Implementing the best customer service practices should be a priority for companies across all business sectors, not least because they play an integral role in client satisfaction levels and how people will view the organization.

Research shows that around 80% of consumers say they would look to take their business elsewhere if they have more than one bad experience.

Sadly, many businesses continue to view their customer service experience as an afterthought. This can lead to several issues for consumers and customer care agents alike. Thankfully, implementing the best customer service practices will give you a huge advantage over your competitors and enhance your hopes of securing increased client loyalty.

This quick guide will equip you with the framework and knowledge needed to implement an effective customer service strategy that will be loved by consumers and employees alike.

Why It’s Important To Get Customer Service Calls Right

Before looking at what makes a really great customer service call, it’s imperative that you learn to appreciate why focusing on the best customer service practices is so vital.

Let’s examine the positives of getting it right and the negatives of getting it wrong to highlight why you must start prioritizing this aspect of the client experience.

The positive impact of effective customer service calls

  • Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Customers feel valued and understood, leading to higher satisfaction rates. Good customer service changes buying behavior for 87% of customers and increases the long-term revenue a company receives from them.
  • Increased Customer Loyalty: Positive experiences make customers more likely to return and make repeat purchases. Up to 68% of customers say a positive customer experience over a channel significantly improved their brand loyalty.
  • Improved Brand Reputation: Satisfied customers often share their positive experiences, enhancing the company’s reputation. They will advocate and recommend the brand to others, including friends and social media followers.
  • Competitive Advantage: Outstanding customer service can differentiate a business in a crowded market. In fact, companies that lead in customer experience outperform others by nearly 80%.

The potential negative impact of bad customer service calls

  • Customer Dissatisfaction: Poor service can leave customers feeling neglected or frustrated. Consumer expectations relating to customer service calls are now higher than ever before. Falling short can undo the good work done elsewhere.
  • Loss of Business: Dissatisfied customers are likely to take their business elsewhere. In fact, around 70% of modern consumers have stopped using at least one brand as a direct result of inadequate customer service experiences.
  • Negative Word-of-Mouth: Customers are likely to share negative experiences, potentially harming the brand’s reputation. Research shows that 95% of customers who had a bad experience with a company will tell others about it.
  • Decreased Employee Morale: A lack of a clear strategy can lead to confusion and stress among staff, affecting their performance and satisfaction. When you excel in customer experiences, employees are 1.5x more engaged and happier.

Why Your Agents Play a Key Role In Your Customer Service Experience

While it’s pivotal that you put the right hardware and software in place to manage all types of calls in a call center, you should not ignore the fact that your customer service teams hold the key to your success.

Customer service agents are the face of the company and responsible for the vast majority of client interactions (far more so than you ever will), which is why the best customer service practices are employee-centric.

The Positive Impact of Empowered Agents

Empowered agents will deliver better customer service experiences across all channels, including face-to-face interactions and tech-based connections including telephone calls and online instant messaging. Given that 86% of consumers are happy to pay more for better customer services, a focus on your customer service teams will translate to improved outcomes for clients and company profits alike.

Well-supported agents are happier, which will naturally spread to the client interaction. Furthermore, happy employees are 13% more productive, which can work wonders when handling customer service in a call center. Empowered agents improve customer experiences for many reasons, such as;

  • Customers see happy and helpful employees as a sign that the company cultivates a positive atmosphere.
  • When customer care agents are proactively helpful, it feels as though they care about the customer.
  • Modern consumers have a demand for quick results, with many wanting speed over empathy, which is only provided by well-supported agents.
  • A quick first problem resolution will put existing customers or new leads in a better frame of mind.

Agents can be supported in several ways. As well as the right equipment, they should benefit from regular staff training and a better workplace atmosphere – which extends to motivating remote-based employees. Enabling them to provide personalized experiences is another key ingredient.

It is shown that 71% of consumers expect personalized customer experiences while 76% are frustrated when they do not receive them. Tailoring messages and responses to the individual is crucial. For the best results, though, you should combine this level of autonomy with a framework that can be used for all types of calls in a call center.

The Risks of Overlooking Agent Importance

As already stated, failure to deliver personalized experiences courtesy of an empowered team can lead to client frustration. However, overlooking custom sales agents will hit customer satisfaction levels for a host of other reasons.

It is shown that 75% of customers report using multiple channels to engage with a brand. So, if employees are not equipped to pick up conversations from past agents due to inferior tech or are unable to deliver a personalized experience, it can lead to mixed messages. Aside from failing to resolve the issue, it makes people question whether you care. Of course, mixed messaging will also raise doubts about your authenticity.

In addition to reputational damage, you are likely to see a high employee turnover rate. Consequently, it will become even harder to maintain productivity and positivity. If you want to avoid these problems, advanced support and recognition must be afforded to all agents.

The Framework of an Effective Customer Service Call

If following the best customer service practices is a priority for your business (and it should be), consistency is king. One of the most effective ways to create consistency is to implement a framework that can be applied to your team and across all types of calls in a call center.

Here are six simple stages that will lead you to success time and time again when dealing with all aspects of customer service in a call center.

The Start Of The Call

Begin each call with a warm, professional greeting and introduce yourself by name and role, including the company’s name.

This approach prevents initial confusion and starts to build a positive rapport with the customer while simultaneously emphasizing professionalism and letting the customer know that they’re through to the right team.

Implement a training module that highlights the importance of a standardized greeting, ensuring consistency across all customer interactions. This may include a defined opening that extends to other departments.

