions are made based on emotions. A customer will choose to buy a good or a service based on the way they feel about how you treat them. 

At the end of the day, their loyalty will not be based solely on whether you solve their problem, after all, there are so many businesses where they can get what they want. What makes a difference is the way you treat them when they are there and that’s the bottom line. 

Always remember that the customer is not only sacrificing their hard-earned money but their time as well and by the time they are walking into your store, there is a certain outcome that they expect to be fulfilled.

When that outcome is not met, frustration sets in, and that will affect their buying decisions in the future. It, therefore, pays to think along those lines before you approach them. 

How do you master empathy? It’s plain and simple. The first thing you need to do is to understand where they are coming from and why they are feeling that way. Before you respond, therefore, think about your tone of voice and how you are going to react to that. 

The natural reaction is to try and prove that you are right but don’t that. Remain calm and make the customer feel validated and then match your tone to theirs. 

This can be done across various channels whether one on one interactions, email, phone, or live chat. Avoid coming across as too formal because it spells robotic and not personal, rather be warm, accommodating, and understanding.

Respect

Respect can be tied to empathy in some way. Respect involves mainly treating others the way you would like to be treated and this is where most people get it wrong when it comes to customer service. We are all human beings and are therefore likely to react the same way if the situation was reversed. 

Put yourself in the shoes of the customer and determine how you would like them to treat you if they were in your position. Lack of respect to a customer whether or not you think their complaint is uncalled for is likely to ruin your reputation fast.

When a customer is trying to get an issue resolved, the first thing they expect is to be treated with respect and if that is lacking, you can forget about their loyalty to your brand. They are likely to talk about that negative experience even if they have never had issues with you before. 

Imagine if you spent your money on an item, only to encounter problems later and when you call the customer service department, rather than the person being accommodating, they are disrespectful and make you feel like you don’t deserve to complain about anything. It’s disheartening, that’s what it is!

When it comes to respect, there is so much that goes into it besides using pleasantries like ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ Respect revolves around treating the other human being with patience and kindness. 

With that in mind, there are certain factors that you need to consider so that you can accord them the respect that they deserve. Consider the timelessness of your response, in which case, don’t wait too long to respond to their issue. 

Also, ensure that you present then with a few choices so that they can make a more informed decision, don’t toss them back and forth between different agents, and lastly, ensure that the solution you come up with has the customer in mind.

Active listening

When a customer calls, in most cases, they are calling to have a certain issue resolved. Active listening is the foundation of successful customer service. It makes all the difference between a successful conversation and ending one where the customer is left more frustrated than when they called. 

Active listening involves more than just getting every word the customer is saying. It involves taking into account their tone of voice, word choice as well as what they are trying to convey. 

Truly hearing the other person is the first step to finding a solution to their issue which is why active listening is important. Additionally, failure to listen will only add to the frustrations that the customer already has. 

When it comes to active listening, allow the customer to speak first without interrupting them to ensure that you don’t miss anything. As they are speaking, reinforce positive statements like “I understand” and smiling in case it’s a one on one meeting. 

When communicating via email or live chat, you can reinforce such statements by personalizing your messages the best way you can and using emojis where applicable. 

After they are done talking, summarize what they said to determine whether you got everything and make them believe that you were listening to them. 

Lastly, ask questions for clarification and so that you can find the best solution for them. The active listening practices that you employ however, will depend on the medium of communication. 

Excellent communication skills

While this is obvious when it comes to customer service, so many customers have a hard time communicating with customer service representatives. 

Why are communication skills very important? According to different studies, 33 percent of customers claim that a customer service representative must be able to efficiently answer all questions the customer might have. 

While you can be empathetic and respectful to a customer, if you mumble, lose focus or use a language that they can’t understand, you are likely to lose them. 

Any customer service agent must be able to explain solutions to customers clearly and concisely. Excellent communication also means conveying your message without using jargons especially those that a customer is not likely to be familiar with. 

Clear communication also means that you know when you are getting your point across. During one on one conversations ensure that incorporate non-verbal communication is used as well. 

Effective time management

Customer service can be quite overwhelming especially when you have to deal with so many customers in a day. It might lead you to make mistakes here and there, some of which might end up costing you the loyalty of such customers. As such, knowing how to manage your time is very important if you are to succeed. 

Since different customers have different needs, you need to know how to prioritize tickets depending on urgency and priority. The triage system is the best way to know which tickets need to be dealt with first.

