26 Feb 2012 ~ PCCare247.com PCCare247.com Blog, PC Care 247 Tech Support Redefined

Sunday 26 February 2012

Customer service techniques for building customer loyalty

Call centres are renowned for offering the highest degree of customer convenience. Without the client having to trot off to a retail location, the caller can not only place orders but also make reservations, check balances, register complaints and ask questions concerning products and prices. However, this convenience comes at a price and conducting business over a phone is never as personalized as a face-to-face interaction. With too many visuals missing – people can't see whom they are speaking with – leading to less than complete communication. And this is exactly where an interminable wait in the call queue or, worse, the handoff fails to make an issue go away.

Online Technical SupportThe cost of convenience comes inclusive of impersonal agents and long virtual lines. Thus, a run around might only end up making clients apprehensive about getting their concerns resolved over the phone. On the contrary, as it might be the case superior client-servicing skills not only help call center agents overcome any caller angst but at the same time only work towards injecting more personality back into a client conversation.

Try and build a rapport
To engage a client it is essential to build a rapport. And to build a rapport, modifying the tone, tempo, vocabulary and volume is essential. If the caller is an executive, short, direct language might be required. If the caller is a disgruntled client, a warm, friendly approach using simple language might be the best available option.

Being an Optimist Always Helps
Phrasing what may be received as bad news can really end up making a difference in the perception of a caller. Cushioning the blow by focusing on the bright side of things always ends up makes things a whole lot simpler. The following response would go a long way towards bringing a conversation to favorable end. Say for instance, the statement "I am so sorry, we no longer carry that item" can be replaced by an approach instead which says, "Our product line has recently been upgraded. The item you requested is now available in a new and improved format. Please, tell us how you would like it to be shipped."

Proactive Listening
Before call center agents can go ahead and effectively assist customers, they have to find out what a particular client wants. And for the same to happen, a certain amount of listening to what is being said and isn't being said is required. Agent should use confirmations like "yes," "I see," and "I understand" as verbal substitutes any eye contacts or head nods in an ordinary conversation. Agents should also end up listening "between the lines" for what is left unsaid. Through active listening, agents would create a conversational connection that further ends up reassuring a caller that someone really does care.

Offering an Apology
Nobody is perfect and no organization would be considered to be fault free. Mistakes happen and when they do happen, a sincere and an unconditional apology would only help in defusing a situation. What's more interesting is that only a genuine apology and proper handling of the complaint can increase customer loyalty. In fact, as research would point out, if clients feel that their concerns are addressed appropriately, 85 percent will continue to be loyal to the organization.

Stay positive
Customers can often be difficult to tackle. They rarely hold back and all they think of is to just direct their disappointment, dissatisfaction and displeasure at you. But then what can you do to stay upbeat in the face of phone rage? Firstly, avoid the tendency toward "fight or flight." Be proactive. Listen. Put yourself in your customer's shoes. And if the customer continues to be unreasonable, involve your supervisor. Just the thought that someone higher up is now involved will calm many a frustrated customer.

Being responsible helps to quite an extent
Very often call center agents hide behind the limitations of their computer scripts to avoid dealing with anything unusual. In such cases often scripts provide an efficient way to carry forward seamless customer conversations. It is only when a caller has a concern that there is some or the other sort of deviation from the planned path. Extraordinary customer support always tends to take care of things away from the script. In fact as it would go taking the initiative and assuming responsibility for resolving the case is always a part of the plan.

Resolving the issue
Clients get in touch with contact centres because they need help with something they can't resolve on their own. For all issues on hand superior call center agents are trained to assess all possible requirements. All the more being aware about what resources are available to address a particular need they go ahead and put together people and the resources for getting a job done. By involving clients throughout the process they only end up asking, "How can I help solve this problem? What would you like me to do? Is there anything else I can try for you?" To get the solution for these general queries or question visit here www.pccare247.com

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