Research has shown that customers who have had a service failure resolved quickly and completely by the customer support team are more loyal to a company than those who have never had an issue. Hence don’t allow breakdowns in customer service caused due to reasons such as system issues, employee turnover, natural calamity or any other unforeseen scenario come in between you and your customers. Be prepared to go the extra mile to resolve problems faced by your customers and in the process increase your reputation in the eyes of customers.
In case you are having any issues, use these standard customer service recovery measures to ease the situation-
Acknowledge the Issue at Hand
Being too defensive or ignorant will never help you when it comes to customer service. This will only add to the woes and further complicate the situation. Hence it is always advisable to acknowledge the situation and take responsibility for your actions. Try to put yourself in customer’s shoes and understand the problem. Also make sure that there is no communication gap between you and your customer. Talk to them, accept your mistake and explain to them what you are doing to rectify the mistake. All this shows that you value your customer more than your product or service, thereby laying foundation of a sustainable business relation.
Formally Apologize
A genuine apology from a customer service representative goes a long way in easing the situation. It shows that you are someone who wants to make sure that your customers are treated with respect and care.
Take Quick Action
Never let the problem grow out of proportion by bouncing customer from one department to other. Make sure that the most qualified agent takes up the issue and resolves it within a single go.
Follow up for Feedback
Problem resolution is the not the end of providing customer service. You have to make sure that you follow up on the customer after the issue has been resolved and ask for a feedback. This initiative not only re-affirms your commitment to helping the customer in every possible way, but also gives you an opportunity to uncover other hidden glitches in your service and provide better service in the future.
The Bottom-line
Breakdowns in customer service are almost inevitable. Hence instead of viewing them as road blocks, convert them into opportunities of make your customers loyal by using these steps.
