There are many approaches to increasing customer satisfaction, but the H-E-A-R-T method appears to cover most critical aspects in a simple manner.
Customer Service Week is a time to reflect on the
interrelated well-being of all of the people who make up your company: those
who utilize your product or service, as well as those who serve your customers
and help your company work smoothly.
The value of a customer’s interaction with a company cannot
be overstated. It has the potential to make or break their entire
journey.
For consumers, customer experience has become more important
than price and customers are willing to spend more money with a company that
guarantees them a satisfying experience. According to McKinsey, 70% of the
customer’s journey is dictated by how the customer feels they are being
treated.
A lot of businesses compete through the level of customer
experience they are able to deliver and most of the time, businesses that
deliver better customer service obtain revenue above their market.
It’s important to see your customers as invited guests to a
party and as the host it’s upon you to make the customer experience a little
bit better, this helps your reputation in the industry. A good number of
customers tell others if they have a satisfying experience but the same
customers will not tell a business about their negative experience. They simply
leave.
Analyzing your customer service to deliver better
experiences is a huge part of creating a positive experience for your clients.
Customers need to feel their expectations being met and most of the time they
do not mind sharing their personal information in exchange for better services.
This extends across all platforms including social media which plays a major
role in regards to feedback in today’s world.
Do not try to be smart and tell the customers what they
want. Serve them instead. Many customers blame poor customer service for having
to explain their issues multiple times.
There are other approaches to increasing customer
satisfaction, but the H-E-A-R-T method appears to cover all of the most
critical aspects in a simple manner.
Hear, Empathize, Apologize, Respond, and Thank your clients.
Hear
Availability is just as important as the actual process of
listening. Have at least four or five ways for customers to discuss products
and services; emails, phone calls, texts, live chats. Being as available as
possible shows your customers you care before you even actually start
discussing their experience or purchase.
Empathy
Empathizing is often a little easier to do in person, making
email responses and live chats a struggle, but there are strategies for
empathetic writing that can help you get over that hurdle. Do your best to put
yourself in the person’s shoes, and use dialogue such as “I understand” and
“That would upset me too”. This is a stepping stone to the important part,
which is ‘Apology’.
Apology
There will certainly be customers who are more difficult
than others, but those ones, in particular, like to hear that you think they
are right. Similar to employee retention strategies focused on making the
individuals feel empowered, apologizing to an angry customer makes them feel
like they are in the proverbial driver’s seat.
Respond
In ideal situations, whether in-person, on the phone, or via
text, you’ll know how to amend the issue. If an immediate remedy to their issue
is not available or beyond a given employee’s pay grade, even a simple promise
to immediately talk to someone who knows the answer to their question, or a
promise of a follow up email, adds a level of comfort even if the customer is a
bit upset about not getting an immediate answer.
Thank
Regardless of whether the response is one that solves their
issue or not, a thank you is necessary. Let the client know that their issue
will be taken into account, and you appreciate them reaching out, as it will
ultimately help your company serve customers better in the future. Add that you
hope they continue to be one of those customers.
The H-E-A-R-T method is built on kindness and an attempt to
understand where others are coming from. It’s not only great for customer
service, but also in everyday life.