CRM and Customer Service

Customer service is the responsibility of the entire business, and not exclusively of one department. To be customer-centric, this must be the case for all departments and teams, including Sales, Marketing, Accounting etc. A CRM solution can help meet this goal. Read on to learn some interesting tips that can optimize customer service experience.

Having the whole picture

Understanding the prevailing conditions is essential at every step and, obviously, customer service can be no exception. Start by creating an inter-departmental team that will be responsible for monitoring customer service on a corporate level.

CRM reports can help a lot, especially if your business has collected a critical data volume that needs to be analyzed. Monitoring metrics such as CSAT – Customer Satisfaction Score, is a good start but there’s much more than that. Online review sites, social media comments and surveys also provide additional, essential information.

Combining training and customer experience

For a long time, customer service managers have been focusing on factors such as active listening, effective communication and in-depth product and service knowledge. But these are skills that need to be acquired through training. Simply picking up the phone and responding to dissatisfied customers is not a long-term strategy.

Leading companies link training programs to their vision for flawless customer experience. Emphasizing the importance of providing the best possible service throughout each customer’s journey, is the key to achieving your goal.

Friction points

It doesn’t take more than one unfortunate transaction for a customer to form a negative opinion about your business. Customers do not know and/or do not care for example if your representative has less than half an hour left to finish their shift. Customers are looking for a positive experience.

Businesses and managers need to constantly find ways to eliminate friction points from customer experience. For example, if long shifts lead to negative reactions, leadership should review its management, structure and processes. If a team cannot meet a customer’s unique needs, change is necessary.

Fast and effective response

No customer wants to be kept on hold for half an hour, just to find out there is no solution to their problem. Therefore, time in relation to solution is one of the most important service metrics that affect customer satisfaction. Customers want fast and, at the same time, effective service that will offer them the help they need.