Customer Support Secrets - Issue 2

We continue to reveal the secrets of improving the quality of support work. This article will focus on positive language when communicating with customers, clearly expressing their thoughts and finding effective communication channels.

1) Focus on the positive aspects.

Not always the employee can do what the client asks. This is normal. However, in such situations, it is important to minimize customer chagrin.
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The best way to achieve this is to use positive language . Direct communication from negative points towards alternative solutions to the problem. Do not just state the facts, but focus on how you can help.

For example, when you need to report problems with a task, this can be done in two ways.

Standard: “We are not yet able to customize for you. The developer, who is engaged in similar tasks, is now on vacation. We can start in two weeks. ”

Positive: “We will be able to start customizing for you in two weeks, as the responsible developer is now on vacation. I will talk with the management and let you know if you can appoint another staff member for this task.

How quickly would you like to get the changes you want? ”

2) Express yourself clearly and clearly.

Clients describe problems using their own terminology, while employees usually "call things by their proper names." This leads to misunderstandings and difficulties in communication.

To prevent this from happening, speak to customers in a language that they understand , use clear language and avoid technical jargon .

For example, which of the following phrases will be understood by more clients?

• “We will let you know when the web developer closes the bug”
• “We will let you know when the programmer corrects the error.”

The ability to express one's thoughts is indispensable when dealing with clients, but mastering them is not as easy as it seems. The formation of this skill will take more than one year.

3) Use effective channels

Providing customer support across all communication channels is wonderful, but not always productive. Some channels spend more resources than they do good.

Find out which channels are most important to your customers, and try to increase their effectiveness. Turn off each channel one by one and analyze key indicators (number of received calls, speed of the first answer, number of closed calls and the level of customer satisfaction).

If you have obvious "stars", temporarily give up the worst channels . This will only increase the quality of support. However, once every few months, repeat the check in order not to miss the moment when the channel that was not needed before became in demand .

For example, hosting providers often focus on real-time support (chat or calls). This is due to the fact that the problems of their clients in most cases require quick solutions.

However, for a young company, whose support is two people, there is hardly any sense in connecting the “Calls” channel, as it can significantly reduce the performance through other channels. Most likely, the situation will change in the future, but the most effective use of available resources is needed right now.