The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
What To Do About Customer Service Challenges
The development of customer engagement in social media and the increased value of a hassle-free and on-point customer experience may have been the two main driving forces behind the progress of customer expectations in 2017. These days, customers want their voices heard and problems resolved, quickly and without having to jump through hoops to reach the business.
Furthermore, they want to carry on with their lives and get rid of that issue from their day-to-day to-do list, freeing up precious time and energy. With the rising expectations and increasing complexity of the market, it is only important for any companies who want to leave a mark in their industry to provide delightful customer service – at the right and at the right time.
As 2018 rolls in, it is the perfect time to review the top challenges that your business has faced throughout the year and use them as a lesson to improve your strategy in the forthcoming new year. Moreover, it would be wise to keep updated with latest challenges that may impede your success of delivering a top-notch customer service experience. Here are the key takeaways from the infographic below from Sparkle Training which discusses the customer service challenges of the 2010’s and how to solve them.
Top five customer service challenges of the 2010s and what to do about them
The customer service landscape has become more complex than ever, with advancements being accelerated by different Trends in technology and by changing Market preferences. The modern customer demand for product and service be delivered much faster but with something special each time they do business with the brand.
Achieving customer Delight can yield maximum returns to a company.
Otherwise, I’d be satisfied customer may not only leave a business but also spread to others which can result in potential failure of the business.
Despite the digital transformation taking over in the customer service sector, providing a great customer experience for business across different Industries.
Here are the key customer service challenges of today and how you can solve them to provide awesome customer experience.
Challenge #1: Personalization of customer journey technological platforms and to make the customer journey more efficient.
But one cannot rely on these platforms alone, especially when ensuring a personalized customer journey.
However, many businesses fail to personalize their customer interactions which results in high turn rates, lower customer satisfaction levels, and decreased loyalty.
How to solve it
Create a buyer persona for each of your target customers.
Segment your customers according to their profiles.
Understand your customer wants by analyzing customer data- their social interactions, purchase history, preferences, and demographic data.
Use the engagement opportunities at every stage of the customer Journey.
Established communities on social media and also to expand your brand.
Challenge #2: Having a holistic view of the customer
Having a 360-degree view of the customer is Paramount to achieve and great customer experience.
If a sales person has immediate access to all Vital Information about a customer, they have a better chance of closing the deal with that customer or at least helping the customer make an informed buying decision.
Obtain a past, present, and future view of the customer by obtaining the following:
Previous interaction history and activity.
Key information about the customer in general.
Predictions of future customer interactions through analyzing customers past purchase information and relevant data points such as their gender, income, and occupation.
Connect customer data with big data (website analytics and social media analytics.)
make the customer information accessible to all relevant people in the sales process.
Challenge #3: Ensuring Operational Efficiency
Achieving operational excellence is crucial to providing a quality experience.
This is for the reason that personalized experience will be impossible to achieve without having a systematic and effective approach to each business operation starting from back in process such as logistics to front end tasks such as sales.
How to solve it
Align your customer experience goals to strategic business objectives.
Foster customer-centric culture across your organization.
Improve key business process and an to increase efficiency.
Improve quality and all processes by assigning key performance indicators to each key business process.
Deliver exceptional customer service.
Challenge #4: Leveraging different customer touchpoints
Many customers these days use more than one channel when reaching a business.
With the prevalence of smartphone, customers now have the option to interact with brands through different channels such as email, text, call, and social media.
How to solve it
Determine your customers preference in terms of communication would they prefer to be engaged to your phone, email, or social media?
Make sure that the brand experience is consistent across different platforms-web, social, mobile, and email.
Use the holistic customer review to your advantage when engaging customer across different digital platforms.
Offer many options across all channels to effectively engage customers.
Challenge #5: Engaging a disappointed customer
With customer expectation much higher than ever, the chance of encountering dissatisfied customers is also high.
It is embedded into customer service and is bound to happen to every business regardless of its size. The main issue and challenges are how to appease these customers and ultimately keep them in your business.
How to solve it
Listen actively to their complaint. Always acknowledge the customers feelings first before trying to fix the problem.
Always include the customers name throughout the conversations prove that you are acknowledging them as a valuable person in your company.
Stay calm and don’t take the anger personally, otherwise, it can escalate the situation beyond where you can remedy the problem.
Cut through the anger and rage to identify what the customer really wants. It can be something as simple as an apology, free upgrade to resolve the problem, or a discount on their bill.
Ensuring quality customer service can be very challenging. Your team may have to face these and several other challenges regular. But with the right tools, strategy, and you will surely be able to solve these issues right away.
In the end, addressing these customer service will provide you with the confidence to tackle the next case, and it also will allow you to create a stronger connection with your customers, and overall, build up your reputation in the market.
![Top 5 Customer Service Challenges [Infographic]](https://cdn.confessionsoftheprofessions.com/infographics/top-5-customer-service-challenges-infographic.jpg)
