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How to curb customer service issues in a pandemic world – Small Business Corner

One of hardest-hit departments in a small business is more often than not, customer service. The pandemic has dramatically increased the level of customer emotions and anxiety in service calls, making the job that is hard for reps on a normal day far more challenging. So, what can small businesses do to help reps navigate this difficult situation? We have identified some tactics that savvy small businesses can use.

Provide the right techniques

It is critical to update policies to reflect the current reality and reduce opportunities for reps to use outdated policies when attempting to solve customers’ problems. The objective is to empower reps to make exceptions in order to solve the customer’s problem in a relevant, current manner.

Practice empathy

It is so important to always provide that special “human touch.” It is equally important for reps to continue to show empathy when engaging with customers to demonstrate concern for their health, safety and well-being. The conversations your employees are having with customers may be the only human interactions they have had all day.

Positive emotional connection

Customers are more likely to do business with a company that they have an emotional connection with. There are many opportunities during the customer journey to build an emotional connection with the customer, and the customer service experience is leading among them. By fulfilling the customer’s needs, or solving their problems, with personalized interactions between the customer and customer service rep, the customer can leave the experience feeling emotionally satisfied and wanting to return.

Promote collaboration

Modern day collaboration tools such as instant messaging and project management platforms like Slack, for example, can create workspaces for reps to connect in real time to get advice and perspective from fellow colleagues. When reps have a system that enables them to easily communicate with each other and with other groups, the quality of service provided will surge.

The pandemic has put service reps, managers and leaders under pressure they have likely never experienced before. But by focusing on the right skills and support from competent managers and peers, there is no reason that service organizations can’t successfully navigate and even flourish during these trying times.