How to provide a good customer service experience

Think back to when a business frustrated you while trying to get help - these experiences don’t wear off easily.

Reaching out to a customer service rep who seems less interested in helping you resolve a problem is a big red flag.  It's enough to make you never want to use such a product or service again. No sane business considers bad customer service as an acceptable way to treat their customers.

Long gone are the days when prices and features only set a business apart, potential customers consider exceptional customer service now. 

In this article, we'll be going through the deep secrets of exceptional customer service, the kind that makes customers loyal.  If you’re trying to turn your interactions into positive experiences that help your business goal, you’re in the right place.

How important is good customer service?

Good customer service means creating a positive experience for customers. It's a way to turn a one-time customer into a loyal fan. Happy customers are more likely to come back for more, which is why it's cheaper to retain customers than to acquire new ones.

The world is technologically driven now, and good word travels fast. People who experience good customer service are more likely to recommend the business to others. The same goes for poor service, it spreads quickly and damages the company's image. A study claims that 81% of people consider customer service when making purchasing decisions.

Kias Fonicom, the CTO of Fonicom says "Solving the customer support requests correctly and in a timely manner is the simple definition of good customer service. Good customer service builds reputation, loyalty, and trust in the product or services offered."

The benefits of good customer service.

The benefits of good customer service are numerous for businesses and their customers.

1. Customer retention: Satisfied customers are returning customers. Good customer service helps build trust and encourages repeat businesses, leading to increased revenue.
2. Brand loyalty: Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend the business to others, free advertising and help expand the customer base. Good customer service promotes the business values and the relationships it has with new and existing customers.
3. Increased satisfaction: A prompt and helpful service increases satisfaction and a willingness to purchase from the business.
4. Reduced stress: No one likes a business that stresses them. Reduced stress assures a customer of an efficient and fair resolution if there are any issues.
5. Reduced customer churn: Customers are likely to switch to competitors when they experience bad customer service.
6. Valuable feedback: Great customer service provides businesses with valuable insights into customer needs and preferences. These insights can be used to improve the product and overall customer experience

3 ways to improve customer service

1. Focus on your communication: Customer service teams need to be trained in empathy and understanding customer frustrations. It's best to personalize interactions - use customer names, acknowledge their concerns and show a genuine interest in helping.
2. Make it easy to get help: Offer multiple customer service channels for customers to reach support. Providing omnichannel customer service means enabling your team to handle questions across different platforms, such as phone, email, messaging, live chat, social media, etc. A comprehensive knowledge base and FAQs section on your website also help customers to find solutions independently.
3. Invest in technology: Equipped customer service teams are more efficient. Provide tools like CRM systems and online chatbots to enable human representatives to work on more complex issues. Great tools help deliver excellent customer service.

Recommended reading

7 examples of great customer service.

These businesses prioritise customer service, as they realise it creates a more loyal customer base. Whether you provide customer service by phone, email, live chat or social media, we've gathered some of our favourite stories online and share our thoughts on what makes them so good. If you’re wondering what outstanding customer service looks like, you should check out these examples and why they stand out.

A. Piggyvest

Since 2016, as a leading online savings and investment app in West Africa, they’ve delivered great customer service to over 4,000,000 users, helping them manage their finances easily and transparently. Their approach to every customer interaction makes them unique, as they don’t rely on automated robots. 

Piggyvest understands the importance of meeting customer needs and preferences to boost customer loyalty. They make their customers by engaging with them actively and seeking feedback to understand their experience.

As we mentioned earlier, about training customer service teams, Piggyvest takes this seriously by providing learning and development programs for their team. Providing great customer service goes beyond the customer support teams, as they see every department within the company as customer-centred.

B. Adobe

It's best to acknowledge and address poor customer service before it arises, Adobe does this well. An instance was when they had an outage issue with Amazon Web Services, they posted a tweet before customers started sending in complaints. It was a video of a puppy stampede, and many replies focused on how adorable they were.

Customers understand technology can't be 100%, and issues can always arise. They appreciate it when an apology is put out and an effort is made to fix the issue quickly. Establish a culture of excellent customer service in your business by being intentional about your customers.

C. Oh Lolly

Korean beauty brand OhLolly is well known in the Los Angeles beauty community due to its dedication to the customer. According to the owners, their business is “a place where customers were treated like friends.”

Oh Lolly offers a personalized customer experience. Their feedback requests help the team curate beauty solutions unique to each customer. They prioritise their customers by also sharing updates when a product is restocked or a new product collection has been added.

A simple gesture like this makes customers feel valued. Customer interactions are actively listened to and it helps build loyal customers.

Your team can develop these interactions by following up with customers who made requests and informing them when it's available. This outreach is one way to make your customers happy and deliver great customer service.

