The quality of client service is a widely discussed topic nowadays, garnering increasing attention due to growing competition in the globalised world and in view of the unstable economic situation. The majority of companies realize this and use different tools for monitoring the quality of their customer service. Failing to provide high level client service can damage the company’s image or even completely ruin it.
What are the advantages of good client service?
First of all, high-quality client service is one of the most powerful means of winning loyal customers and building rapport. It is also a way of attracting new customers, which is highly important as the competition is intense. If the customer feels happy with the level and quality of the client service, they will most certainly want to come back. Proper client service makes the customer feel important. The company should do its best to help the client make a choice, offer alternatives and help find what they truly need. If the brand tries hard to do all of the above, the customer is very likely to come back again and again.
Secondly, happy customers will probably recommend your brand to friends and acquaintances, which will inevitably expand your client database. Consider the possibility of offering bonuses to customers who recommend your brand to others so that referrals are mutually beneficial. An expanding client database is another advantage of quality client service.
Thirdly, more than half of potential buyers are ready to pay higher prices if the company provides service at a better level. Don’t waste this opportunity.
Finally, companies with quality client service are more resistant to crises. Loyal customers remain faithful to the brands they like during unstable times since their products and the level of provided services make them happy. During economically troubling times, the problem of attracting new customers comes to the fore of business strategy. That is why providing high-quality service should be the highest priority. You should constantly work on this issue (not only during a crisis, of course). If you don't strive to improve the quality of your services, then your business is very likely to simply perish in a competitive struggle. Think of all the advantages quality service is offering to your business.
All of the above means that the level of client service is of great importance. Do not underestimate its significance. Being neglectful or careless will result in the loss of a client. Quality client service is an area that must be constantly improved.
How can we evaluate the quality of client service?
Companies all over the world pay great attention to client service as it promises many advantages. One cannot stand still in the changing world; instead, one has to improve the internal business processes of the company daily while at the same time working on client service.
Large-scale surveys and studies can give us a general idea of the situation related to the importance of quality service. However, generalized surveys won't help companies to understand whether their client service meets the needs of the consumers. That is why companies require internal surveys to help them get feedback from their customers and find their weak spots. There are numerous tools for assessing the quality of client service. However, be very careful with surveys as a significant number of customers say that they are annoyed by constant requests from companies to assess the quality of their customer service.
Why is this so? With the increase of information flow in recent years, consumers might feel irritated by these evaluation requests from companies. Living in the digital age is a little overwhelming. As a rule, people are not willing to spend a lot of time writing complaints if they don't like the quality of client service of a particular enterprise.
Then, which methods of evaluation are the most effective? The answer is methods that are convenient for the customer and those which require minimum cost and effort.
Maintaining open channels of communication between the company and the customer can become an important factor in increasing customer loyalty. The quality of client service has an essential impact on a company’s image in that it distinguishes one brand from a number of others, creating a great advantage.
Disappointingly, however, many consumers find it difficult to name an organization that offers high-quality customer service.
If we look at the process of assessing customer service quality in more detail, we will see that each method applies a specific set of parameters. Let us consider several common options which are now used by experts.
The first is related to customer satisfaction. According to the experience of a majority of companies, the best way to improve the quality of service is to focus on customer requests. You have to find out what exactly the customer wants and give it to them. Secondly, ideally the company should get the customer's feedback as quickly and accurately as possible at every stage of the process to make necessary modifications to their marketing campaigns. Thirdly, managers should be open and willing to tell the customer exactly what has already been done. It is important to find out whether the client is ultimately happy with the results in order to draw objective conclusions. This allows you to form a trusting relationship with the customers.
The second option relies on analysis of customer requests and monitoring the company’s mentions in the media and on the Internet. It is important to closely monitor all customer requests and respond to feedback, especially if this feedback requires improvements. For a bank, for example, the most efficient way to process this information is using employee reports as well as monitoring the mentions of the bank in the media and on the Internet. Timely responses and an honest desire to solve problems comprise one of the main success formulas for any company.
The third option is the use of questionnaires/survey systems. If you are considering this method, keep in mind that the survey questions should be related to both the quality of the project and its results and also each stage of the interaction with the customer. In addition to objective items, the questionnaire should include subjective factors. Questionnaires should be created and conducted by an independent professional from the marketing department. This will enable you to get an objective picture and provide you with an opportunity to eliminate the negatives before the completion of the project.
