Customer Service in Design & Action.

The importance of a well-rounded customer service experience cannot be overstated.

Data says that 82% of U.S. customers stop business with a brand if they find the customer service 'lacking'. Especially now that social media has established itself as a customer service channel that's not going anywhere. Customers expect help 24/7 across channels. Brands have to evolve to accommodate that. Read on for starter points for customer service in design and action.

Photo by Elena Koycheva on Unsplash

Customer Service in Design:

Consider overall how accessible the brand is for a customer during their 'journey' (i.e. pre-purchase, transaction and post-purchase).

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

Brands can improve their customer service visibility for customers by:

1. Advertising clear contact details: A helpline phone number and email are easily found on the landing page of a website. Bonus points for including contact details in email communications (i.e. footer).

2. Promoting CTAs prompting engagement: Popups/chat windows on a website or buttons in emails direct the customer to contact support.

3. Optimizing automated outreach:

   1. Pre-Purchase: Customer service addresses/phone numbers are utilized in automatic emails such as browse or cart abandon.

   2. Post-Purchase: Customer service details are included in UGC, or review/ feedback solicitation.

Customer Service in Action:

Availability -- and response time -- to and from customer service, especially in the ecommerce space, can make or break a customers decision to complete a purchase or become a repeat buyer.

Photo by Arlington Research on Unsplash

Timely, knowledge based and empathy led replies are important in building a brand's trust reputation. People want to be spoken to by people. Here are some places to start with customer service as a strategy:

1. Calculate overall response time: When evaluating a customer service channel performance, do the math! E.g. If 3 'reply' emails are sent to customer queries in 9 hours, the overall response time is 3 hours to 1 query. Spoiler alert: The shorter the customer response time, the happier the customer.

2. Prioritize Need: This will take a different shape internally for different brands. With regularity, the inbox(es) should be categorized by need/priority. Some may choose to address existing customer queries (i.e. shipping, product complaints) before future customer queries (i.e. product questions, etc.). But overall the golden rule should be....All messages deserve a reply.

3. Call Customers (when & where possible): This can be a tough pill to swallow! When a customer lights up an inbox or voicemail with a real 'stinker' good customer service calls for a phone call over an email response where possible. Yes, it's often unpleasant. But the rewards it reaps are what will form the foundation of the existing customer base for the business...allowing for growth opportunity with future customers.

Summary:

Customers want their comments and concerns addressed quickly and effectively. One way to help customers feel heard is to make customer service details clearly available to them during their journey with the brand. One way to improve customer service as a channel is to determine the ideal response rate for the brand, learn how to prioritize the customer service inbox and call customers whenever possible. Implementing these and other steps will help with customer retention and the overall health of the business.

Get in Touch:

Have a question about how your customer service strategy is affecting your marketing spend? Get in touch with us today. Write to Liz@litirmarketing.com now.