• Knowing the product: When customers reach out for assistance from a business, they want to be met with a representative who knows what they’re talking about and can offer further insight into the product or service.
• Going the extra mile: Customer support teams that go above and beyond what is expected of them reinforce brand loyalty by creating relationships with customers that extend beyond just “doing business.”
• Providing omni-channel support: Offering support via phone, email and live chat allows you to stay connected with more customers and gives customers the opportunity to use the communication channel that works best for them.
• Giving back to the community: Companies that place importance on making an impact on their community show that they care about more than just filling quotas and making money.
• Asking for feedback: Customer feedback isn’t always delivered with rainbows and sunshine, but companies that put in an effort to ask for feedback and then take the steps needed to enhance their product or service are more likely to keep customers coming back for more. Additionally, 91% of consumers are more likely to use a business that has positive reviews.

Despite its seemingly simple concept, customer service is more involved than some business owners may even be aware. If you aren’t currently engaged in the essential attributes listed above, or if you’re always looking for ways to boost brand loyalty, then do we have a list for you! Check out these 30 companies with legendary customer service, and the lessons we can learn from their consistent approach.

1. Disney

Named the happiest place on earth for a reason, Disney is the unequivocal leader in creating an amazing and magical customer experience. Whether you’re visiting one of their theme parks, seeing a Disney film in theaters, or shopping at the Disney Store, you’re sure to be left with a sense of wonderment and awe. From looks to sounds and service, every aspect of the Disney empire has been carefully thought out and planned to ensure that visitors have the best experience possible.

Another thing that Disney excels at is making sure each and every visitor is treated like a VIP. It doesn’t matter if it’s your 1st or 100th visit; Disney employees take the Beauty and the Beast sentiment to heart, inviting you to “be their guest.” From character actors and vendors to ride operators and street sweepers, Disney emphasizes a “customer first” approach. In fact, the Disney brand is so successful in cultivating brilliance that they offer onsite courses on their approach to quality service. In their own words, “When an organization puts the customer at its core—empowering its people and unifying its processes—outstanding customer service becomes possible on a consistent basis, from the first greeting to the final meeting. When provided with exemplary experiences, a customer has a much greater incentive to return, as well as recommend us to others.”

2. Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A is so much more than their insanely addictive chicken and ultimate thirst-quenching lemonade. A big part ofChick-fil-A’s fame is their friendly and courteous staff, and their commitment to creating a positive customer experience, ending each interaction with the quintessential phrase, “My pleasure.” Chick-fil-A is often involved in local communities and charitable activities, like the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, which is an initiative to help restaurant operators fight hunger in their local communities. This community engagement helps create a positive image for the brand and promotes customer loyalty.

Boasting their “giving philosophy,” Chick-fil-A states that, “Everyone’s job at Chick-fil-A is to serve. No matter our title or job description, our reason for coming to work is to generously share our time and talents. Whether it’s treating customers like friends, or serving our communities like neighbors, we believe kindness is a higher calling.”

3. Amazon

Originally founded as an online marketplace to purchase books, Amazon has evolved into a multinational technology company and has become one of the world’s largest retailers. Amazon’s most notable asset is Amazon Prime, a paid subscription plan which has close to 200 million subscribers worldwide. Prime users reap the benefits of one and two-day shipping of goods, and have access to other features such as streaming, gaming and grocery shopping services.

Not only do customers of Amazon Prime love how quickly their orders are shipped and delivered, but most notably, how easy it is to work with customer service. Whether a product wasn’t shipped on time, was delivered damaged or was just not up to standards, Amazon’s return policy makes them a widely-trusted brand. Oftentimes if there’s an issue with an item, Amazon is quick to either refund the purchase, or send a completely new item in its place free of charge. Gone are the days where you have to call customer support and state your case. Users can simply log onto their app, click a few buttons, and the system handles the rest.

4. Chewy

Chewy is the #1 choice for pet parents everywhere. When I first adopted my dog, I of course turned to Chewy to order all of the necessary supplies. When one of my items came in damaged, I called Chewy’s customer service and had a genuinely fantastic experience. Not only was my rep friendly and helpful, she seemed actually interested to hear about my new family member. After our interaction, I immediately completed a survey to applaud my rep’s attention to detail and friendliness.

Chewy is known to go the extra mile for their customers in meaningful ways. Whether they’re sending free, hand-painted pictures of pets to customers at random, sending hand-written and addressed birthday cards for your faithful companion, or sending flowers and condolences after a beloved pet passes, Chewy is a name that stands out among pet owners.

5. Specialty Answering Service

Not to toot our own horn, but as the leading call center service provider in the industry, we prides ourselves on our excellent customer service. With over 500 5-star Google Reviews, customers are apt to agree, one such customer quoted as saying, “Exceptional team! A company’s essence lies in its people, and this group is outstanding, ensuring top-notch quality in every product they deliver.” While our Support staff is small, they are mighty in their abilities to assess customer issues and come up with effective solutions. Not only do we excel in solving problems, we take a proactive approach and reach out to customers periodically to check in, provide demos to show off new features, and ultimately provide an excellent customer experience.

In addition to providing top-tier support, our service comes with a state-of-the-art online portal that offers a ton of free features to sweeten the deal. Clients can securely text or call their customers right from their portal, configure numerous callback features to ensure we’re capturing every lead possible, and create completely customizable scripting solutions. In other words, toot toot.

6. Help Scout

As a help desk ticketing platform, helping customers is the name of the game for Help Scout. As a customer of Help Scout, I have never had a bad experience with their support team. Any time I have an issue or questions, their team has always been reliable, friendly, down to earth and most of all, helpful! Help Scout’s online knowledge base offers user-friendly tutorials, step-by-step instructions, and great tips and tricks when working with their software.

Help Scout is always improving their platform, keeping up with the latest technology to provide their customers with the tools they need to succeed. Recently, they’ve introduced different AI tools, like AI Summarize, which can be used to quickly summarize conversations in Help Scout, and AI Assist, which can be used to help enhance responses. Both of these features have been designed with the user in mind to ensure customers are getting the most out of their product.

7. Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s is a supermarket chain that is known for its diverse and unique array of products, and many customers appreciate the high-quality and healthy selection of food. On top of that, the employees at Trader Joe’s are friendly and approachable. Often found wearing fun Hawaiian shirts, Trader Joe’s has succeeded in creating a casual and welcoming atmosphere for shoppers.

While the atmosphere and grocery options at Trader Joe’s are the main reasons that customers love to shop there, their employees steal the show. They excel at remembering frequent shoppers and creating relationships. And let’s not forget how superbly they handle unhappy guests, like when employees put on a whole song and dance for a toddler who was less than thrilled to be there. Where most other employees would turn the other way or even remark negatively, Trader Joe’s employees strive to make everyone’s experience a memorable one.

8. Duolingo

Duolingo is the leading language learning app that provides personalized bite-sized instructions based on users preferences. Users have total control over their own education, and not only can they choose which language they want to learn, but Duolingo offers multiple avenues to learn that language. For example, users can choose to focus on travel-based language, food-based language, or a mix of a little bit of everything! Duolingo also offers courses for different age ranges, so the whole family can get involved and learn at the level that best suits them.

Learning a new language can be daunting, so Duolingo makes it fun by incorporating gamification elements to keep users engaged. Users earn points, achievements, and virtual rewards as they progress through lessons, which helps motivate their interest in language learning.

9. Publix

Like Trader Joe’s, Publix is a grocery store chain that has perfected its approach to establishing a relationship with the community. They provide excellent customer service by taking input from shoppers and stocking items that they request. Publix also prides itself on selling quality products and offering Buy One Get One deals to help shoppers get the most bang for their buck.

In addition, some Publix locations extend services via their Aprons Cooking Schools, where customers can attend cooking classes and learn new recipes. This adds an educational and interactive element to the shopping experience, which sets Publix apart from other grocery chains.

10. Subaru

Growing up, my family always had Ford cars. When it was time for me to buy my own car, I knew I didn’t want to continue the Ford legacy because on more than one occasion, I felt unsafe driving in wet conditions. After a lot of research, I kept coming back to the Subaru brand, with countless reviews boasting about their safety and reliability. After purchasing my own Subaru, I was able to put the car to the test when I had to drive home from work in a snowstorm. My car did not fail me once, and soon after, my whole family converted from Ford to Subaru.

Not only do they offer a safe and reliable product, but every interaction I have had with their customer service team has been entirely uncomplicated. Any time I’ve needed to take my car in for service, they’ve always been warm, welcoming and efficient. Also, their dog commercials are super cute.

11. The Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton is a luxury hotel that is known for providing elite service and an unforgettable experience for guests. No matter what location they choose, guests of the Ritz-Carlton can expect a luxurious stay with premium amenities. The brand consistently invests in upgrading its properties to meet the highest standards of luxury.

Additionally, the Ritz-Carlton offers a user-friendly mobile app that remembers guests’ preferences and allows users to chat with staff seamlessly. From the app, guests can call room service, view concierge tips, find local dining options, and track special offers.

12. Apple

The Apple brand is famous for producing products such as the iPhone, iMac, Apple Watch, and other widely-used services like iTunes and Apple TV. While the Apple brand is known around the world for its products, many people stick with Apple for their customer service. Whether users are chatting with a customer service rep in-store at the Apple Genius Bar or communicating online via Live Chat, they are sure to be met with reps who know the product they are servicing, inside and out.

Not only can customers seek help with servicing their products in need of repair or tune-ups, but they can also meet with Apple employees and attend special classes to learn how to get the most out of their products. The more customers can get out of the products they use, the more inclined they are to stick with a certain brand.

13. Zappos

Zappos is an online shoe and clothing retailer best known for their free shipping (always!) and their 365 return policy. Zappos prides itself on being a “customer obsessed” company and strives to maintain the “Four C’s: Commerce, Customer Service, Company Culture, Community.”

Another great aspect of Zappos and one that adheres to the community aspect of their “Four C’s” vision is their Zappos for Good program, which is a “collective effort to give back and protect the planet by providing prepaid shipping labels to support donation and recycling initiatives and donating everyday essentials to local schools.” From encouraging customers to donate unwanted shoes and apparel to hosting various giveback events, Zappos is a company that puts their customers and community first.

14. Warby Parker

Warby Parker is a predominantly online eyewear retailer that focuses on an effortless selection process. Most widely known for their Home Try-On program, users can choose up to 5 pairs of glasses to try on at home, for free. Not happy with the choices? Customers can continue to send pairs back and substitute other options until they settle on a pair (or two) that they love. For customers who don’t want to deal with the back and forth of sending and receiving packages, the retailer offers a virtual try on feature via their mobile app.

Since its inception, Warby Parker instituted a Buy a Pair, Give a Pair initiative in which the company donates a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair of glasses sold. To date, over 15 million pairs of glasses have been donated worldwide.

15. Starbucks

Starbucks is the world’s leading coffeehouse chain, with more than 36,000 locations worldwide. In addition to offering a wide variety of menu selections including seasonal, vegan and low-calorie options, Starbucks consumers continue to go back for the exceptional customer service they experience. For customers who are new to the coffee game, ordering at Starbucks can be overwhelming. One confused customer noted that a barista “made my day and finally helped me figure out the way to make my drink so I’d love it. She took time out to talk to me for 2 minutes to make my experience better than what I’m used to.” This is what we call distinguished customer service!

Another aspect that Starbucks excels at is the consistent quality of their products. Starbucks customers know that no matter what location they visit, their pistachio cream cold brew will always hit the spot.

16. Google

Google is a multinational technology company that has many claims to fame, including computer software, artificial intelligence, search engine technology, and consumer electronics. There’s no doubt about it – Google is a brand that everyone knows. Their search engine makes it a breeze to find answers to questions, tutorials, recommendations, and really anything else you’re  looking for information on. Their products are easy to use, streamlined, and offer comparative features to other similar name-brand products.

While Google may not have a singular customer service department, their search engine tool allows users to take matters into their own hands. The Google server can be accessed at any day or time, and with 40,000 searches happening every second, Google has made a name for itself in any household that has access to the internet. The ability to search pretty much any piece of information has led to a generation that has taken “DIY” to a whole new stratosphere fostering a sense of self sufficiency and empowerment.

