The relationship between a contact center and its customers is a lot like a romance. Feelings can get heated, and it takes just as much effort from both parties to make it work. We share our advice on getting contact center CX right in your business.
It is the month of love after all so here are some tips on how to make your customers love your contact center.
1. Understand their needs
Knowing your significant other’s likes and dislikes is important for a meaningful, healthy partnership. The same applies in business.
We’ve spoken briefly before about getting to know your customers: their history, their preferred channels of communication and the like – basically creating a profile detailing all the information you have on them, like a dossier only not creepy.
This will ensure a more streamlined, hassle-free customer experience (less repeating information, saving time verifying their details, etc.), and your customer service agents will have an instant advantage in terms of rapport. Not only will they be able to greet your customer by name, they’ll be able to anticipate their needs as well.
It’s been proven that having a customer profile can improve your ROI. According to a white paper by data analytics company Dun & Bradstreet, loyal customers spend 15 times more than skeptical or unhappy customers.
The paper goes on to explain how customer profiles provide key insight to both sales and marketing departments. By putting this insight to work, companies are able to improve sales by knowing what their customers want, as well as improve customer retention, which ultimately affects profitability.
See? It’s a great idea.
2. Show you (actually) care
Every relationship takes work. We all know that. Part of that work involves keeping promises, taking an interest, and listening.
You know who likes a little appreciation? Customers. Showing appreciation can be as simple as acknowledging their query and promising to get back to them as soon as you can – then actually, y’know, getting back to them as soon as you can. Listening also involves looking at what they’re saying online and engaging on social media. No one likes to be ignored.
Oh, and a follow-up call works wonders, even if it’s just to ask whether their query was resolved to their satisfaction. On that note, if a customer gives a negative satisfaction score at the end of an interaction, give them a call to hear what they have to say.
Communication, folks. A little of it goes a long way.
3. Resolve conflict quickly
Issues can get out of hand faster than you think. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the contact center, where long hold times and endless transfers can get a customer’s blood frothing in less time than it takes to boil an egg.
Let’s continue with the relationship analogy for a minute. Any marriage counselor will tell you a few golden rules for resolving conflict:
- Get to the heart of the matter.
- Don’t interrupt. Just listen.
- Offer a solution to the problem.
These are just as effective in the contact center. Remember, it always comes back to the customer experience. Don’t let conflict get in the way of your relationship. Respond quickly, keep smiling and offer a smooth, seamless service and your customer will have heart emojis coming out their heads in no time.
So yes, it is possible for customers to love your contact center. If you need help for a bad date, though? You’re on your own.