Customer service is often the first point of contact through which interested parties and customers come into contact with a company. This is formative for the entire further relationship between the two parties. It is vital for a company to retain customers over the long term through their satisfaction. This is largely influenced by the service to the customer. So what exactly is good customer service? And how is this made possible in the company?
What does customer service mean?
The definition of customer service primarily describes a department within a company that acts as an interface between customer and service. The customer service representatives, also known as customer service agents, take care of tasks such as
- Questions about deliveries and services
- Complaints and restitutions
- Warranty cases
- Questions about invoices
- Product samples
- Advice on assembly and commissioning
- And much more
At the same time, the term “customer service” not only represents the department itself but also the tasks of this department. The aim is to always satisfy a company's customers through the comprehensive help service. In the best case scenario, the result of this service is to turn prospective customers into customers, to be able to retain existing customers and to encourage them to purchase further products or services. The focus is always on fulfilling customer needs. But what exactly do customers understand by good service?
"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." Bill Gates
What is good customer service?
Good customer service is the result of many individual measures within a company. Above all, it is important that the service to and for the customer is integrated into the corporate philosophy. Employees can only personify as much customer orientation as it is part of the strategy and as is exemplified by their superiors. The strategy also states that customer service begins long before a purchase is made. All individual prospects must be treated as if they have been customers for a long time. This includes patience, competence and a comprehensive range of advice. The prospect gets the time to build trust and will be happy to stay. In addition, it is necessary to adapt customer service to today's digital status. Conventional ways in which the customer can get in touch with the company are supplemented by new, much-used communication channels. These include, for example, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, chats or video calls.
In addition to these strategic measures, the technical infrastructure within a company makes a significant contribution to good customer service. This includes good software that makes it possible to master the increased documentation effort in an uncomplicated manner. Because a lot has to be documented:
- Customer history including all complaints, comments or special requests
- Sales and returns
- Contact person and processing service employees
- Etc.
Last but not least, the most important component of good customer service: the customer service staff. Patient, friendly customer service is only possible if they are satisfied. What is decisive for this is the appreciation that the company shows them, both materially and personally. But why all this?
What makes good customer service so important?
Why is good customer service so important?
The answer is short: satisfied customers are paying customers. Without paying customers there is no turnover, without turnover there is no profit. And so on. A good service strategy is therefore vital for maintaining a company.
There is one main reason why individual service faux pas can have a negative impact: dissatisfied customers talk about them. The feedback from customers is extremely important in order to inquire about their satisfaction and to be able to adjust the service if necessary. Repeatedly unheard customer opinions can damage your image.
The goal, however, should not be to appease dissatisfied customers with discount offers or other concessions, but in the best case scenario there will be no great reasons for complaint in the first place; but if so, it can still be an opportunity. Because the more important the customer service employees take the customer's concerns, the more they respond to individual complaints and claims, the more positive the resulting customer experience.
How does EcholoN understand customer service?
EcholoN was aware early on how essential customer service is within a company. Therefore, a modular software was developed that can be adapted exactly to the needs and circumstances of the respective company. This creates the opportunity to easily improve customer service to service excellence.
The modular customer service software makes it possible to put together a customer relationship management tool - perfectly adapted to the individual case of a company. The basis for the EcholoN Customer Service is, on the one hand, the ticket system including the associated knowledge database, which grows organically with every service case that is recorded within the software. On the other hand, the Configuration Management Data Base (CMDB) is an essential component through which devices and systems can be managed.
This combination alone enables inquiries to be received, answered, forwarded, processed, documented, etc. But that's not all. Other modules that can be implemented immediately or retrospectively include:
The result is a holistic service solution that enables companies to offer good customer service and to retain customers in the long term. The support of suitable software is essential, since the documentation effort that is necessary in order to be able to advise customers adequately would go beyond the scope of manual input.
As always, if you have any questions about the EcholoN software solution, do not hesitate to contact us - without obligation and straightforward.