Time Management Techniques for Effective Customer Relationship Management
As customer experience professionals, there's a lot of information to soak up. And when it comes to being accountable for a high level of customer service, we have no choice but to keep up with the world through social media and the web. Collaborative tools like Trello and live chat are invaluable but can never replace face-to-face human interaction—even though they’re not designed for that kind of sentiment either. That’s why effective management techniques are your best bet for ensuring that your needs come ahead of those you serve. Here's what they have in store:
* Work smarter not harder - Reduce distractions by managing tasks differently than you used to.
* Don't push the cart - Employees should welcome customer feedback, particularly when it's helpful. Be an evangelist for your company's products and services.
* Expectations - Set the bar high and communicate your expectations both explicitly and implicitly by emphasizing values like integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness.
* Respect - Follow up with thank yous, as well as come back to check in with customers as often as possible.
* Simplify - Stop managing so many tasks and instead streamline your workflow with a simple system like Kanban.
* Assign - Use email and a tool like Trello to delegate tasks then follow up on time.
* Progress - Focus on continuous improvement by regularly measuring your performance, getting rid of bottlenecks, and making improvements when necessary.
* Be helpful - Help customers avoid obstacles or solve problems they don't need to be having, especially if you have specialized knowledge. This is an opportunity for you to show your expertise. For example, as a customer service representative at Amazon , I was able to help my coworkers sell product information online or handle customer issues by quickly responding in Trello.
* Communicate - Communicate clearly and often with all of your stakeholders by sharing information via email, live chat, video conferences, social media, or newsletters.
* Training - Use training to increase employee’s skills in specific areas that include improving customer service and increasing productivity. Maintain a positive team atmosphere by embracing training as an opportunity for growth and development.
* Share feedback freely of course - Your employees are on the front line—and they hear everything! Your customers have concerns and complaints and you want them to trust that you really will take action. So express yourself honestly about what went well, what could be better, or even what you’re not happy about from time to time.
* Socialize - Encourage your team to socialize with one another and build strong team cohesiveness. This will make them more comfortable working together, and it will improve their customer service skills.
* Encourage a positive culture - Show your appreciation for every little thing that your employees do by recognizing them for their efforts. It’s easy to incorporate recognition into customer service by sending out emails, providing support online via Trello, or giving a shout out to employees on social media.
* Keep 'em happy - Think about the reasons your customers love you and keep that in mind as you manage your team. This is your responsibility. If you don’t take it seriously, employees will catch on to that fact and they’ll quit.
* Don't micromanage - Give your team some autonomy and independence by setting goals without being too specific about how to achieve them. Recognize their trust by delegating the appropriate amount of work and empowering them to figure out the details of how to get it done.
* Onward up the chain - Make sure employees understand the importance of what they do—and let them know that it is their job, not yours, to satisfy customers. Then they'll go the extra mile for you.
* Gain trust - When you get to know your customers, you’ll find them to be loyal to their brand. So be attentive to their needs and let them know that you’re listening.
* Know your market - Personalize your messaging by creating customer personas and using content marketing techniques like email personalization.
* Think before you type - Don't assume that all emails are meant for everyone—and if someone is a customer, don't treat them as a prospect. This will be perceived as condescending and could result in poor feedback, which will cause confusion amongst your employees as well as damage perceptions of the company overall by clients.
* Write a custom response - Don't just write what you're going to say, write what you're going to say when you get there. Be well prepared and considerate when writing an email or message so that it doesn't make customers feel disrespected and they'll consider your company a good one to do business with.
* Be real - Customers want transparency from brands that they do business with. Take the time to speak candidly about mistakes that have been made in the past, potential issues in the future, and risks of doing business together. This will show your customers that you take their feedback seriously and will help them trust your company's products and services.
* Open communication - Take the time to listen and learn from customers, including asking questions and correct their misconceptions about your product. If you feel that your product is of high quality, show it off by highlighting its advantages.
* Provide good service - Show that you value every customer through attentive service and fast replies. Customers appreciate this kind of help because they’re not getting the same level of service from everyone else in their industry.
* Be proactive - Your employees are key to your success as a company by serving as ambassadors for your brand. Encourage them to reach out to customers who may not have found them yet or are looking for an alternative to a competitor's offering.
* Live by the Golden Rule - Treat customers the way you want to be treated. This is especially important when those customers are experiencing a problem.
* Be authentic - If you want your customers to believe that your business truly cares about them, then live it. Give back to the communities you serve through volunteering or charity events and give credit where it is due by thanking employees for their hard work.
* Give feedback - Get specific recommendations from customers on how you can improve your products or services. Then take that feedback and make improvements—or at least try! The idea is to show that you value customer input and will use it to improve your business.
Conclusion
In the end, treating your customers well is a huge part of running a successful business. You have to understand your customer base and their needs in order to create a company that serves the customer well. This will help you win their loyalty and increase profits. So take customer satisfaction seriously by implementing the suggestions and ideas in this guide, as well as using our free report on how to increase customer satisfaction here.