Customer service quick-wins! Improve quickly with these 6 Quickwins

1. Watching

It can be enlightening to take a look at customer service. Just observe how the work is done. Often customer service representatives have had training and do things a certain way. Sometimes things are done because that's the way they are done or because someone said that's the way it should be done. Just by watching along, you often get valuable information that you can't get from listening back to conversations. If you watch objectively and without prejudice, you often notice things quickly. Things that could possibly be done better or faster, or things that are being done when they really aren't needed. Customer service quick-wins can be fun too!

2. Reports

This ties in with the first point. Reports are often created, sent and viewed. However, analyzing what is reported, to whom and why is often not done enough. Moreover, most systems can often do much more reporting. Go back to the drawing board when it comes to reporting. See who wants to know what, so you can do something with that. Reporting for the sake of reporting is useless. Reports should provide insight into performance against certain standards and should also show improvements or deteriorations as a result of certain interventions or changes. Customer service quick-wins can sometimes also reduce work.

3. Offerings - Day/week/month profiles

Most of the customer service organizations we encounter have little insight into the actual supply of contacts. Let alone on the distribution of these contacts over a given period. The reports from point 2 should give you a good picture of that. Only then can you make schedules that are attuned to the actual supply. Over time, you will be able to recognize patterns and gain a better understanding of the internal and/or external factors that influence the number of interactions.

4. Dynamic FAQ

Frequently asked questions should not be static! When customers call too often about the same topics, something goes wrong. Make sure you avoid those frequently asked questions. For some web shops, 50% of the questions are about the delivery time of the order. It then seems desirable to adjust that process so that customers no longer have questions about that. That way, your FAQ becomes dynamic because you are constantly working to avoid the most frequently asked questions.

5. Get input from your employees

They work with your customers and with most other departments within the company. They know where things go wrong and where customers are dissatisfied. They are the best source of input on how things are going internally. They can pinpoint what they need to do their jobs better. Take your time and talk regularly with customer service representatives about their work and what they encounter on a daily basis.

6. Ask your customers for feedback

In addition to your employees, your customers are also a valuable source of information. Ask your customers what they think of customer service. Maybe they like being able to chat with your customer service, but you don't offer that channel at all. Maybe they find your hold music cracklingly irritating and it's a small effort to change that. If you don't ask your customers anything, you know nothing and can't serve them better.

Hopefully you can get started with our Customer Service quick-wins!