Understanding Their Issue

Actively listen to the customer without interrupting them, fully capturing the essence of their concern.

This guarantees that the agent comprehends the customer’s issue in its entirety, which is crucial for providing an accurate resolution while also showing the consumer that they are valid.

Encourage agents to employ active listening techniques, such as nodding in agreement (if on video calls) and using verbal affirmations, followed by paraphrasing the customer’s concerns for clarity and confirmation.

Gaining Additional Context

Utilize open-ended questions to delve deeper into the customer’s issue, gathering more context relating to their individual problem.

This helps clarify the situation further, providing the agent with additional and personalized details that are essential for resolving the issue effectively.

Develop a guidebook of open-ended questions relevant to common issues within your service scope. Train agents to seamlessly integrate these questions into their conversation to enrich their understanding of the problem.

Problem Solving and Resolution

Leverage both the provided knowledge base and the agent’s own expertise to formulate and present a solution to the customer’s problem.

Directly tackle the customer’s concern, offering a satisfactory and personalized resolution in an efficient manner.

Ensure agents have easy access to an updated, comprehensive knowledge base. Foster an environment that encourages decision-making and autonomy, empowering agents to use their judgment in resolving issues and tailoring their service to the individual.

Finishing Up The Call

Conclude the call by confirming that the customer is satisfied with the provided solution, offering further assistance if needed.

This verifies that the customer’s issue has been resolved to their satisfaction, reinforcing a positive service experience and ensuring that they exit the interaction feeling happy – which encourages 69% of customers to shop more frequently.

Train agents to ask for explicit confirmation of resolution satisfaction and to express genuine willingness to provide additional support, reinforcing the company’s commitment to customer satisfaction. Allow agents to dedicate as much time as necessary to the issue.

Follow Up

Establish a follow-up process to check in with customers after their issue has been resolved, ensuring their continued satisfaction and identifying any ongoing concerns.

This reinforces the company’s dedication to customer satisfaction and loyalty, identifies areas for improvement in the resolution process, and potentially opens the door to further sales.

Utilize customer relationship management (CRM) software to schedule and track follow-up communications. This can be through email, phone calls, or surveys, depending on the nature of the initial interaction and customer preference.

How You Can Use Analytics 365 To Understand The Performance Of Your Customer Service Team

When managing customer service in a call center, opting for VoIP tech and using tools like Microsoft Teams will certainly help. If you’re one of the many businesses that use Teams to power their customer service team, then Analytics365 is the ultimate workplace analytics tool.

Analytics 365 includes several key features to give you a clear and detailed image of how your customer service team performs. The Call Analytics and AI Call Recording tools are particularly useful for call centers that use Microsoft Teams.

With Call Analytics, you can gain valuable insights into areas including:

• When are your customers calling?

• How long will they wait to be answered?

• Is workload balanced across individuals and teams?

Our AI Call Recording Tool can be particularly effective for call centers dealing with customer service enquiries. It facilitates the recording, listening, and sharing of calls with optimal efficiency. This means that you can share best practices across your teams and showcase examples of agents providing solutions to particularly difficult queries.

These tools can also help managers identify and rectify shortcomings. When combined with the ability to celebrate successes, establishing the best customer service practices across the team becomes a whole lot easier.

Best Practices For Customer Service Calls

Establishing the right framework to manage all types of calls in a call center with optimal efficiency will give you a solid platform upon which to build. However, your team should also know how to maximize the efficiency, engagement, and customer satisfaction levels across all calls.

Here are some of our top tips and best customer service practices that service call center managers can encourage for ongoing success.

Adjust Tone of Voice

Match the customer’s tone to create empathy and move the conversation forward while simultaneously building a comfortable environment for them,

Maintain Normal Speaking Speed

Speak neither too slowly nor too quickly to facilitate better understanding and listening without allowing confusion or ambiguity to enter.

Encourage Language Flexibility

Allow agents to use personalization and humor appropriately to build trust and develop a greater connection. This can aid the resolution of this issue while also boosting the hopes of gaining their loyalty.

Focus on Building Rapport

Use strategies like ice-breaking and mirroring to establish a connection with the customer and emphasize the fact that your company is the best choice for them.

Demonstrate Emotional Intelligence

Understand and empathize with the customer’s feelings to create a more personalized and satisfying experience.

Manage Customer Expectations

Clearly communicate what can be done and the expected time frames to align with customer expectations while additionally making them aware of what’s to come.

Treat Every Customer Equally

Ensure consistent quality of service across all customer interactions, regardless of the customer’s perceived status.

Offer Additional Support

Before ending the call, ask if there’s anything else you can assist with, showing thoroughness and concern for the customer’s overall experience. It’s also a chance to address any other problems more quickly as it saves repeat processes like going through security questions.

Conclusion

Customer experience is the most commonly cited priority by businesses, and the effectiveness of your client interactions will have a huge influence on the ongoing success of the business. With the right framework in place, your team will be perfectly positioned to handle all types of calls.

The best customer service practices will focus on delivering fast initial problem responses, empathy for the individual’s pain points, and a genuine commitment to reaching a resolution. When followed up in a proactive fashion, customer satisfaction and loyalty will soar.

While the right framework and a change of mindset will set you up for success, data-driven insights are the key to updating your approach and striving for continued success. Analytics 365 is a powerful tool that will support your entire team throughout client interactions and customer experiences as a whole.

To learn more about how Analytics 365 can transform your call center or to arrange a full demonstration, contact our experts or check out our pricing today.