This means assigning tickets to different people to remain organized and ensure that every customer is served efficiently. 

When you put this into practice, it makes it easier to give enough time to different customers until you can resolve their issue, and it also minimizes the chances of tossing them from one agent to another which can be frustrating to the customer. 

With customer service, however, since you are dealing with so many clients in a day, there is a limit to how much time you can spend with one customer. 

This is where the other skills such as active listening come into play so that you can solve issues within the stipulated time without feeling overwhelmed or not attending to some customers. 

Knowing when you cannot help a customer is part of proper time management. If you have no idea how to handle their problem, the best thing you can do for them and yourself is to point them to the right person who can handle without making them feel like you are just doing it to get them off your hands. 

At the end of the day, it would be in your best interest if you don’t waste your time with a customer trying to find a solution that you know very well you can’t get. 

Willingness to learn

Things change every day and as a customer care representative, it would be in your best interest and that of the company if you kept abreast with these changes. 

This skill is critical in customer service because it means learning even more skills that will help you deal with customers and clients effectively. 

In such a case you need to be willing to learn everything from the products, how to communicate effectively, and how to deal with the tickets as they come in. 

If you are not willing to learn, you will be left behind as others invest in skills to better themselves. With that in mind, take every opportunity you get to learn a new skill. 

Positive attitude

Working in customer care can be overwhelming knowing very well that the only reason a customer will call you or send an email is when they have a problem they want you to solve for them. Its human nature to feel frustrated especially when dealing with difficult customers who are frustrating. 

In such a case, you need to have a positive attitude which entails being positive even when circumstances tell you otherwise. A customer can tell from your tone that you are being positive. 

How do you master a positive attitude then? It can be as simple as taking deserved breaks in between dealing with customers. Taking some time away from the computer to take a walk or have lunch with a friend is a great way of dealing with a bad mood. 

The other thing you can do is to try as much as possible to be positive even when the customer is being difficult. This is because sometimes, the best way to deal with someone who is being difficult and bring them down to your level is to treat them with kindness rather than trying to be as aggressive as they are. 

Customer service is probably the most important skill you can have whether you work in legal or the ever-busy customer service department. Its human nature to want to talk about negative experiences with brands compared to the positive ones which is why customer service skills are important. While it can be overwhelming dealing with people who only want problems solved, at the end of the day, if you master the above skills, it can be rewarding and not to mention can end the frustrations associated with customer service.

by Costi

Tips to Increase Productivity within Outsourced Teams

Outsourcing has become a common practice in the business world. Companies have become reliant on the skills and expertise of people outside their business more than ever before. Talk about IT outsourcing alone –in 2018, it was at its highest percentage in five years. Interestingly, businesses not only assign tasks to large corporations but also to mid-sized and small service providers. 

A business may choose to outsource a project or section of its business operations for various reasons. The main purpose of hiring external sources for one or more operative functions is to reduce cost. For instance, instead of establishing an IT department within their organization, a business may outsource IT and hire tech-savvy experts.

Moreover, outsourcing allows businesses to focus their attention, time, and efforts on the core needs and business operations. While outsourcing offers many benefits, a major concern among businesses is how to keep the outsourced team motivated and increase productivity. Managing an outsourced team is more challenging than leading the internal workforce. 

The problem arises because of a lack of communication, trust, relationship, and project management. This means you are giving work to the most qualified person but not creating an environment for them to use the exceptional skills.

With little things like respect, encouragement, motivation, and communication with them, you will see a sudden boost in their productivity. This can build their trust in you, and they feel happy to work for your company's betterment.

So to achieve an increase in the productivity of your outsource team, you can take help from the following tips.

Tips to Increase Productivity within Your Outsource Team

 

  • Choose Task Wisely

 

Before you outsource any project or department of your business, make sure to devise a plan. Do not outsource large tasks as there is an increased risk of delays, and your production may come to a halt due to several reasons.

For instance, it is difficult to define and provide each detail of such projects to the outsource team. The missing information and lack of communication can overwhelm the team members to the point where they deliver below par work or not meet the deadlines. 

Break down the tasks and create to-do lists as it will help members focus on their work with increased energy and productivity levels. 

 

  • Ensure Your Teams Is Aware With the Big Picture

 

Every single member of your outsource team should know about your goals and objectives. Share the important aspects of your business, like process, customers, and people, to align your outsource team with your business goals. Develop a solid mission statement or one-liner purpose for each project. 

