There’s an old proverb that goes as follows:
For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
for want of a shoe the horse was lost,
for want of a horse the knight was lost,
for want of a knight the battle was lost,
for want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
So a kingdom was lost—all for want of a nail.
What this proverb tells us is the importance of nailing down the basics. No matter how small they are or if they seem like a given, getting the basics down is crucial. Nailing the basics is essential for consistent, quality customer support.
Whether you are setting the foundation or refreshing your CX strategy, here are the five steps of customer engagement you should get right every time.
1. Greet the customer
Say hello. It’s simple but effective in conveying how important each customer is on a personal level. A hello creates a good first impression whenever a new customer starts a conversation with your company. And you’ve only got once chance to make a first impression and to set the tone for the rest of your customers’ interactions with your company.
Greeting customers in a friendly and professional manner conveys their worth. Acknowledge their relationship to your company.
2. Identify the need
Determining what customers needs is the centrepiece of business, regardless of if you’re providing a service, product or an answer. Listen to your customer and get to the point of their conversation by figuring out what exactly the need is.
Understanding customer needs is especially crucial when creating automations. Anticipating the customer journey at every step shows the amount of care that goes into successful resolutions.
Be proactive. Invest in a social listening tool or provide social customer service via Facebook or Twitter to pinpoint the issue. Then it’s a case of proceeding to the next step.
3. Reach a resolution
Once you know what the customer’s need is, meet their need. Do this in as few steps as possible. Sometimes it will be providing an answer. Sometimes it will be taking the feedback and providing some reassurance.
Make sure you have a workflow in place for finding answers and reaching seamless resolutions that occur between departments. Internal processes should be robust and thought out to eliminate steps and time that make customers unhappy.
4. Make the conversation memorable
Bad experiences are far more memorable that positive reactions. Furthermore, only one in five customers will take the time to contact a company to complain; the other four will churn. Creating a positive experience is most rewarding in retaining customers.
Make every interaction that your customer has with you worthy of a great story. Be willing to go that extra mile. An important part of this is how you deal with the interaction. Make sure you deliver exceptional and personal social customer service.
Most customers are happiest when issues are resolved quickly, but go beyond this. Invest in an auto response solution for customer enquiries.
5. Check and monitor results
Checking in with your customers is crucial for retention. Customer satisfaction can change at the drop of a hat and without any warning.
If you aren’t sure if you are getting the basics right, then there is only one way to really know. Ask your customers. Reach out to your customers with a survey and give them an opportunity to provide feedback. Why spend a fortune on surveys, comment cards and feedback when you can simply ask?
Logicalware is here to simplify your customer experience interactions with automations. To learn more about how we can help you nail the basics and go beyond, see our website and book a demo.
(This article was adapted from an earlier version.)