17. CVS

When you think of CVS, you probably think of your standard convenience store where you can pick up prescriptions and buy household necessities. However, CVS is reimagining the health care experience with their Healthy 2030 Campaign, which is their initiative to increase the health of people, businesses, the community and ultimately the planet. With this program, CVS is striving to make healthcare more accessible and affordable to more communities. In 2021 over 159 million meals were provided to people who are food insecure and $185 million was invested in affordable housing.

CVS has also joined forces with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to help cut down on the plastic packaging used in their store brand products with the goal of reducing plastic products by 50% by 2030. Additionally, CVS has placed an importance on animal welfare by eliminating store brand products tested on animals and will plan to sell 100% cage free eggs by 2025. CVS’s initiative to better the lives of the community and environment as a whole makes them a commendable leader in corporate social responsibility and sustainability efforts.

18. IKEA

Ikea is the modern Swedish furniture store that thousands of customers across the world have come to know and love. Not only is Ikea famous for their vast selection of affordable and sustainable Swedish-style furniture, decor and housewares, but their unique in-store experience makes them stand out among other furniture retailers.

Customers can explore room displays, try out furniture, and find inspiration for their own homes. The layout of the store encourages a hands-on and interactive approach to shopping, which is unlike what other competitors currently offer. Ikea also welcomes shoppers to eat their famous Swedish meatballs right in the store and buy a bag for the family! Who doesn’t love a good meatball?

19. Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic is a British airline that has been in business since 1984. Known for its fun and charismatic approach to flying, its chairman, Richard Branson, took part in some wild stunts to garner attention – including hot air balloon rides and rappelling down Manhattan highrises, and advertised using somewhat off-color, humorous language to get noticed. The airline has always prided itself on exceptional service and ensuring passengers’ enjoyment. To that end, in 2009, a disgruntled passenger wrote a letter to co-founder Richard Branson over the quality of the food provided on his flight. Virgin Atlantic could have responded with a run of the mill apology and offered some travel credits; instead, Branson took measures into his own hands and invited the passenger to join Virgin Atlantic’s food advisory board to help improve their menu across different flight routes.

20. USAA

The United States Automobile Association, more widely known as USAA, is a company that provides insurance and banking products exclusively to members of the military, veterans, and their families. Consistently outranking competitors, customers love USAA for their empathetic and personalized customer support, affordable insurance options and their tailored services to meet the unique needs of military members. Users who bank with USAA tend to also combine other financial products offered by the company including credit cards, checking and savings accounts and auto and mortgage loans, making USAA a one-stop shop for a majority of customers.

Oftentimes, the needs of veterans can be overlooked, so companies that pay special attention to those needs help create and foster a loyal customer base.  In addition to providing unique services, USAA also offers discounts to military members which reinforces its support for the military community.

21. Nordstrom

Nordstrom is a luxury department store that has built and upheld a strong reputation among its customer base over its 123 years in business. Not only does Nordstrom offer high-quality products and a flexible return policy, but customers can rely on receiving five-star care from employees who offer personalized recommendations and display a core knowledge of the products they are selling.

Nordstrom’s customer-centric approach allows employees to understand and anticipate the unique preferences and needs of the individual. Helping customers “feel good and look their best” fortifies confidence in both the brand and the store-level team. In Nordstrom’s own words, “Fashion changes. Shopping changes. Our commitment to happy customers doesn’t.”

22. Costco

Costco is a wholesale retailer that sells everything from bulk groceries and clothing to car parts and home improvement items. Costco has become a “one stop shop” for thousands of consumers who are able to get most, if not all, of their shopping done without having to travel to multiple stores. The retailer is also famous for their free samples, which enhance the customer shopping experience.

In addition to their wide range of available products and top tier Kirkland Signature brand, Costco puts an emphasis on savings. Bulk purchasing models typically lead to lower per-unit pricing, which results in significant savings for customers. Consumers who subscribe to Costco memberships also gain access to exclusive deals, discounts, travel, and several in-store services.

23. Hilton

Like the Ritz-Carlton, Hilton hotels are known all over the world for their consistent quality, modern amenities, comfortable accommodations and excellent customer service. Hilton’s mix of 19 different hotel brands is always on target, providing a luxury experience at an affordable rate with transparent pricing. That means no hidden fees or surprise charges. This accessibility appeals to a wider customer base who may otherwise look for different accommodations when booking for personal travel or business related needs.

Another fabulous aspect of the Hilton collection is that 80% of their hotels are pet friendly, which means that guests can travel comfortably knowing their four-legged family members will receive the same great care they have come to know and love.

24. Lexus

When you think of luxury vehicles, over-the-top experiences are sure to come to mind, and Lexus drives home (pun intended) the importance of preserving said experiences. From their concierge services, where customers can schedule pick-ups and drop-offs for their service appointments, to the attention to detail customers receive at dealerships, Lexus maintains a level of quality assurance that other car companies can’t attest to.

Lexus believes that those who purchase their brand are intent on living life to the fullest. To help customers achieve that, Lexus created an avenue where owners can explore how the world looks outside of the driver’s seat. Lexus owners enjoy exclusive experience benefits under the umbrella LexusCare. In the company’s own words, “From discounts at luxury spas, hotels and resorts to premier culinary events and wine tastings, Lexus owners can indulge in a variety of experiential activities that are sure to delight and invigorate their senses.” These perks ensure that Lexus customers are well cared for, both on and off the road.

25. Target

Target is an American retail corporation with stores chock full of clothing, accessories, tech products, groceries, and everything in between. Target shoppers often agree that they don’t go into Target with a list or a plan. When they enter a Target, it’s almost as if the store instantly syncs with shoppers’ unspoken needs and magically guides them through a maze of aisles, uncovering all the things they never knew they always wanted. And just like their unforgettable logo, the store is remarkably good at hitting a bullseye.

As someone who loves Target, I can attest that going there is always an experience. Target has developed and partnered with several brands that offer quality products at prices that are affordable. Target also offers rewards programs and discounts, customer-friendly return policies, and let’s not forget that many stores partner with Starbucks! In-store shoppers can sip on their favorite beverages while browsing their favorite brands.

