When you think of the term, “business growth,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind that would help you facilitate that?
Is it a killer marketing strategy that creates conversions? A super sales team that knows how and when to spot the best opportunities for growth? A compassionate customer service team that knows the ins and outs of the brand and could help anyone with almost any problem?
The answer is yes. To all of the above.
Because quite frankly, all three of these business aspects fall hand in hand and are mutually beneficial to each other. An effective and tactical marketing strategy is imperative for driving sales. Excellent customer service is needed to maintain those loyal customers. Content marketing is a form of providing customer service by offering valuable information that your audience can benefit from. A strong customer success team keeps your core audience coming back (which generates more sales). Need I go on?
It’s no secret that good customer service is the backbone of any company. Not to mention, customer retention is much cheaper than customer acquisition.
So why does it often go overlooked? And how can we implement those customer service skills into other departments, to keep your business running like a well-oiled machine?
The Importance of Customer Service
We’ve all been there. The dreaded phone call to your internet service provider, looking to cancel your account. You’re put on hold for at least twenty minutes, passed on by several different employees, and pressured into opting into a different service.
Your frustration is building as you are put on hold for yet another twenty minutes. Finally, you get ahold of (another) person, who, after also trying to upsell, begrudgingly cancels your service.
You hang up the phone, frustrated, agitated, and annoyed by the lack of empathy you just received from your customer service representative.
This simple task on your to-do list has turned into a full day of playing telephone with your internet company, and this one interaction could be the event that pushes you to sign up with their competitors instead.
Point blank, this kind of customer service is not sustainable for any company, let alone small businesses that are still in the process of growing their profits. And when you take away the face-to-face interaction with your customers, your e-commerce company is left working twice as hard to provide the same level of concierge service.
And while this may feel like a daunting task, it does not have to be hard or even strenuous when given the right tools and training the right people.
What is Good Customer Service?
So, we all know that we want good customer service. But what exactly, is good customer service? And how can you, as a business, establish a strong customer service team that stands apart from your competition?
Luckily, the solution heavily lies in soft-skill development, that, with the right training, can be taught to nearly anyone that’s willing to learn.
Be Responsive
Potentially the best way to provide excellent customer service is to respond quickly. Or, to simply…respond.
We all have busy lives, and consumers want to spend the least amount of time on resolving their issues as possible. If you respond to their email within 24 hours of them sending it, you are already ahead of 62% of companies that claim that they do not respond to customer emails.
Ecommerce platforms already pose the problem of weary customers that are nervous to communicate via phone or email because they are afraid they won’t connect with a real person. By delaying your responses, or not responding at all, your company is solidifying this fear and losing out on revenue.
Be Empathetic
If your company claims to have stellar customer service, make sure you practice what you preach. Hire a department of people that are great listeners, quick problem solvers, and smart empathetic leaders. The best way to get to the core of a customer’s issue is to empathize with their problem and understand that they are frustrated or confused.
Customer service representatives that truly understand the issue of a customer can quickly discover the best solution. Since they have the consumer’s best interest in mind, it’s easier for them to make a connection and find a fast solution that satisfies all parties.
Be a Human
We all know that dreaded feeling all too well of emailing or calling an online business, only to be lead to a pre-recording, or an employee reading off of a script.
If you want to connect with your consumer base, the best way to do so is to train your department to be personable and less robotic. Each customer should feel like they are talking to a friend that’s trying to help them solve their problem. By speaking to a “real human,” you are personalizing their experience and creating a better chance for them to stay onboard as a customer (even if they originally called in to complain about your service).
If you have the means to do so, open up as many outlets as you can for a customer to get in touch with your team. The most common way of reaching an ecommerce customer service team is through phone or email, but other companies have begun to experiment with texting phone lines, and chat functions built into their website.
It may seem overwhelming to keep all of those outlets organized, but with platform integrations like Gorgias.com, the organization can easily be streamlined and viewed under one large program.
Convenience is Key
Consumers don’t want to spend all day trying to resolve a simple issue with their service. And they also want to be able to get in touch with their provider in the most convenient way possible for them.
How Can Customer Service be Used in a Content Marketing Outlet?
Customer service can (and should) infiltrate through all the departments within your organization. Every professional can benefit from developing and perfecting the soft skills that come with good customer service.
However, it can be especially helpful in a content marketing scenario.
You may not be directly speaking to a customer that’s used your product, but content marketing gives you an ample opportunity to provide an extra layer of service. Your content marketing team should be regularly collaborating with your customer service team to evaluate what the consumer wants to know about your business. By figuring out the content that could add value to your customer, you have a much greater chance of them landing on your site again and again, and becoming a repeat customer.
Increase that Engagement!
Every post you make on social media, every blog you write up on your website, and every email campaign that you send to your subscribers presents an opportunity for you to engage with your audience and show off your customer service skills.
The core reasoning behind both content marketing and customer service is the same. Both departments aim to create a valuable experience for their customers.
Here are a few approaches you can take to your content marketing strategies that also exemplify stellar customer service:
You want a strong team. A customer success team that will stand out from the competition, help your bottom line, and increase customer loyalty. But how can all of that be achieved if you don’t know how to organize your team?
- Respond to comments. Occasionally, when your ecommerce business is experiencing backup, and you have a strong social media presence, consumers will reach out via comments on your Instagram for help. Respond to these comments! Even if you are simply directing them to speak to a customer service representative, it will make the consumer feel like they aren’t being ignored, and it will increase your overall engagement.
- Frequently highlight customer testimonials. Pay attention to the aspects of your business that your customers like, and feature them on your social media platforms. A simple shout out and tagging that customer can go a long way; plus it highlights a great feature of your business. Win-win!
- Take note of what your customers want. If your customer service team regularly receives requests on information they’d like to know about, consider turning it into content material. For example, if you are a wine subscription company, and you often get requests on how to determine the sweetness of a wine, turn it into a blog post! That way, you are providing content that is valuable to your consumer base, and you have a reason to direct viewers to you blog the next time they write in with that question.
- Take advantage of user-generated content. User generated content is any kind of content across social media that is created by consumers rather than brands. Use this to your advantage! The next time a customer tags your business or product in their Instagram story or posts, reach out to them and ask them if you can repost it. Not only is it a great example of going above and beyond for your customers, but it’s free content for your social pages!
Take your Customer Service to the Next Level
Now that we understand just how imperative it is to have a strong customer service team and skill set among your company, it’s time to look for the how. How can you make that happen?
Content Cucumber has you covered when it comes to content marketing. Gorgias has got you covered when it comes to building and maintaining an amazing customer experience.
With a platform like Gorgias, you are able to:
Centralize all of your support tickets in one place , and have all of your customer’s data displayed in one place.
Provide fast support. Seeing all of your customer’s information at once, you’re able to quickly manage their needs.
Automate your tasks. Georgias helps you automate certain tasks like copying/pasting commonly asked questions, and closing out support tickets so that your team can focus on the areas that matter.
Help you engage with your audience before they even visit your website. When you respond to questions asked by users on your ads and posts, it can help you increase your sales and ad effectiveness.
Have easy access to your sales data, and where they are coming from. This will help you determine what is working, and where there are areas for improvement.
It’s no secret that great customer service is imperative for your ecommerce business to thrive. It’s not worth skimping out on, and Gorgias wants to help you take it to the next level. Are you ready to change the future of your business? Click here for more information on Gorgias and to access 2 months free when you sign up today.