Increased sales and improved customer service in 2021
Delivering excellent customer service is paramount these days. The way you respond to your customer’s queries and problems directly impacts how much you sell. In fact, Microsoft found that 96% of global consumers agree that customer service is an essential factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand.
Here’s another exciting thing the same report found: 54% of all consumers around the world say that their expectations regarding customer service are higher than they did just one year ago. creatio Research data also confirms just how close the relationship between quality customer service and a sale is, showing that 93% of consumers are likely to make repeat purchases with brands that offer excellent customer service.
Now, with that in mind, it’s only natural to want to improve your customer service and increase sales. How? Here are a few strategies for offering excellent customer support and driving more sales:
Hire an outstanding customer service team
First things first, to be able to provide your customers with excellent service, you need to lay the foundations for it. More precisely, it would help if you had the right team in place.
Truth be told, you could use the best customer service tools out there, but if you don’t have the right people to handle them efficiently, it’s doubtful that your customers will be satisfied with your customer service.
So, make sure that you have a customer service team made of well-trained people who are passionate about their role and hold a good set of soft skills like empathy, patience, and communication skills. Expertise is also a crucial factor to look for in your customer service staff.
Use an excellent CRM software
The best team in the industry can only do its job right if you provide it with the right tools to manage your customer’ queries. That’s why you need outstanding customer relationship management software in place.
CRM software will help ensure that your team has all the necessary insights about each customer that reaches out to them and that they can provide a personalized service that helps build long-lasting relationships.
What’s more, CRM software tools also allow your customer service team to join forces with your sales team and work together to improve the overall customer experience and increase sales.
Look for a CRM software that has all the key features, including:
• Contact management
• Lead management
• Opportunity management
• Sales forecasting
• Sales force automation
• Sales analytics
• Sales data
• Campaign management
Truly listen to your customers
When customers reach out to you, you’d better listen to what they have to say in order to extract effective feedback from their words. Each customer that contacts your customer service team will have an individual opinion and situation to share. And, you have to listen without trying to make assumptions about what all your customers want and needs.
Simply listen to each of your customers and display an understanding of their particular problems, circumstances, and opinions. This will make them feel like they have been heard, understood, and delivered to.
If you notice a pattern in your customers’ complaints or suggestions, you can take action in that direction to improve your business.
Set a solution-oriented and positive tone
It’s a no brainer that customer service must be defined by politeness and professionalism. But this is just not enough for outstanding customer service. Your customer service team needs to be able to set a solution-oriented tone and display positivity because this is how your brand will build positive rapports.
Most customers reaching out to you will be angry or frustrated because things did not go the way they expected. So, it’s your customer service team’s job to show empathy and a positive attitude towards finding a solution to their problem.