26. Freshworks

Freshworks is a cloud-based customer relationship management platform that specializes in providing software as a service (SaaS) to small and medium sized businesses around the world. Their robust software roster includes products such as Freshdesk, Freshchat, Freshservice, Freshsales, and more. It is truly an all-in-one answer to an assortment of needs.

The Freshworks development team is known for creating personalized solutions for based on the specific needs of their customers, and they adhere to a customer first approach where multiple team members may jump in and work together to resolve a customer’s issues. There are also a ton of customer stories detailing how Freshworks helped keep operations afloat via their software in a number of amazing ways.

27. Best Buy

Similar to Apple’s Genius Bar, Best Buy has a “Geek Squad” service that can assist customers with technical issues they may be having. Customers can meet with the Geek Squad in-store, or they can call their mobile unit to make house calls to help repair bigger items like TVs and major appliances.

Best Buy also offers trade-in programs and recycling services that make it easy for customers to get rid of old products like computers, cell phones, cameras, vacuums and more, and receive discounts on certain items just for recycling! At most Best Buy locations, customers can recycle up to three items per household per day. If a customer doesn’t have a Best Buy nearby, they can take advantage of their Mail-In Recycling Service and still reap the benefits.

28. Walmart

Like Target, Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation with stores that can be found all over the world. Walmart offers many types of products at discounted rates, which appeal to a wide audience of shoppers. Famous for their rollback discounts, which are temporary price reductions on a wide range of items, Walmart also has a price matching policy, which guarantees shoppers the chance to bring in competitor advertisements to receive the same price in-store.

Many Walmart stores are also open 24/7 which provides flexibility for customers to shop at various times, including late nights or early mornings.

29. T-Mobile

T-Mobile is a popular mobile telephone company and is the second largest wireless  network in the United States. People love T-Mobile for their features such as unlimited data plans, no contracts, and various incentives and promotions including their “T-Mobile Tuesday” promotion which offers T-Mobile customers freebies and discounts every Tuesday.

Alongside their innovative features, customers have grown accustomed to the reliable and efficient sales and support teams at T-Mobile. Whether setting up a new phone or looking for assistance with a tech issue, working with staff who are friendly, receptive and knowledgeable is an asset to any business, and the best way to solidify your reputation.

30. Kohl’s

Kohl’s is an American retail chain with over a thousand locations nationwide offering clothing and accessories at an affordable rate. Kohl’s is most widely known for their “Kohl’s Cash” – a loyalty program where customers earn cash back in the form of coupons for future purchases based on their spending.

Customers of Kohl’s can rely on the fact that no matter what store location they’re shopping at, they will be met with consistent inventory, great prices, friendly faces and employees that are always happy to assist shoppers with whatever they need.

Conclusion

Customer service plays a significant role in shaping the success and longevity of any sized business. It serves as the cornerstone of building strong relationships with customers, fostering brand loyalty, and ultimately driving revenue growth. By prioritizing exceptional customer service, businesses can stand out among competitors, enhance their reputation, and create positive experiences that extend beyond everyday transactions.

Join the worlds best customer service companies and try SAS for free!

The post 30 Companies With the Best Customer Service (With Key Takeaways) appeared first on SAS Call Center.

The main problem is that retailers now have to do most of the work themselves. Yes, the customer picks out the item. But employees then have to locate the item, box it, and ship it – or if they’re lucky, bag it for curbside service. If a consumer has a ton of items in their cart, you can imagine how time-consuming and costly this becomes. And if you’ve ever heard of impulse buying – well, no one is in the stores to see or hear about anything additional to snag before heading to the register. So, what happens to personalized, customer-centric support while everyone is busy fulfilling orders? That is where call centers come in. And they can do way more than just answer your phone.

Field more than just phone calls.

Live Chat

According to a 2015 Zendesk study, as many as 92% of consumers feel satisfied when using live chat. And how about the statistic that 50% of consumers say having questions answered via live chat during an online purchase is an essential feature for any brand? While your staff is busy processing, filling and shipping online orders, a call center can manage your live chat channel. Skilled agents are able to juggle several chats at once. That means happy customers getting the answers they’re looking for, and more sales conversions to boost your bottom line. In fact, research has shown that live chat leads to a 48% uptick in revenue per chat hour and a 40% higher conversion rate!

SMS Response

Did you know that 98% of smartphone users in the United States text on a regular basis, but only 14% of companies text with consumers? If you haven’t adopted texting as part of your customer service arsenal, then here’s the 411. In a survey of 346 companies that use business texting, 85% of their customers would rather receive a text over a phone call or email. For a call center, responding to inbound texts is just as easy as responding to a live chat. And with 77% of consumers using texting over any other messaging tool, now is as good a time as any to incorporate texting into your business model. It’s quick and convenient, no Internet required.

Give callers the impulse to buy.

Order Taking

Though many consumers prefer the low-contact method of web surfing to make purchases, there are still people who want to talk to an actual person, on their actual phone. In fact, a global customer service study by Microsoft found that 39% of people prefer speaking on the phone to any other means of customer service. And when broken down by country, 44% of Americans are dialing in for assistance. Call centers specialize in order taking, and agents will peruse your website during training to familiarize themselves with your products and the checkout process. From entering orders to returns to tracking shipments, customers will get the full-service care they want, and you can work your magic without being tied up on the phone.

Cross-Selling & Upselling

When an agent is working with a caller to enter an order, you can instruct the agent to look for those pop-ups and side bars that suggest items the caller may want to purchase based on what’s in their cart. It’s an easy cross-sell to an impulse buyer. You can even program an agent’s script so that if a customer intends to make a purchase in a particular category of items, the agent is prompted to cross-sell by asking follow-up questions. For example, let’s say that a customer is interested in cast-iron pans. A cast-iron seasoning and cleaning kit can be scripted as an add-on. Along the same line, if they request the basic seasoning kit, the agent can upsell, offering an upgraded kit with two extra pan scrapers and an oven mitt for just $3 more. Agents are trained to both follow instructions and read their script. If you program it, they’ll say it!

Let technology do the walking.