The statement must clearly define the purpose of the task and how it will help the company. When everyone is on the same page, the outsource team will feel more connected with the organization and its future vision.

 

  • Do Communication with Your Team Regularly

 

Communication can do wonders to shoot productivity if you are working in the office or working remotely. It can raise employee job satisfaction, improves productivity, and cut down turnover rates. However, communicating with your outsource team is a little more difficult since you can’t run to them to discuss any looming problems in your organization.

But technology makes it a little easier. There are multiple tools to communicate with your team. You only need to make a process accessible to everyone. 

Moreover, it’s wonderful if you can try to know the other person before giving them projects. You can do this by having a Skype call or any other way. Also, ask them to contact you by any means such as through texts, email, message, and others so that you both can always track each other when you are in need. 

 

  • Always Reward, Recognize, and Respect Them 

 

Who does not like appreciation? Little words of recognition like “Well-done! Great work" and receiving a reward can become one of the greatest motivations. 

You can communicate with them over phone calls or email your team members to show that you acknowledge their hard work and tell them that they are giving good results more than the expectations. This is the fastest and effective way to boost your team’s productivity.

Treating your outsourced team with respect is essential. If your team is doing work in another region or setting, that doesn't mean you have the right to disrespect or burden them with work. Do remember that you need these team members, and they are valuable and know that you can't sustain the position you have in the market without them. Let them know what you and other team members think about them. 

 

  • Try To Remain Flexible With the Deadlines

 

Yes, it’s important to work on deadlines because of the contract, but you need to be flexible with your team. Do realize that some of your team members are living in different time zones. For instance, you can’t expect outsourced team members to follow the eight-hour work shift as your in-office staff. Flexibility is crucial to ensure a smooth workflow. 

Moreover, be aware that when your team members are more productive and any life problems they have at the moment, which is preventing them from completing the task on time, such as a power outage or software problems in their laptop. If you know these things, both of you can sit together and can find a solution to know the best hours of working for both. 

 

  • Resolve Your Team Problems

 

Handling the stressful circumstances and problems can either make the bond between the company and the outsource team stronger or result in budget overturns, missed deadlines, and frustration.

Try to solve the problems before they come in your way. Also, keep your employees, management, and stakeholders aware of the risk to confront any issue. Moreover, don't throw the blame on a single person to take it off from your head. This can reduce the trust of other team members on you. 

 

  • Use the Technology 

 

Keep your outsource team connected by using collaboration tools such as Dropbox, Google Docs, Slack Skype, Zoom, or Google Chat. This will also help to keep them up to date and aid in creating a solid relationship and report between you and your team.

Choose any virtual tool that is easy for you, and that makes your project communication simple by keeping it in one place. It gives a way to your team to communicate and collaborate in real-time. It gives way to increase productivity because the operation will run smoothly.

 

  • Build Trust in Your Team

 

Trust and credibility is the key to increasing productivity within your outsourced team. You hired them because you had trust in them after checking their references or resume, asking questions, checking online reputation, and undergoing testing. Now it’s important that they also trust you.

Trusting your provider is essential. Regular meetings with your team members can help you to monitor the projects' progress and make corrections where necessary. However, dictating them in every matter can lower their productivity, slow them down, and kill their creativity and initiative.

So, if they trust you, they will don’t face any of these problems. In this case, you can make a relationship with your outsourced team, motivate them to do work, and recognize and acknowledge their work. This will go long and encourage your team to do hard work for the future betterment of your company.

 

  • Arrange Regular Meetings

 

You cannot run into your outsource team members every time a problem surfaces. Therefore, managers have to be proactive about giving them a specific forum for communicating and collaborating to remain linked to other team members. Emails are a great option, but nothing can replace the face to face or voice to voice contact, which you can achieve by Skype or other tools. 

As a manager, you need to include every single member of your outsource team in your regular meeting. Also, make sure that everyone is on the same page. If you organize a meeting with only on-site team members and don't include the outsourced team, then it can surely lead to miscommunications. Excluding the outsourced team members can lead to sacrifice essential feedback you need and can impede team cohesion.

 

  • Keep Transparency in Your Relationship

 

Building a trustworthy relationship among the outsourced team members who may have never met the on-site workers is a challenge. Therefore, it is more important for their manager to be as transparent as possible about the changes and developments, such as changes in the entire strategy, changes to team personnel, and an increase in team member performance. In this case, frequent communication on a single forum regarding performance, whether informal or formal, can be helpful.

