There are many times when customers have to call customer support or technical service for whatever the need may be. Unfortunately, sometimes this is during what’s considered after hours. Usually, there are limited options for who a customer can actually reach after hours, but it is very important that customer support and service is available after hours. It is also a very difficult task to provide excellent customer service, because even though the “customer is always right”, every customer service agent knows that they aren’t always right. This isn’t what’s important though. Here are some tips to help you with ensuring that you can achieve excellent customer service as an answering service or an after-hours customer support service.
- Don’t be an Individual
You aren’t alone, and many customers may say things that blame you for what you cannot control. Nevertheless, don’t let this get to you. You will have positive and negative calls, and never forget that you are not alone. If your supervisors and higher ranked co-workers (those who you can escalate calls to) are available, they’re available for you as a team. It’s important to be there for each other and work as a team. If everyone knows this, they will be able to provide optimal customer support. - Do it Right, Not Quickly
While it’s important to be efficient, don’t rush to get the customer off the phone. In a few cases, this can be alright, and you can get the job done faster, your scope of support and service will not be as good as it would if you take your time with each customer. And if you’ve reached the end of your scope and need to escalate it, you can do so when the time comes. Until then, other customers can wait. Everyone knows there are always calls in the queue, but if the customer doesn’t wait, then they lack the patience to probably have you attempt to fix their issue as well. That or they don’t need as much help as they think they do, and the call may just be a negative call waiting to happen. Use time management skills to utilize time management, but most importantly, be there to listen to the customer’s problem and attempt to resolve above all else. Apologize to them when things are taking too long, and be empathetic. You don’t have to take their side, but as long as you understand where a customer is coming from, this can help you succeed in your service level. - Get as Much Information as Possible
Just because you are the support team or answering service doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get as much detailed information as possible. Don’t go outside of what information you should be getting from a customer but ask questions so you can find the answers. And don’t forget to save and remember those answers, so that when you have other customers with similar issues, you can look back on anything you’ve learned for future use. - NEVER Get Upset with Your Customers
No matter how much a customer might be going off, or trying to argue with you, remember that you are the support. You should never curse, talk down to them, make them feel more ignorant than they already do (remember, they called you because they don’t know what’s going on in most cases), or raise your voice to them. Doing so is not only unprofessional, but also makes a customer feel even worse, and will upset them even more. Be patient and assist and offer education and knowledge to the customer without making them feel like idiots if they’re being one – There are some out there, and we’re all vulnerable to being that customer once in a while as well.
References:
Direct Line – www.directlineinc.com/hours-support