Virtual Queueing & Callback Systems

Whether or not you’ve heard of the term virtual queueing, you’ve most certainly experienced the technology. You call your ISP. The automated greeting informs you that there is a 25-minute wait to speak with a representative. Do you want to hold, or would you like to receive a call back when it’s your turn in the queue? Well, some call centers can do the same thing. And they can also track callers who disconnect before reaching an agent and call them back to try to help you recapture those leads. With retail sales plunging as a result of the coronavirus, grabbing hold of every prospective customer is essential to your mid- and post-pandemic success.

CRM Integrations

If you’re currently using customer resource management or lead tracking software such as Salesforce, Pipedrive, or HubSpot, why not integrate them with your call center? Agents can take down customers’ information, and via API integration, that data can be pushed to your software. This way, even if the customer doesn’t follow through with a purchase, you’ll have their contact details to reach out regarding any questions or concerns they need to discuss before completing the sale, or for future marketing efforts such as promotions and surveys. This eliminates having to do double the work – receiving a message and taking time out of your day for data entry. Let technology work on your behalf and make your job so much easier.

The best part of using a call center to help with hands-free shopping is that your valued customers are communicating with live human beings! No bots, no auto-replies. Only real people answering questions in real time. Your call center becomes your trusted intake department. And that frees up your intake department to lend a hand getting orders out the door asap. It will not only increase the likelihood of making a sale, but it will increase productivity across the board for your staff. Having a team of agents waiting to personalize customer interactions while you’re tied up behind the scenes is invaluable. As anyone in business can tell you, when you show your customers how much they matter, you’re building lifelong relationships. And that’s money in the bank for years to come.

The post How Call Centers Can Help Maximize Sales with Hands-Free Shopping appeared first on SAS Call Center.

If you’re a 2 person small business or a 2,000 employee behemoth, your customer is your most important asset. The secret to growing your company is being able to maintain a high customer service level despite how small (or how large) your operation may be. If you do things right, the first customer you acquired could still be using you 10, 20, or even 50 years later! Want to know how businesses do it? It’s easy – call center services.

Call centers help businesses maintain a high level of customer service without the businesses themselves having to hire their own in-house staff for customer service. And, with that power at your disposal, your customer service can be reactive, proactive, and educated. Here’s how call centers can help your customer service success:

1. Inbound customer service without business hours

Most call centers are available and staffed 24 hours a day, which means your customer service doesn’t need to be limited by traditional business hours. Your customers will always have someone to talk to even when your business has closed for the night.

Being available 24/7 means you are catering to every customer type – those that will call during business hours and the ones that will reach out to your business once they’re done with their own. And yes, you’ll even be available for those middle of the night 3 am type emergencies. 24 hour coverage shows you care about every customer.

2. Make your customer service employees more productive

While your call center agents are answering the phones, your in-house staff will have more time to work on more important tasks – making your staff much more productive. Call centers can reduce the burden on your in-house staff by:

• Answering questions on your behalf: Questions like what type of services do you offer, what is your pricing structure, when are you available, etc. are easy questions your call center can answer without having to take a message for a return call.
• Troubleshooting basic issues: When call center agents are given the opportunity to assist with basic troubleshooting requests, customers are able to be helped on the first call.
• Decreasing call backs: Call center agents will help cut down on the amount of calls you and your team will have to return and handle, which means you can really focus on the big stuff.

3. Centralize all of your customer communication

In order to stay organized, businesses need to compartmentalize different tasks and create departments that handle those tasks, like billing, customer service, etc. Where this can be a maze for customers is when each of those departments has independent contact data.

Instead of making your customers memorize a bunch of different numbers, create a single point of contact for your customers no matter the issue. For example, setting up a front end IVR to direct calls based off the caller’s response or input will help centralize all points of contact and streamline calls.

4. Easily sift through call data to find weak spots

Call centers are chock full of reporting data which can be used to your advantage. For example, you can look for trends based on call disposition to see how new processes may be implemented to improve the customer experience. Here is some other important data you should be paying attention to:

• Call Result: This may go by different names depending on your service provider, but the objective is the same; to capture and categorize what customers are calling for. For example, this month, an HVAC company may have had 65% of calls result in a scheduled appointment, 25% result in messages taken, and the last 10% were questions that operators were able to handle via programmed FAQs.  For a business that wants to decrease the amount of messages taken, they need to train operators to handle more tasks. They should look to their current call result stats and decide what needs to be added, like some basic troubleshooting capabilities.
• Call Traffic: Being aware of trends in peak call traffic to your business is a great tool to use to help yourself plan ahead. When you know that your business is receiving the most amount of calls during 10am-2pm Monday through Friday, you can schedule your in-house employees accordingly. That way you’re never over or understaffed at ill-opportune times.
• Call Length: If your call center charges by the minute, you should be able to access information that shows just how long your calls are taking, especially when taking your customers into consideration. While it may be helpful to have your call center agents gather a lot of information, it may be frustrating for your customers if they’re not up to answering a bunch of questions.

5. Periodic outreach to take your clients temperature

If you want customers to stay loyal to your business, you need to reciprocate the loyalty. Whenever you need, call center agents can make outreach calls to your customers to check in to see how things are going. They can gather feedback from customers, engage in customer satisfaction surveys and ultimately keep the line of communication open between your customers and business.

If customers are having issues, have questions the operator’s can’t answer or want to talk to someone about their account, call center agents can transfer the call over to the correct person. This proactive approach to customer service will certainly keep your customers around.

SAS Call Center helps businesses like yours keep customers happy with live customer service. Learn more about our call center services and explore how SAS can help your business.

The post How Call Centers Help You Focus on Every Customer appeared first on SAS Call Center.

Customers are always going to contact you with issues or questions. They’re calling you, they’re texting you, they’re live chatting you, or they’re emailing you. If they need you, they’re going to get you one way or another. So how can you make your company immediately available to your customers without sacrificing profits or management resources? Call centers!

Talk to any large company and ask how they manage their customer service. You’ll probably hear stories about how these businesses initially struggled with launching their customer service until they discovered call center outsourcing.

Working in the call center industry, I’ve seen a lot of efforts to make outsourcing work, sometimes with poor results. Understanding more about call centers can help ensure a successful outsourcing experience.

Call centers will positively impact your customer service

If you’ve talked to anyone in the call center industry, you’ve heard the pitch about how call centers can improve your business processes. Better customer service. More closed sales. But what is the reality for using a call center as part of your business strategy?