On the other hand, you also need transparency in return from your outsource team. Ask your team members to disclose their level of engagement with their work. Give them opportunities to share their feedback and discuss the problems they are facing.

Bottom Line

If you are facing any problems keeping your outsource team at the same pace, and creating a cohesive team, then you might be doing something wrong or even not taking essential actions at all. Moreover, if your outsource team is not as productive as you think they can be, it must be your fault. So to evaluate the productivity of your remote team, you need to consider the tips mentioned above.

Once you start following these strategies, you will see the chart of accomplishments of your organization going up. Not only will you feel proud, but because of the new and strong relationship with your outsource team, they will also feel remarkably happy and try to work even harder. 

by Costi

11 Customer Service Interview Questions To Ask Job Candidates

Before you go on and hire that eager and smart customer service candidate, it’s essential to gauge whether that individual will be a productive and engaged team member. But is there any way to do so? Other than using a time machine, there is no sure-fire method, which makes the interview the best way to judge customer support and service candidates. 

With the right questions, you can force interviewees to reflect on their experiences and think on their feet, thus making them reveal useful information. Their body language and reactions will speak volumes about how they’ll manage real-life situations and will help determine any red flags.

It’s important to remember that the qualities and core skills of every customer service job are the same. To ensure you hire top talent, here are some interview questions you can ask candidates and what you can hope to learn from them:

 

  • How would you define customer service, and what does it mean to you?

 

This question will enable you to see the mindset and philosophy the candidate will bring to the position. You’ll be able to gain insights and details about their philosophy and gauge their commitment to the job. 

The best response 

Candidates you choose should talk about the impact and importance of customers for the growth of the company, should believe in the significance of retaining customers, and should be interested in learning from and working with others. They should also be dedicated to servant leadership and believe in the fact that customer satisfaction can change businesses in the same way as sales and marketing.  

 

  • Can you recall a time you handled a fussy customer, and how did you manage the situation?

 

This question will help determine whether a candidate will go the extra mile to help a customer, even in a difficult situation. 

The best response 

Good answers include detailed examples of the candidate’s own experiences, which showcase humility and the ability to accept their mistakes. Candidates should be able to easily answer any follow-up questions about those experiences. It’s also important to see if they remained calm, understood, and empathized with the customer. Furthermore, candidates suggesting new improvements or ideas to de-escalate the situation is always a big plus. 

On the other hand, mediocre candidates will talk about how unreasonable the customer was and how frustrating it was to solve the issue.

 

  • What can you tell us about our company or our product?

 

This question will help evaluate the amount of research a candidate did before the interview and will help determine whether they want this particular customer service job or are looking for any customer service job. 

The best response

Good candidates will have done their research about your company, thus showing that they’re really invested in this particular opportunity.

 

  • How do you handle and de-escalate angry customers?

 

In order to gauge a candidate’s level of empathy, it’s important to determine their views on how difficult customers should be handled. You should be looking for candidates that can easily empathize with others and are able to turn a bad situation into a constructive learning experience.

The best response

Good candidates are characterized by their respect for customers, humility, and practical conflict resolution skills. They should also understand that angry customers prefer an apology rather than an explanation for their problem.

 

  • How do you maintain a positive attitude when customers are rude to you?

 

Customer service jobs involve plenty of unpleasant encounters with unhappy customers, who are often quite vocal about their problems. This question will help determine whether candidates have considered this part of the job and if it’s something they will be able to manage. 

The best response

Good candidates should understand that a customer service job has its disadvantages, but at the same time, should be able to convey that its advantages far outweigh them. You should look for individuals that won’t burn out and won’t yell at a customer. 

Look out for candidates that complain about customers in their interview. Mentioning the phrase, ‘dealing with customers’ is also a red flag, as it shows that candidates don’t view their job as something they would enjoy. Although it’s not a deal-breaker, you should still ask follow-up questions to see how they’d interact with angry customers and if they really want a customer support job. 

 

  • How would you define empathy? Did you use empathy in any of your previous roles?

 

This question is how interviewers screen for empathy. It’s important to understand that you don’t want the exact definition of empathy, but are looking for candidates who can explain empathy in their own words. It’s also a good sign if they provide examples of how they understand and relate to customers. 

