Brand trust can make or break a company’s reputation, especially now with customer services being rated publicly on consumer review websites.
The keys to stand-out customer service calls are clarity, comfort and certainty. Any business can increase the likelihood of five-star customer calls by helping their staff to become clearer communicators while providing a reassuring presence – along with an in-depth experience of the benefits of their products or services.
Here are just a few tips on how to shape a great customer call:
A positive introduction
Every good phone call relies on your enthusiasm and a positive frame of mind. It’s the fuel of the conversation. Clearly introduce yourself, your brand and the benefit of the call to your customer early on. A good first impression makes all the difference.
Be clear on your aim
Know exactly what you and your customer would want to get out of this phone call, and over-deliver on value wherever possible. Are you speaking to resolve an issue? To inform them of offers or changes? Or to arrange services and move things forward? Clarity of purpose can improve any customer call.
Solve problems efficiently
Ultimately every phone call is about solving a problem for your customer, and questions or objections are just a natural part of it. But generally it all comes down to an in-depth knowledge of, and certainty in, the value of your service.
With the right staff training comes greater knowledge of your value proposition, creating more space to really engage with customers in a comfortable and positive manner – meaning that you’re able to deliver a better quality of service overall. Your customer’s needs should always come first; the business they bring to you is simply the side effect of great customer service.
Ask the right questions
A great call relies heavily on understanding the specific needs of your customer, and the right question at the right time could change everything. Despite the temptation to lead the conversation, it’s crucial to ask questions of your customers to ensure that your products and services best meet their needs. Which questions could guarantee your quality of service? Does the whole team know what these crucial questions are, and when to ask them?
End the call positively, on a next step.
By the end of each phone call, ensure that both you and your customer are clear on what should happen next to move things forward. Nothing can frustrate a client like being lost in the system, having the details of their call misplaced or poorly noted, or being uncertain about the nature of your call next time around. Total clarity is a practised skill.
These are just a few pointers from our staff, based on our experience of handling countless customer service calls. Let us know if you found them useful!
We are Frontline, a company specialising in outsourced customer service. For almost 20 years, we’ve provided round-the-clock call centre support for a wide range of brands, ranging from IT support and funeral care businesses, to reactive maintenance companies, housing associations and councils – along with big-name brands including Links of London.
So, what could we do for your business? Just get in touch to find out more.