Identifying Good Customer Service
“Customer is always right.” It is a mantra or a reminder to business owners and the people behind the customer service department that want to keep their customers’ loyalty and attract new customers. In the business world, always think that the customers are the king. They are the key to your success. In just a single mistake or negligence, they can ruin your brand reputation by switching to your competitors and telling unpleasant words against your brand to their relatives and friends, and even to the whole world by posting their unpleasant customer service experiences. To maintain business stability and to avoid losing customers, it is time to outsource customer service.
Outsourcing customer service is what many businesses are doing now to provide the best assistance for their customers. Though customer care is not the core of your business but a crucial part, hiring external staff to handle customer needs is the answer to resolve this issue. Aside from this reason, through outsourcing, you can provide efficient customer service at a very affordable price. Even startups and small entrepreneurs can afford to have the best customer service team through outsourcing.
In the Philippines, call centers are one of the industries that contributed and helped resolve the economic and employment difficulties. Since outsourcing customer service started in the country in the 90s until now, around 1.2 million people were employed in different outsourcing jobs, and the major part of it is the call center industry. The number of companies from other countries is increasing and expanding after discovering the benefits they could get in outsourcing in the Philippines. Labor and operational costs reduction are the primary benefits when you outsource customer service in this country. They are not only saving up to 70% on labor costs, but they also have this access to hire talented and hardworking Filipinos whose English communication is flawless.
Some say that if you want to draw many customers to support your brand despite vast competitors, it is important to maintain the quality of your products and services. Satisfied customers who enjoy your brand will never switch to another brand. But there is another key factor for customer retention and acquisition, and that is great customer service.
However, before applying outsourcing customer service for your business, it is important to choose the best customer service. They will be the representatives of your brand, and a single mistake of theirs will reflect only on your company. Below are the top 4 qualities your customer support staff must possess to achieve satisfied customers:
Courteous. Being courteous is something we want to find to individuals we are going to deal with. In any aspect of life, this characteristic is important for us to build good relationships with other people. But it is more important in dealing with customers because they deserve courtesy. Apart from making them happy and satisfied by being courteous, angry customers can be pacified if you show courtesy.
Responsive. Did you know that one of the most dreaded customer experiences is to be in a queue for long hours? And worse, after the long wait, their concern is not even resolved? Thus, responsive customer service will make customers very satisfied even if their concerns are not yet resolved. So, always be alert to assist your customers and let them feel that they are important by being responsive.
Reliable. Customers want a brand that is dependable and accurate during interactions. So, it is essential that your customer service agents are knowledgeable and well-informed with your products and services, and even to your company as a whole.
Consistent. Being consistent will build a long-term relationship with your customers. It is a summary of the first three characteristics of good customer service. If your company is consistently courteous, responsive, and reliable, you can provide for your customers a great experience.
