23/04/2024 7 min readContents:
Myths are a part of any culture in the world. And marketing culture isn’t an exception. However, if you think that such things are doing no harm or nobody believes in them, you are still wrong. Myths are especially dangerous for beginners in any branch because they imply a lack of knowledge.
Moreover, even if you are a long-standing veteran of Customer Support Service, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get into recession processes, and myths impact won’t be a blessing.
That is why below we have collected the most popular customer service myths and explained how not to get in a trap with them.
“Customer’s questions are resolved - we are working well”. What’s missing in this concept? It lacks proactive service. For making progress and providing an outstanding customer experience, just doing a minimum and letting it go won’t work.
Effective customer care means being sure that your client will come back. Always consider the tone of your voice, atmosphere, speed of answering, etc. You should strive for the ideal whenever possible and pay attention even to the tiniest details of your service.
Customer’s complaints work pretty much the same. If you don’t receive them at all, it is not a good bell. It doesn’t indicate that you have an excellent, immaculate service. Your clients complain in other places. Motivate your customers to share it with you and never forget that it is you who needs it the most to analyze your pain points.
The myth gained popularity on the wave of active robotization in many sectors. But how it toches customer care? People tend to think that clients would like to talk only with human assistants, not with chatbots. Overall, research shows that chatbots are more effective in providing some basic services compared to people, and also, answer speed is twice faster than humans.
At the same time, the choice of chatbot or human communication highly depends on the industry and the kind of question a person asks. So, there is no right answer there, it is just some questions are better resolved by a chatbot, some by people, and that’s it. Let customers decide for themselves what type of service they prefer. Your work is to give them a choice.
That is the other side of the same coin. Probably, one day, yes, but not in the nearest future. Continuing the discussion of the last point, chatbots can be very productive in one field but completely fail in the more complex human interaction field. Just leave simple tasks to machines and devote yourself to resolving real problems.
No chatbot can’t fully understand human emotions, the context, etc, but they are faster and more helpful in data collecting and tracking. The question of artificial intelligence is always going to be a double-edged sword. So, the best you can do is to apply both types of customer service and to find a balance between them.
Social media myth is another pain point for many companies, and unfortunately, it became one of the greatest mistakes for many beginners. There is a tendency to think that the more means better, and it can be clearly seen with social media platforms. Businesses start to create many accounts in completely different networks, deeply convinced that it may aid to engage diverse groups of people, but in reality, this only leads to spraying yourself on things that don’t make sense.
First of all, handling so much social media at one time, and providing high-quality content everywhere sounds a bit impossible, don’t you think? Secondly, always do the market research to find out where your main audience is, and focus on two or three to achieve the best results.
Companies sometimes think that emotional connection is more important than speed of solving issues. The thing is that emotions really are a powerful force, but remember that customers, first of all, expect immediate service.
Besides, both, the result and customer service metrics, which directly indicate the result, are depending on speed. Still, being fast but emotionless, also a bad strategy, as clients don’t want to be just numbered in your system. Finding a balance may be a solution here, once more. Upgrade the skills of your employees so that they can quickly serve and build connections with clients.
There are some customer service standards in every company. They exist to determine the minimum level of work that should be done and at the same time to show where to strive.
But still, it’s necessary to understand that rules only create an illusion of control over the situation. Too often strict policies don’t leave a chance to employees to find another approach to different customers and to show their creative potential. Give your workers an opportunity to think out of the box, empower them and marvelous results will not keep you waiting.
It's a common misconception that automation strips away the human touch from customer service. But the truth is, when done right, automation can actually amplify the human element by allowing your team to invest more time in meaningful interactions. Think about it: By automating routine tasks like order confirmations or appointment reminders, your team can redirect their energy toward providing personalized assistance and solving complex issues.
Plus, automation ensures consistency in communication, so every customer receives the same high standard of service, regardless of who they're interacting with. It's like having a reliable assistant who takes care of the nitty-gritty details, allowing your team to shine where it matters most: building genuine connections and exceeding customer expectations. So, rather than fearing automation, embrace it as a powerful tool for enhancing the overall customer experience.
Andrew Fayad, CEO, ELM Learning
Often, customers don't see (or don't understand) the value of standing calls with their customer support team. I think this falls on both parties to make sure everyone knows what to expect from collaboration.
Providers should not use these calls exclusively as a sales pitch for new products or features. The time should be used to ensure you are optimizing delivery and that your client is getting value. From our experience, our client success team has had better relationships with our clients when they ask the hard questions and provide solutions.
On the customer side, be as transparent with your vendors as possible. You've already invested time in setting up and sharing your vision with your partner. Keep the conversation going, and be clear about what you expect and what you need to make the relationship successful.
Utmost transparency is paramount and essential for a healthy, impactful relationship. And that is best done with regular standing calls.
Ashley Bowlin, Chief Growth Officer, Allied Insight
One customer service myth that has been challenged through my experiences with OneStop Northwest LLC is the notion that "a complaint reflects poor customer service." Many assume that if a customer raises an issue or complaint, it automatically means the service provided was below expectations or inadequate. However, this myth doesn't hold up under scrutiny, and I've learned that complaints can actually be opportunities for growth and development.
For example, after receiving feedback on how our digital marketing strategies could improve for a small business client, instead of viewing this as a failure, we saw it as a chance to dive deeper into our strategies and refine our approach. The result was not only an improved strategy that significantly enhanced our client's online presence but also a strengthened relationship with the client who appreciated being heard and seeing their feedback implemented.
Moreover, by embedding a culture at OneStop Northwest that views customer feedback, including complaints, as valuable insights rather than mere criticism, we've been able to continually improve our services. This proactive approach to customer feedback has allowed us to tailor our offerings more precisely to our clients' needs, reinforcing the idea that complaints, when handled correctly, can serve as key drivers for innovation and customer satisfaction.
Dylan Cleppe, Co-Founder and CEO, OneStop Northwest LLC
In this article, we have shown you some of the most popular myths about customer service. Customer care changes every day, so sometimes we can’t keep up with all the novelty, and that is how myths appear. Always dig deeper and try to check the information, if you want to stay in this business for long.