The best response

Good candidates will provide a concrete example that includes more than just apologizing to a customer. They should explain how they used rapport-building and understanding to establish a strong relationship with the customer and how they consequently solved the problem.

 

  • Was there a time when you didn’t know how to help a customer? What did you do?

 

Even with extensive experience and training, it’s practically impossible for customer service representatives to have the solution for every problem. Ask this question to determine whether a candidate will respond efficiently and calmly if presented with this situation. 

The best response

Good candidates will be honest, confident, and will be able to demonstrate how they handled situations where they didn’t have an answer. Look out for individuals who claim they’ve never been stumped or only provide examples where another colleague gave the final answer. 

 

  • When answering a customer, how do you determine what information to exclude and what to include?

 

The most important skill for customer service representatives is the ability to clearly communicate information with just the right amount of detail. This section will enable candidates to explain how they write or talk to customers, helping you identify the best ones. 

The best response

Great candidates will be able to properly understand the needs of a customer and change their communication styles to suit different audiences. Beware of inflexible candidates who can only explain one communication approach.

 

  • What do you think was your biggest failure in your last job, and how did you learn from it?

 

This question helps gauge a candidate’s honesty and coachability. Every person has failed at least once in their life, but the important question is whether they blamed someone else for it or learned and improved from it?

The best response

Moderate candidates will give an evasive and vague answer. It’s better to look for answers that showcase resilience, an ability to learn and improve from mistakes, and a sense of personal responsibility.

 

  • Are you experienced with any customer service tools?

 

The customer service stack of every company is different, but it’s always a plus if a candidate is experienced and knows how to use CRMs, collaboration tools, and ticketing systems. 

The best response

Look for candidates that express a desire to learn new systems and technologies. They should also be experienced with specific systems and tools and should possess the ability to grasp new concepts quickly.

 

  • What qualities do you think a good teammate should have?

 

This question will help you understand whether a candidate is a good teammate, and if the individual is able to work well with others. 

The best response

It’s important to look for candidates that are eager to learn new skills and are supportive of their co-workers, along with their customers. People who can easily talk about their interests and can have a casual conversation are usually better suited for customer service roles. 

Traits to look for when interviewing customer service candidates

Asking the right questions is only half the battle. When interviewing candidates for a customer service job, it’s important to look for the following traits:

 

  • Drive

 

Customer service representatives should be eager to start and ready to learn. They should be driven, have a desire to prove themselves, but most not be entitled. They want to be promoted to better positions but know that they’ll have to earn it. 

 

  • Coachability

 

Customer service representatives should be eager to grasp new concepts, but should not get defensive if given criticism. The best candidates pick things up pretty quickly. 

 

  • Positivity 

 

This is one of the most overlooked traits. A negative person makes for an incredibly poor team member as they might talk poorly about colleagues and customers. It’s important to ensure that every new hire is a positive person. 

 

  • Problem-solving skills

 

Unfortunately, people rarely contact customer support to praise and thank them for exceptional service. Since a customer service representative is responsible for solving people’s problems, it’s important to look for candidates that can untangle sticky issues, think on their feet, and quickly find effective solutions.

Conclusion 

The most productive interviews are never straight-forward question-and-answer sessions; instead, they’re carefully constructed conversations that determine candidates’ strengths, challenges, and attitudes. It’s important to remember that the questions are only starting pieces for different conversational topics. If you find an answer concerning or interesting, remember to ask follow-up questions to glean more details. 

by Costi

SaaS Customer Support Best Practices

SaaS companies thrive on repeat buyers, who in turn thrive on good customer support. 

It won’t take more than one bad experience to compel 51% of users to cancel their subscription, according to NewVoiceMedia. And while 72% of customers will tell six or more people about a pleasant experience, poor support will have 13% of users telling 15 or more people who not to buy software from. 

In fact, one study by Slideshare found that a bad experience with customer service was the primary reason for a canceled subscription among 67% of respondents. So, even if you have the best software on the market, it’s not going to keep people coming back if you can’t provide the assistance they need. 

With this in mind, let’s take a look at the best practices to offer superior SaaS customer support. 

Accessibility

Perhaps a user is confused about certain changes made in a recent update. Maybe they’re having compatibility issues. They could have found a bug that you weren’t aware of. In any case, it shouldn’t be difficult for them to let you know. 

Make sure that your support service is easy to reach. It’s also important that customers can use a contact method that’s convenient to them, be it email, live chat, or social media. Those details should be clear and visible wherever you’re present - both on desktop and mobile devices. 