At some point in your life, you’ve interacted with a call center. If you’ve ever called a business asking about the status of a recent order or called your healthcare provider about a bill, you’ve probably dealt with a call center.

Large and small businesses alike use call centers for activities outside of customer service, like sales, dispatching, scheduling – almost any business process can be outsourced.

3 tips to transition to call centers

Any change is difficult. In a small business, sometimes changing the toner in your printer can be a chore. But, once you see how call centers can lower costs and improve customer service, the conversation of deployment starts to change from if to when. Here are some tips I feel will help your business get started using call centers.

1. Make time to train your employees on the call center system

Call centers make your business life easier. However, if you don’t put the time into training your own employees on how to properly work with and understand your call center, outsourcing can quickly turn chaotic. While your employees may not need to know everything about how the call center works, here are some things that everyone should be familiar with:

• Know who to call: Every now and then an issue or question may come up that requires a team member to get in touch with the call center support team. If the primary person typically in charge of this task is out, the rest of your team should have a protocol in place. They should know the phone number or email address to reach out to, who to ask for (if they have an account manager), the hours of operation, and typical response times for mission critical issues. Make sure this information is accessible and up to date.
• Know what to do when lines aren’t connecting: If your phones are not connecting to the center, your team should know some basic information like how your lines connect to the center (i.e. are you manually forwarding to the call center each day before you leave the office, or is it set up on an automatic schedule through your phone provider) and your forwarding number in case the lines become disconnected. If you are manually forwarding to the call center, your team should know how to do this. The forwarding procedure varies depending on phone providers, but typically you enter in *72 on the keypad followed by the forwarding number.
• Log into your portal to check messages: If your call center offers online access, create users and train those users how to access the system. Having portal access is great for allowing your employees to log in to check their own messages, make notes for each other, and prioritize call backs as necessary.
• Log into your portal to make updates:  Understand the technology the call center offers and how to navigate it. For example, if it’s after hours and the on-call person can no longer cover their shift, your employees should know how to log in and make the update themselves instead of waiting around for customer service to handle the changes.

2. Start by outsourcing your easiest task, then increment from there

Training a new employee is like getting into a cold pool – a little at a time is always better than jumping in. The key to successful new hire on boarding is to start training them with the basics, and then gradually increase their responsibilities as they learn the ins and outs of your company. The same concept is true with your call center.

For example, you may want to start with outsourcing basic message taking. With this, call center agents are just gathering general information from your callers and sending the message to your team to handle. Then, as you become more familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of your call center, you may want to add in some specific departmental protocols. These can include transferring hot leads to an in-house sales member, handling tier 1 troubleshooting for support issues, outsourcing order taking or returns processing, and more.

3. Consult with your call center to develop a strategy for complex deployments

The project manager at your call center knows their stuff. They’ve seen everything, and chances are, they’ll know how to handle whatever complex programming you decide to throw their way. While there may be some inflexibility in what can be outsourced well, they can certainly come up with a solution that will work for both you and the call center agents.

For example, maybe you want your call center to log into your CRM software and update customer records accordingly. Unless you’re utilizing dedicated agents, or agents that are assigned to handle  your calls only, a shared call center may not be able to handle this request. However, they may offer an online portal that allows you to integrate your CRM software so that agents can update customer records indirectly through the integration instead of logging in directly.

Moving forward with outsourcing

Call center outsourcing continues to increase with how important customer service is becoming as a differentiation factor. Call centers make it easier for customer service teams to grow rapidly and for sales teams to have better communication with their prospects. SAS Call Center makes outsourcing easy. Read more about our inbound call center services to see what we can do and to decide what you want to outsource.

The post How Any Business Can Get Started With Call Center Outsourcing appeared first on SAS Call Center.

So with all eyes on customer service, it can be daunting to know how to develop the best call center solution. Where do you start tapping into the power of hundreds of agents waiting to represent your business?

I’d start with 3 critical points that should be a priority for small business outsourcing their calls to an inbound call center: don’t have the call center do too much (unless you’re using dedicated agents), use the call center as your tier 1 group with tier 2 escalations to your in-house call center, and monitor customer feedback to forever improve the experience.

1. Know the limits of your call center agents

Call center operators are great, but they probably can’t do all of the same stuff your in-house employees can. Knowing the limits of what your agents can and can’t do is the first step in setting up your call center for success.

For example, if your in-house employees are currently logging into a software platform to manage customer data, the chances of the call center agents having knowledge or training on that specific platform is slim. Instead, see if your call center can integrate with your CRM platform so that way operators don’t need to worry about logging in or learning a new system. They can just gather the caller’s information, and then push the data through the integration which will update the records on your side automatically.

Another way to set up your call center agents for success is by not expecting them to know everything about your business, but arming them with the most important details which will allow them to help answer customer questions. For example, including a list of the most frequently asked questions is a great way to familiarize agents with your brand, and allows them to handle the small stuff while you and your team can focus on bigger tasks.

2. Use the outsourced call center as a front end to your own in-house agents

Call centers can be used in many different ways, and how you choose to use your call center depends on your specific business needs. Many businesses may find that they don’t necessarily need a call center to help callers place orders or troubleshoot issues, but rather to help route calls to the appropriate person on their team.

Some other alternatives would be to hire a receptionist or set up an automated system that allows callers to route themselves. However, hiring more staff is expensive, and automated systems can be more frustrating than not talking to anyone at all. Using a call center as a front end to your own in-house agents is both affordable and effective. Operators can provide a live voice to callers while making sure calls are always being routed to the appropriate person based off specific protocols you’ve set up.

3. Find improvements through monitoring and surveying

When we’re talking about customers, we want them to have the best experience possible. That’s why it’s so important to monitor your processes, gather feedback and make improvements as needed. One way to see how your call center is performing is by placing test calls to your service. This will give you insight as to what your customers are experiencing and may give you some ideas on how to better improve and streamline interactions.

Another way to gather feedback is to go directly to the source – your customers! Customers appreciate when their opinions are taken into consideration, and asking for their feedback will go a long way. Not only will you receive valuable information that will help improve your call center experience, but your customers will be grateful to be included and may even refer your business to a friend!