When assessing the results of the questionnaire, the professional from the marketing department calculates the customer satisfaction index. Such indices are used by Google and Apple and many other major companies around the world. This system allows the company to fix errors and make corrections, improve the quality of tasks, and develop the communication skills and professional competence of its employees.
The fourth option is similar to the third one: feedback from clients. Successful completion of any work requires a well-trained staff. Employees have to be emotionally involved and sincerely interested when performing their work. It is also important for employees to work as a team to achieve their overall goals. All employees must be trained according to certain standards. Each department should be headed by a leader who will be responsible for improving the skills and the performance of employees.
The fifth option is employing a “Mystery Shopper.” Many successful companies perform this type of marketing research annually to improve the quality of their client service. It involves visiting other businesses and allows a company to determine the level of their client service compared to that of others.
The results obtained enable company owners to identify weaknesses and take measures to eliminate identified problems. The task of quality management is to approach the solution to each problem individually, prevent the development of conflict, and show customers that they have been heard and understood. Another important aspect is monitoring the reputation of the company on the Internet and social networks.
The sixth option is related to the overall attitude and motivation of the team and the related advantages. If everything is working well, goals are set correctly, and members of the team are motivated, client service will be of high level, too. If everyone in the team is interested in doing their job, and if they are well-paid, then it will be easier to work on improving the quality of service. An unmotivated, incorrectly selected team which is not performing well gives the company no chance to fulfill the customer's wishes.
To provide quality service, companies usually use a combination of several of the suggested approaches. They require their employees to provide quality client service, which leads to short-term results. That is why it is also important to improve customer service quality by improving the attitudes of employees towards their own work, building rapport with them and forming a corporate culture. The loyalty of both customers and employees will be very beneficial for the company.
How can you ensure quality client service in your company?
The minute your customer contacts your company for the first time, you have to surround him with care, attention and good service. It really does matter from the very beginning. The reputation and future of your company rely heavily on the customer’s first impression. Customers have to feel comfortable throughout the process of your communication with them.
The first point to take care of is choosing your employees wisely. However, this is not the only thing that is essential to providing quality service. If you want your interaction with customers to be successful, you have to know how to listen to them, understand their needs and offer as many alternative solutions to their problem as possible.
To ensure high-quality client service, your company needs special departments that will establish principles and procedures related to the issue. All managers of the company should remember that commercial considerations should not prevail over the quality of work performed. This approach can be greatly beneficial. Try it out and you’ll see how many advantages it will bring.
High-quality client service is becoming one of the most important competitive advantages in the business world. Good client service has always been in demand, but today its importance is especially significant because of the high rate of competition. However, not every company can offer services of proper quality and ensure that the finished product complies with the client's requirements. If you want the customer to return and recommend your brand to friends, you must be able to provide quality client service.
There is nothing more natural than the client's wish to receive superior service. What qualities does a company need in order to win loyal customers? First of all, you have to be open to communication. It is important to understand people, listen to them and express a desire to help them solve their problems.
Regardless of the economic situation in your country, the market conditions or any other changes taking place in the world, providing high-quality client service should be one of the fundamental principles of any company. Even at the commercial proposal and preparation stage, it is vital to clearly understand the tasks that the client is setting for you. Client service is equally important at the very beginning of the working process as well as during the implementation stage.
How can you improve client service in your company?
Taking a responsible attitude towards client service will help you to avoid conflicts. Take your past mistakes into account and try not to make them again, and the number of loyal customers will increase significantly.
The most important thing is to make the client's tasks a priority, even if it is inconvenient for the company. Creating a pool of loyal customers is a painstaking job; the most important thing is to treat the requests of your customers with respect, meet their needs promptly and provide high-quality service. You will see what advantages it will bring to your business.
It is highly important not to ignore the problem of improving client service. If you think for some reason that your client service is good enough at the moment, you are at risk of failing. You need to constantly look for ways to improve the quality of your service and fix errors as they arise. Perhaps the most crucial advice for improving client service is to talk to your clients. Feedback is vital. Be open, flexible and friendly.