Customer Service With a Smile

So, you hired a pro to handle your online customer support. It’s understandable. Dealing with customers over the Internet is something that many in the business world have to face every day. It’s not the comfiest job in the world, which is why many would rather source out this kind of work.

But the battle is not over. It never is, to be honest. Just because you’ve handed your customer service worries to a VA doesn’t mean you can rest THAT easy now. You still have to work together. Perhaps closer than you thought.

You see, customer support is not just all “Talk to angry customer A, Solve customer B’s problem even if it’s common sense,” it’s also a way for us to build our brand, and we all know that branding is how people perceive us—such as our logo, our product, and more importantly, our personality. That personality is shaped by how we interact with our customers, and how we respond to their problems.

And with another person at the helm taking care of that aspect of the company’s operations (probably from the other side of the globe), they have to know what kind of personality you want to portray to the people.

Here are a few tips that your customer support team can take into account in cultivating the persona that you want for your brand:

Auto-replies Are A Matter Of Concern

For many a customer, the first response they get from businesses is the automated reply. This is a great way to create a good first impression on them. Problem is, we tend to settle for a simple, "Thank you for contacting us! We'll answer your inquiries as soon as we can."

Have it be more personalized. Your message should make people feel like another person is answering back, but can't respond to their questions for the moment. Give them an estimate of how long they still have to wait--just don't make them wait forever. And if they can't wait, give them other options for contacting the company.

Avoid Cookie-Cutter Templates Like The Plague

We can definitely agree that email templates, macros and the like make our lives faster and easier. But it can also be a cause for more irritation from the customer, especially if they get a reply that is obviously generic.

Fact Is--FAQs Aren't The Answer

A lot of companies (especially tech ones) skip the whole have-a-support-team and take the quick and easy route of making FAQs. But this creates the image that you'd rather take the backseat and let them do the problem solving by themselves.

But what about the questions that the FAQs don't have the answer to? Should people be forced to turn to Youtube tutorials or Forum posts by their fellow buyers?

You lose customer satisfaction and, in the long run, lose profits as well.

Make It Personal

(This last one isn't for branding, but it definitely helps lessen headaches.) 

Perhaps the most important thing that we forget is that customers aren't a bunch of--often angry-- words on the screen asking for refunds or technical advice. They're actual people just like us who need a little human touch.

You probably know by now of a certain method in many support service agencies, a method in which whoever agent is available handles the customer. It may work fine for business-to-consumer companies, but if you work in the business-to-business industry, things may not turn out as good.

To gain a better understanding of the customer's problems, you might want to have an individual or a team of agents dedicated to that customer alone. This helps build trust between the two parties and a better working relationship.

Always keep in mind that great customer service can make or break your brand's reputation. Make sure that the personal virtual assistant (or assistants) you hired for the job is the flexible kind, and able to display to your customers the desired image you want for your business. Remember, they will be representing you.