Don’t forget to clearly state the times during which your team is available. Ideally, that would be 24/7, or at the very least, during business hours. You don’t want to keep customers waiting too long, which brings us to our next point.

Self-Service

Not every user wants or needs to talk to a support agent. Sometimes, they’re just looking for a quick answer or solution. 

Knowing the most common questions and problems that come your way, you can develop a knowledge base or FAQ for your website. This can significantly reduce the number of messages that your team receives while helping customers effortlessly find out what they need to know. Make sure that it’s informative, responsive, and easy to navigate. 

You can take this further by setting up a community forum where users can discuss and resolve issues amongst themselves. This is a good way to identify the biggest problems your customers face and send feedback to your development team accordingly.

Live Chat

Your users have high expectations when it comes to the quality and responsiveness of your customer support. Most of them are probably not willing to wait hours (and definitely not days) for a reply to their email. 

Providing a live chat service can help to remedy this problem. Users can have their questions answered and problems solved almost immediately, without having to take any additional steps after reaching your website. Most live chat services are far more affordable than a support hotline, while also being an effective way to onboard new users.

Staff

At the foundation of any effective customer support service is a good team. 

Given the complexity of your product, it’s important to have educated and knowledgeable staff who know what they’re talking about. At the same time, they need to have adequate communication skills and an ability to build relationships.

They need to know how to deal with stressed, rude, and angry users in a diplomatic manner that upholds the values of your company. Ensure that these qualities are present among the rest of your organisation as well, with a particular focus on those who are likely to interact with customers. 

This is a good time to discern the difference between customer support and customer service. The former refers to staff who respond to queries, while customer service is responsible for improving engagement. Tasking certain employees with identifying trends in the messages your users send is a great way to reduce ticket numbers. 

Standards

More on the above point, it would be a mistake to assume that all of your support agents have the same approach to their job. This is why it’s important to have standards for how they treat customers. Here are some considerations:

  • Response times. 
  • Refund discretions.
  • Handling certain situations.
  • Greeting and welcoming customers. 
  • When and how to send follow-up messages.
  • Tracking requests and avoiding missed tickets. 
  • Categorising issues and assigning them to the right department. 

It would be wise to have published service level agreements that users can see to gain peace of mind knowing that your company upholds certain standards when it comes to customer support. Here, you can provide a FAQ of sorts with answers to questions regarding issues such as how you deal with downtime and how fast you respond to requests.

Transparency

Being part of the ‘big data’ industry, SaaS companies tend to be perceived by customers with a certain level of weariness or suspicion. Some users think that they’re being charged a high price for something that costs much less to provide. 

Your support service is an ideal place to reduce this kind of scepticism. This is done by being transparent about your policies and pricing, with a particular focus on how you handle customer data. The following practices can help you keep your users at ease:

  • Downtime notifications.
  • Advance notice of changes in terms or fees. 
  • Information about how you spend customer money. 
  • Making it easy for users to cancel their subscription. 
  • Answering questions asked by prospective customers. 

Staying in touch with your customers and monitoring what they say about your company on public channels such as forums and social media will help you identify and address any other sources of scepticism. This is key to maintaining a strong reputation. 

Central Platform

One way to make your support team’s job much easier is to stick to a central platform upon which you can handle all enquiries, whether they’re sent via email, live chat or social media. There are several advantages to this approach.

Aside from saving time, it will spare your staff from having to log into numerous platforms to stay on top of their respective requests. Another benefit is being able to see how your team is performing. Regular analysis will help you identify room for improvement. Having a central platform also makes it easier to flag and escalate tickets. 

Feedback

The customer support process doesn’t end when you close the ticket. There’s one more step, which is asking for feedback. This is key to finding out whether the support you provided is satisfactory and how you can make it better.

Customers will also appreciate the opportunity to send that feedback, especially if they weren’t happy with the support they received. The data you collect can help you build a more comprehensive knowledge base and a better chatbot, which can reduce tickets and improve the morale of your support team. 

With enough information, you’ll be able to automate routine functions and significantly lower the workload faced by your team. This will only become more important as you gain customers. There’s always room for improvement and being open to any feedback that comes your way is key to identifying it. 

By following these practices, you can make leaps and bounds in providing the best possible support service any customer can hope to interact with. Be sure to spend some time on this, as the level of effort you put in can make-or-break the success of your SaaS company. 

by Costi