Original post via ProProfs, expert opinion summary by Colin Taylor
With Customer Experience being a crucial factor in business operations, comes the importance of ensuring high customer satisfaction (CSAT) levels. A high CSAT is a indicator of customer loyalty and repurchase intentions. This differentiator will reduce customer churn. Retaining brand advocates results in cost savings as it is cheaper to retain customers than it is to acquire new ones.
Recently I was asked to contribute to an expert round-up on how exactly organizations can ensure higher customer satisfaction levels. Each of us were asked to contribute our perspective on ensuring high CSAT and while all of the mentioned criteria are very relevant in the Customer Service industry, here is a summary of my insights to this topic in specific regards to the Contact Center at the agent and organization levels.
At the agent level, add these three actions and you will improve customer satisfaction;
1. Take Ownership. The words “I will help you” are powerful and when we begin to take ownership of resolving the customer’s issue we increase trust and satisfaction. Even if we are unsuccessful in achieving all we tried to do for the customer, they will be more satisfied, if they believe we ‘tried’ – click here to tweet this
2. Make an emotional connection. Making an emotional connection is based in understanding, empathy and action. We must let the customer know that we understand their situation and their objectives, that we empathize with them and that we will work to help them get the outcome they are seeking. If the customer believes that we will do everything in our power to help them, we have already succeeded – click here to tweet this
3. Ask for feedback. “Is there anything else I can assist you with?”, allows the customer to ask for more assistance, and it can uncover hidden issues or concerns. We can’t resolve issues we aren’t aware of so creating an environment where the customer can share these issues is the first step to resolving them – click here to tweet this
At the organizational level, to ensure a higher customer satisfaction level;
1. Tools and Training: Ensure your front line staff has the tools and training to perform the services that are expected of them – click here to tweet this
2.Empowerment and Autonomy: Ensure that they have the empowerment and autonomy to resolve customer issues. Give them the training, tools and authority and then hold them accountable – click here to tweet this
3. Examine your policies and processes. Check for dysfunction, customer care is challenging enough without fighting internal policies, or dysfunctional processes that don’t make sense or needlessly create problems. Ask yourself if our processes and procedures helping our clients or protecting the organization from our customers – click here to tweet this
In summary, “Your customers make you the breadwinner of your company. Keeping them delighted with your products and services should be your primary goal. And you know what, they’ll love it if you are more customer-centric rather than a profit building machine. You need to understand their needs and build your products or services around them.” – ProProfs.
To view additional expert insights on customer satisfaction, I encourage you to view the entire Expert Round-up: How to Achieve a Higher Customer Satisfaction Level
Please Contact ApexCX for all your customer experience needs.
(Apr 4, 2018)