Are you already using a call center? The 3 points above aren’t just useful for customers looking to hire a call center, they are also great if you’re looking to revive and revitalize your current call center experience.

The post 3 Ways To Use Call Centers To Focus On The Customer appeared first on SAS Call Center.

As experienced customer service representatives know, you’re going to get a handful of upset callers in your career. We’ve listed some of the most common phrases you’ll hear, along with advice on how to overcome and redirect each.

How to overcome nasty callers

In this article, we’ll go over some of the techniques you’ll use, but here are the general types of angry customers you’ll encounter.

• Law suit: Threatens to sue you personally as well as your business.
• Manager: Demands to speak to a manager every time they are upset.
• Online: Threatens to trash your company online.
• Coming in: Threatens to come into the office to wreak havoc.
• Full name: Customer asks for your full  name, because they are going to speak to a manager to have you fired.
• Cursing: Customer expresses how upset they are by using every curse word in the dictionary.
• Quit/Wants Refund: Customer threatens to cancel and demands a refund for anything they’ve already paid for.

Law suit: “I don’t want to have to call my lawyer.”

Being threatened with a lawsuit is something no business or person ever wants. Lawsuits are time consuming, costly, leave a nasty stain on your reputation, and should try to be avoided at all costs. Here’s how we handle those situations:

Overcome and redirect: When a customer threatens to sue, the first thing you want to do is get to the root of the issue. Are they upset about their service? Do they have billing issues? Once you are aware of the problem, you can get to work correcting it. Assure them that their business is important to  you, and that you apologize on behalf of the company for any issues they’ve encountered. Typically, when customers threaten legal action, it’s also a good idea to get your supervisor involved as they may be able to offer credits, refunds or other incentives to make them happy that a general support rep may not be able to.

Manager: “I want to speak with your manager.”

If you’re working with a customer and they’re not happy with the answers you’re giving, their next move is to ask to speak with a supervisor or manager. Sometimes it may get them what they want, but not always. Here’s how we handle those situations:

Try to address their issues first: When someone calls and they immediately ask to speak with a supervisor, our support reps always try to assist them first. Most of the time, the caller doesn’t really have an issue that needs to be escalated, and can usually be solved by working with our general support team. However, if you find that you can no longer help them because you’ve done all you can, politely ask if you can place them on hold so you can get your supervisor up to speed on the situation before transferring them over. That way the customer doesn’t have to repeat themselves which will certainly cause more frustration.

Online: “I’m going to leave a nasty review on Yelp!”

The internet is a great place full of infinite information. It’s also a place where angry customers go to trash your company. When online reviews could make or break your brand, it’s important to maintain a good reputation. Here’s how we handle those situations:

Put yourself in their shoes: Acknowledging that you understand the caller’s frustration, and putting yourself in their shoes is always a good place to start, as it allows you to see things from their perspective. The next course of action is to address their primary concerns and work to get them resolved as quickly as possible. When a customer sees that you’re working hard to ease their trouble, they are able to calm down and are usually not as quick to vent their frustrations online.

Coming in: “Just wait until I get there!”

Customers who are threatening to come to your place of business and possibly cause a scene or worse, is something that should not be taken lightly. Here’s how we handle those situations.

Remain calm, but take action if necessary: If a customer is warning you that they’re coming in and it sounds threatening, your first course of action should be to offer to transfer them to a manager. When angry customers know they are getting escalated to the higher ups, they’ll usually calm down. However, if they’re becoming increasingly threatening and you’re worried about the well being of your office and office staff, let the customer know that they can come in, but that the authorities will also be there to ensure everyone’s safety. That will usually stop them in their tracks!

Full name: “What is your full name? I’m calling your boss.”

Sometimes when customers ask for your full name it’s because they want to leave a review online and mention you by name, or complain to your supervisor specifically about how they perceived you mishandled their issue. Here’s how we handle those situations:

Take advantage of a learning opportunity: If a customer is requesting your full name to report you to your superiors, kill them with kindness and just give them your name. After you get off the call, you can meet with your supervisor to discuss the call and see how you could have handled it better. However, there are many instances where a customer support rep did all they could, but no answer was going to make the customer happy.

Cursing: “F*%#@!!!”

Talking to a customer who is cursing is never easy. Whether they’re cursing out of frustration or damning you to hell, it can be hard to see past the anger. However, as a customer service representative, you must always try to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Remember that to them, their reason for being frustrated is valid. Here’s how we handle those situations:

Try not to take it personally: When a customer curses out of frustration, the best thing to do is ignore it and continue helping them the best you can. However, if a customer begins cursing at you and becomes verbally abusive, it’s important to remind the customer that you are only trying to help them, and do not appreciate being talked to like that. If they continue, offer to transfer the call to your manager. If they still won’t stop and refuse to be transferred, our final bit of advice is to politely tell them that you are going to disconnect the call, but they can call back once they’ve cooled down.

Quit/Wants Refund: “I’m quitting and I want a FULL refund!”

Often times customers will threaten to quit or cancel service because they think it will help get them what they want.  Sometimes customers just want you to be able to do things for them that simply can’t be done, and in those times it may just be better to part ways. Here’s how we handle those situations:

Figure out how to save them: If a customer is threatening to cancel because someone made a mistake or there have been errors, they can usually be saved by assuring them their issues will be looked into and addressed. To go the extra mile, you can try offering to give them a courtesy credit for the mishap. However, if a customer is threatening to cancel because they want you to do something your business simply doesn’t do, then you may just want to say something like “I’m sorry we are not able to do that, but we understand you have to do what’s best for your business. Would you like me to cancel out your account?” If they demand a refund, let them know that you will escalate their case over to a manager who will determine if a refund is applicable or not.

The post Overcoming Nasty Callers: 7 Tips from Call Center Experts appeared first on SAS Call Center.

To build better relationships, businesses understand that customers want to be served on their schedule. However, the cost of customer service is always on the small businesses mind. More specifically, how to reduce that cost while still keeping customers happy.

