If your company is serious about helping customers, then it may be time to end your customer service. I’m not suggesting that you should stop helping people but rather stop operating your assistance under the name “customer service.”
The problem is that the phrase has become associated with poor service, disinterested employees, and long waits. Do you want to align your business with these qualities? Whether on the phone or in person, do you want your customers to feel their insides tighten with anxiety when they find out they need to interact with your customer service team?
Let’s lower the flag of mediocrity and start over. It’s about Clearing the Path of communication problems and ineffective processes.
Ditch the Name: At some point the idea of service was lost. Some organizations now use a less loaded title like, “Ask Me” or “Problem Solvers.”
The idea is to get back to the concept of helping people get the information they need that allows them to have an enriched relationship with your business.
Need help to get started on a new title? Think about the experience or impression you want your customer to have. Describe it and see if a title emerges. This doesn’t have to be a big, formal title. In fact, can it make someone smile or exhale a little?
Invest in Your Infrastructure: If people experience long waits before they get help, consider hiring more people. “That costs money,” some will argue. But in many cases it’s well worth it as it costs less than attracting a new customer. Customer service has gotten so bad that isn’t it strategically advantageous to be thought of the company that does it right.
Along those lines, you may be able to save a few bucks by outsourcing some of your customer service jobs. But is it worth the price of having your customers being unable to understand the other person on the line? Perceived cheapness is never good.
Walk the Talk Supervisors need to frequently put themselves in their customer’s shoes and experience the process of getting help. This will reveal weaknesses as well as opportunities for improved training.
Find out if your team has become less helpful over time due to a particular challenge or kind of customer. What can be done to minimize this problem? Can technology be used to enhance this process. This should not be an excuse to replace a warm body.
It’s also smart to articulate the team’s importance in your organization’s overall success. They are the first people and often the only people a customer will meet. Do they consider themselves to be brand ambassadors or overworked, annoyed people who have to interrupt a perfectly good day by talking to people they perceive as clueless.
Bottom line: The customer service revolution is long overdue. Boost your bottom line now by redefining your relationship with the people who open their wallets and support your business.