D. Lyft

Ride-hailing app Lyft provides excellent customer service space by making its customers proud. An example is when Lyft announced its commitment to minimizing the environmental impact of the millions of car rides it provides every day by declaring all of its rides to be carbon neutral, thanks to its voluntary purchase of carbon offsets.

The Lyft Up program was announced to make sure everyone has access to affordable, reliable transportation — irrespective of their age, income, or location.

An important customer service tip that can be difficult to measure is standing for the values that are important to your customers. Customers like businesses that represent them and how they address issues.

E. Wistia

As a video hosting and analytics platform, Wistia believes in the power of video to help tell company stories. It's not restricted to marketing videos and social media content, they also use videos to provide better customer service.

Wistia team members create personalized service through how-to videos and thank-you notes to help customers and demonstrate how to use different aspects of the software. Users learn more effectively and remember solutions better, by showing rather than telling.

Don’t feel restricted to phone calls or social media platforms to provide excellent customer service. Instead, use technology to address customer concerns in a way that makes the most sense.

F. Paystack

Paystack is an African payment solution provider that facilitates online payment through its payment gateway and in-person payment through its Point-of-Sale (POS) Terminal. African businesses love Paystack not just for its stellar design and excellent products but also for its continuous provision of the best service and support whenever it’s needed. They’ve earned trust by assuring secure transactions and fair handling of any issue or dispute.

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Paystack's customer success team meet customer expectations, it consists of two specialized units: the developer relations team and the user relations team. Together, they form the backbone of Paystack's customer-centric approach, each playing a role in ensuring a seamless experience for their business clients.
Paystack takes a different approach by empowering its support team. To enhance their expertise, Paystack provided coding training to their team. This unique initiative has elevated their understanding of the product, enabling them to guide customers effectively.

G. AdRoll

For B2C marketers, AdRoll simplifies marketing and advertising by putting everything in one place. This frees them up to use data insights strategically, rather than spending time hunting for it.
Just like good customer service often includes self-service options, AdRoll offers a well-organized help centre. It has clear categories and a search function to get users started quickly. If users need further assistance, there's always a service team available. Reviews praise AdRoll's customer service for being helpful and efficient.

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You don't need 24/7 live support to provide a great customer experience. A well-designed self-service system, like AdRoll's, empowers customers to find solutions while saving everyone time.

What great customer service looks like.

Great customer service goes beyond just solving problems. It's about creating a positive and memorable experience for the customer throughout their interaction. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. Make them feel valued, listened to, and confident that their needs will be met.

Listen to your customers.

Listening to customers helps with customer experience. It's the foundation for understanding their needs, resolving issues effectively, and building a positive relationship. Often, customer complaints are just the tip of the iceberg. Actively listening can help you dig into their concerns and understand the underlying reasons for their frustration.

When you listen attentively, you gain valuable insights into the customer's specific situation. This enables you to craft solutions tailored to their needs, rather than offering generic fixes that might not address the issue. Simply giving someone your full attention and acknowledging their concerns goes a long way. 

Let’s say a customer calls about a slow internet connection. Customer service reps learn the customer works from home and relies on a strong connection. The rep can then prioritize troubleshooting and potentially offer temporary solutions like a mobile hotspot while they fix the main issue.

Problem-solving skills.

A critical component of excellent customer service is problem-solving skills. When a customer reaches out with an issue, they expect a solution, and how you approach the problem can make all the difference in their experience. Great problem-solving goes beyond just applying a quick fix.  

It allows you to think creatively and devise solutions tailored to the situation. Whenever possible, strive to resolve the issue on the first contact. This demonstrates competence and avoids the inconvenience of the customer having to repeat their issue multiple times.

Knowing you have the skills to address their concerns can increase customer satisfaction.  A calm and confident attitude during problem-solving builds trust and assures the customer that their issue is being taken seriously.

Personalize the experience.

Personalized experiences are a powerful tool for providing excellent customer service. It goes beyond simply addressing a customer by name; it's about understanding their unique needs and preferences to tailor the interaction for a more positive and memorable experience. 

When a customer feels their preferences are acknowledged, it shows the company cares about them as an individual, not just a transaction. This creates a sense of value and appreciation, leading to higher customer satisfaction. 

An exceptional customer service rep acknowledges a customer's recent purchase history when offering recommendations for additional products. Customers who feel valued are more likely to become repeat customers and recommend the product or service, boosting business growth.

Mitigating gaps in product knowledge.

There's nothing more frustrating for customers than encountering a service rep who seems unfamiliar with the product.  A knowledgeable rep can attend to customer issues promptly and efficiently, minimizing customer frustration and wasted time.

When customer service representatives have a deep understanding of the product's features, functionalities, and limitations, they can provide accurate and up-to-date information. This avoids confusion and ensures customers get the right answers to their questions, leading to higher satisfaction.

