I'm pretty sure that at some point in your life, as a Kenyan buyer, you have complained about a product or service. When you lodge a complaint that isn't addressed or isn't addressed adequately, you lose trust in a brand, which is not an easily redeemable attribute.
Today's consumers, unlike before, have more information and consequently more choices. Their expectations are rapidly growing and changing. This means that businesses have to offer even more accessible to help consumers make a decision to choose them. Customer service can no longer be just an after-thought department or a mission statement written when you the business began and left on your website. Customer experience needs to practised and prioritised just as much as sales.
Brands are increasing touch points to engage with customers, but does their customer service capability also grow with them?
In an always-on environment where people are always sharing their experiences, good and bad, with photo and video evidence, trust is crucial for your brand to survive. When you look at the companies that excel and have stood the test of time, you will see that their consumers are right at the heart of all they do. Consumer feedback is prioritised and invested in throughout the customer journey. What this really means is that customer service has to be practised at each consumer contact touch-point.
How do you ensure that your consumers get good customer service?
Invest in the right tools, practices and priorities. Provide your CS agents with tools and training to offer great customer support.
Look for tools that can help you automate, analyse and segment your feedback.
Give human and authentic responses.
Be transparent. Own and acknowledge your issues.
Demonstrate social responsibility by showing that your business is built on foundation of sustainability.
Ask your consumers for feedback and be open to criticism.
Address issues on all levels and make it accessible where possible - products, services, processes.
Monitor what consumers are saying about you and act on that data.
Act on consumer feedback. Turn it into value.
Respond to issues as quickly as possible. However, don't be in hurry to respond without adequate information.
Remember, at the end of the day, consumers know and understand that behind brands are humans, and humans make mistakes. All consumers want and value transparency.
As you proceed with your CS week campaigns, be sure to appreciate all the all the customer service professionals and the consumer-facing front-liners within your teams who turn a bad interaction with your product or service into a good rating and review. Reinforce the team spirit and raise awareness on the importance of customer service within the value chain.
Reach out to us by clicking here if you require training and technical support for implementation of customer care best practices.
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