Our means of customer service have advanced greatly in recent years. Subsequently, so have our expectation as customers that our service provider be available at all times. A decade ago, we mainly discussed the quality of the service provided either frontally or by phone. Nowadays, customers' satisfaction is attained (among other factors) through high-quality, available response via social channels and other digital channels.
Many organizations attempt to position themselves as self-service enablers and thus provide their clients with positive, efficient service experiences. However, besides independent services, customers are still interested in feeling secure and knowing that they can receive optimal service through the channel of their choice. Service should not be exclusively secluded to automatic channels.
Does quality service provided frontally or by phone necessarily indicate that the service provided in digital channels is of similar quality?
It certainly does not.
Why?
Various service-providing means must be adapted to the service provider. A telephone service call requires a different set of skills than that required when conducting a conversation in person. The same goes for conversing with a customer via Facebook or chat. Each medium requires service providers to adapt and grow accustomed to a different service-related skill.
Here are 6 tips optimal adaptation to written communication with customers:
Customers expect service provided via digital channels to be short, concise and extremely quick. Customers therefore expect an immediate response. It is therefore vital that response times meet this expectation. This can be done through:
Automatic initial response
Informing users of the estimated standby time
If online service isn't available, inform them of the estimated response time
Receiving a response through my channel of choice: as a customer, I expect to receive full service via the channel I chose. If I chose to contact the company via chat, I do not expect to receive a phone call ( nor am I interested in receiving one). In order to prevent misunderstandings in case you cannot provide full service via the channel through which they contacted you, you must notify them.
The power of words: digital platforms in which service is provided in writing require us to understand the meaning of the words we choose and the message they send to customers. The words remain present for much more time than in a frontal conversation. Remember, these service channels can promote your marketing brand perception; The way you answer, and approach customers should suit their nature.
Punctuation plays a great role in written communication. As such, it should be used wisely. Using exclamation marks or bold coloring can make a difference, and excessive use of them can be harmful.
Templates: setting content templates and structured answers for quick response to customers is vital in written communication, as they can reduce response time. An intelligent use of templates will enable the representative to address several conversations simultaneously while investing minimum effort. I recommend using prepared answers mainly for processes and places that require customers to perform multiple steps.
Quality over Quantity: While digital channels indeed allow representatives to address several calls, it is nevertheless important to ensure that the response remains optimal. If a conversation takes longer and responses are not immediate, you might want to consider limiting the maximal amount of conversations each representative can handle simultaneously. It is important to remember that response time affects satisfaction.
In conclusion, quality service is assessed in each channel. It is important to remember that the user's experience when calling for service and adapt the service provided to the conduct suitable for each channel. The written word is sometimes more powerful than the spoken word. However, service is service is service. It all begins with matching the customers' expectations.
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