2013 was a great year for customer service and companies really focused in on connecting with their customers and providing a boost in their service level. This is important because customers rely on the company to provide services that reflect great and responsive service. Below are some of the things that really took flight in 2013 when it came to customer service.

Proactive Support

Customer support is about helping the customer. Granted, the one thing everyone wants to do is solve the problem but making this obvious can actually hurt customer service. Providing proactive support means preventing any issues customers may have before they do or suggesting solutions before they must ask. This helps to show that you care and that you want to help the customer.

Self-Service

Many customers will actually help themselves in a situation where they need help if they are given the tools to do so. Many companies do not provide the tools needed to allow customers to find their own answers. Establishing a Wiki page or a FAQ that addresses more than just basic questions will help customers. Mobile efforts are very much appreciated by customers and self-service will allow them to get answers on the go.

WalkMe offers a clear, simple and engaging enterprise class guidance platform that can help users to self-task.  Instead of calling the support center, the user can get the help they need on their own and complete the task at hand in real time.

Feedback

Feedback is just as important as anything else and will boost your customer service if you listen and are proactive about what your customers want. Although the feedback that customers give may not be very positive, it is important to listen to what the customer has to say and consider what they said. Look into the problem and see if what the customer is expressing is true. If so, correct it. Just because one person has expressed it does not mean that 5 others haven’t experienced it. Some customers just do not leave feedback or make comments.

Response Time

Although response times have increased, companies can still be slow about responding and many companies have not met the expectations that customers expect. Remember to offer an estimate of how long it will take to provide a response. This gives customers an idea of when to expect a reply. If they have a time frame, they won’t think that you are ignoring them.

Excellence

Always strive for excellence and make sure that you are always improving your customer service. This cannot be said enough. Even when something is going good, make it go perfect. Your customers will appreciate this and your employees can work towards this. Establish and define clear goals for your employees.

Multichannel Support

Multichannel support really has grown throughout 2013 and will hopefully continue to grow. As customers are becoming more technology focused, they prefer to contact your company through other means like email, live chat, and social media.

Your company needs to be accessible to keep up with the demands of today’s customer and they will also appreciate this. When someone is working, calling you on the phone to receive help may not be the answer. They can gain better support by chatting with you and looking at their screen to resolve the problem.

Customer service is a very important part of your business and without it, you will lose customers. Customers, even those that have been loyal, will go to your competition if they get better customer service and satisfaction. It is important for businesses to make sure they are connecting with their customers through social customer service and also have representative who are available and know how to use these services.

Gear up for 2014 and start preparing your business for better customer service.