A strong grasp of the product equips reps with the confidence to navigate customer interactions effectively. Invest in thorough training programs that cover best customer service tips, all aspects of the product, including features, troubleshooting steps, and common customer queries. A central knowledge base also helps with easy-to-access information, product manuals, FAQs, and tutorials for customer service teams to reference during interactions.

Deliver context-based support.

Understanding the context of the customer's situation allows for a more targeted approach to solving their problem. The customer service representative can tailor their recommendations and solutions to the specific needs at hand, leading to a more effective resolution. When a customer doesn't have to re-explain their situation or recent purchases, they feel valued.

With context,  a customer service representative can offer proactive support such as reminders,  personalized recommendations, or targeted loyalty programs.  This shows the customer that the company is invested in their success and satisfaction, leading to a stronger relationship.

Here's an example of how context-based support works: A customer calls about an issue with a product they recently purchased.  The customer service rep, with access to the customer's context,  can see the purchase history and any previous support interactions. They can then:

• Greet the customer by name and acknowledge their recent purchase.
• Avoid asking about the product details or purchase date.
• Quickly access relevant information about the product and potential issues.
• Offer targeted troubleshooting steps or replacement options based on the context.

This personalized and efficient approach leads to a faster resolution, and happy customer, strengthening the customer's relationship with the company. Remember a satisfied customer will help with marketing, through word of mouth.

Skills and requirements of customer service reps.

Customer service representatives are important in any business. They are the bridge between the company and its customers, and their skills can significantly impact customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Here's a breakdown of the key skills and requirements for customer service reps:

• Communication: Customer service teams need excellent verbal and written communication skills to clearly explain information, answer questions, and actively listen to customer concerns.
• Problem-solving: Effectively diagnosing and resolving customer issues is essential. This requires critical thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to find creative solutions.
• Empathy: Customers often reach out when frustrated or confused. Reps need empathy to understand their perspective and patience to navigate challenging situations calmly and professionally.
• Technical knowledge: While not always required, a strong understanding of the company's products or services is a plus. This allows reps to answer questions accurately and provide specific guidance.
• Computer skills: Most customer service interactions involve computers. Representatives should be proficient in using relevant software, customer relationship management systems, and other digital tools.
• Positive attitude: A cheerful and helpful attitude goes a long way in creating a positive customer experience. Oluwabusola Ayawale, a customer support team lead at Piggyvest now shares how she calms a customer who had issues and was on the verge of crying.
• Stress management: The ability to handle pressure and stay calm under pressure is important, especially during peak times or challenging interactions.
• Time Management: Customer service can be fast-paced. The ability to prioritize tasks, manage time efficiently, and meet deadlines is essential.

With these skills, customer service representatives can excel in their roles, provide exceptional customer service, and contribute to a positive brand image for their company.

Case study of good customer service.

Earnipay is a B2B financial wellness company that helps companies ensure their employees have timely access to their salaries, thereby fostering financial stability.

Challenge: The Earnipay team faced an unresponsive support team challenge with their previous customer experience software solution. Their previous platform, Freshdesk, fell short in terms of prompt issue resolution and cost-effectiveness. 

Solution: With Simpu, Earnipay seamlessly consolidated all support activities into a single, unified tool. 

Simpu was brought in to streamline customer interactions for Earnipay. When the CEO of Earnipay engaged in a discussion with the customer success lead about adopting Simpu as their support tool, she was eager to find out whether Simpu's support team could resolve her ongoing concerns with Freshdesk. It had become evident that it was time to invest in a robust customer support tool that not only met their needs but also provided a responsive support team. 

Results: Simpu's shared inbox product acted as the driving force behind doubling their overall productivity. It enhanced Earnipay's efficiency in tracking customer satisfaction scores, resulting in an impressive customer satisfaction score of 80%.

Takeaway: 

• Prioritizing customer happiness can help with business success.
• Empowering employees to deliver exceptional service can lead to positive customer experiences.
• Going the extra mile can create lasting impressions and build loyalty.

Conclusion

We've explored how good customer service fosters customer satisfaction, loyalty, and business growth.  By prioritizing empathy, effective communication, problem-solving skills, and personalization, businesses can create positive and memorable experiences that keep customers return for more.

Remember, happy customers are loyal customers.  They're more likely to recommend your business to others, write positive reviews, and become brand ambassadors.  The benefits extend beyond customer loyalty – good customer service can also improve employee morale, reduce customer churn, and ultimately lead to increased revenue.

Simpu helps you implement the strategies we've discussed – offer omnichannel support, focus on personalized experiences, and actively seek customer feedback.  By investing in exceptional customer service, you're investing in the future of your business.

Ready to take action today? Sign up and create a customer service experience that sets your business apart!