For the best customer service imaginable, a business can have an in-house team of experts available 24/7 to respond to sales and customer service requests, but unless you’re selling the service equivalent of diamonds and gold on a monthly recurring revenue basis, the cost-justification for in-house live agents working around the clock just won’t be there. That’s where AI bridges the gap. AI can certainly play an important, affordable customer service role. It’s there, it’s cheap, and it’s going to answer basic questions customers have. But, statistics about customer service still show that live interactions and real human contact create loyal customers. Where AI can lead to frustration of it’s alone on customer service island, AI + live agents make customers happier. Here are 8 statistics about the state of customer service today to show that live interactions are still an important part of a customers experience.

1. Customers are willing to spend 17% more with companies that deliver excellent service. (American Express)

Offering a great product is only half the battle when it comes to running a successful business. The other half is delivering excellent service to your customers. For small businesses with a limited budget, it can be difficult to make sure your customers are getting the absolute best service, simply because they don’t have the manpower or resources to accommodate everyone.

If you find that your own business is struggling in this department, outsourcing to a call center is an affordable way to help get the job (or jobs) done. Call centers offer your customers 24/7 live support, and can help take on many of the same tasks your in-house staff may be bogged down with, like capturing and converting leads, scheduling appointments, processing payments, answering questions and walking customers through basic troubleshooting. When you are able to hand off some of these tasks to your call center that would otherwise eat up a lot of time and energy  in-house, your employees can be more attentive to your customers and can focus on delivering the level of service that sets you apart from other brands.

2. 67% of customers reported hanging up on an automated system out of frustration at not being able to reach a live person. (Glance)

How many times have you found yourself yelling at a company’s automated system when reaching out for assistance? Probably too many times, and 67% of customers have been in the same boat. Automated systems can be great, but they do have some flaws which can be less than desirable to deal with, especially for customers who are in need of immediate assistance.

If your company is using an auto attendant to help alleviate the amount of inbound calls your employees have to handle, but your customers are none too happy about using it, then call centers offer a superior communication solution. They can help cut down on the amount of work your in-house staff have to worry about, while assuring that your callers have a live voice to talk to no matter when they call. With a call center, your customers know they don’t have to go through IVR hell, and you know that your customers are no longer hanging up out of frustration, which is great for you, your customers and your business.

3. 54% of customers have higher expectations for customer service today compared to 1 year ago. (Microsoft)

In order for your business to stay relevant and to keep customers happy, you need to think big and get creative. For example, if your business caters to a younger audience, you’ll want to use channels like live chat and email in addition to phone support. If your target audience includes older generations, you’ll want to make sure your customer support team is easily accessible and that a live voice is always present. Technology can be confusing for older generations, so making your customers navigate an auto attendant will only make the process more frustrating. The problem for small businesses is that it can be expensive to grow every communication channel at once. Call centers can help.

Cater to your customers higher expectations by leveraging call center services to open up every customer service channel. Routing your after hours or overflow calls to a call center is an affordable way to open up new communication channels without breaking the bank. Most centers will offer email response and live chat in addition to live operator support. Good news for you is that instead of investing a ton in these technologies, you’re (most likely) only paying per minute of use.

4. 82% of consumers say that getting the problem solved quickly is the #1 factor in a great customer service experience. (LivePerson)

When customers reach out with an issue, they want to get the issue resolved as quickly as possible, which is why many businesses put an emphasis on First Call Resolution, or FCR for short. When customers have to wait long periods of time to speak with someone, to have their issue fixed, or both, they become more frustrated and less likely to stick around the next time they experience an issue.

Instead of leaving your customers waiting, outsourcing your customer support to a call center can help alleviate queues and speed up the troubleshooting process. For simple requests like password resets or needing to update appointment details, your call center agents should be able to handle those without needing to take a message or transfer the caller to your support staff. For more complex issues, your call center reps can start support tickets via CRM or help desk systems that you’re already using, which means your employees don’t have to worry about wasting time doing double the work.

5. 33% of customers who abandoned a business relationship last year did so because personalization was lacking. (Accenture)

As a business owner, catering to your customers should be a top priority. Personalizing the customer experience is a great way to set your brand apart from your competition. When customers feel connected to your company, you are able to maintain and maximize customer loyalty. Here are some great ways to get personal:

• Hire a call center and offer your customers 24/7 live support
• Send hand-written letters thanking customers for their business
• Visit with customers face to face
• Learn their language! If your customers speak Spanish, outsourcing to a bilingual call center can help bridge the communication gap.
• Add pictures of your team to  your website so customers can familiarize themselves with your staff
• Interact with customers on social media
• Celebrate your anniversary with customers by sending them merchandise or gifts annually

6. The #1 reason customers say they dislike calling companies is not being able to talk to a real person immediately. (Newvoicemedia.com)

In an effort to streamline support, more and more companies are implementing the use of auto attendants to cut down on live talk time and allow customers to help themselves. However, automated support can feel robotic and impersonal, which is frustrating for many customers who just want to talk to a live person.

If your company does choose to use an auto attendant, make sure your customers are able to talk to a live voice without having to jump through hoops. Instead of having them listen to a bunch of options, with “press 9 to speak to an operator” at the end, make it one of the first few choices to avoid confusion and frustration. If your customers happen to choose a self-help option, you should also make it easy for them to re-route to an operator at any time throughout their interaction if they happen to change their mind.

7. The more complex the customer service issue (for example payment disputes or complaints) the more likely customers are to seek out a real person on the phone. (Comm100)

While auto attendants or virtual receptionists can be helpful for simple requests like finding out a company’s business hours, activating a credit card or checking the balance on an account, more complex customer service requests and issues should always be handled by a live person. Real humans trained in your business’s complex interactions can listen to and understand what the customer is saying, show empathy and acknowledge their concern, all while helping to solve their issue.

A properly trained and dedicated call center agent will be able to solve most customer issues, and those they can’t, they can escalate the call and provide assurance that their concerns will be addressed as soon as possible. If they have urgent requests or issues, allowing your call center to transfer the customer directly to your support team will provide your customer with an added sense of comfort instead of having them leave a message and wait for a call back.

8. Globally, 96% of consumers say customer service is an important factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand. (Microsoft)

You have a lot of competition, and customers have a lot of options. Obviously, your company has to offer a good enough product or service that will get people interested, but the secret sauce is in the customer service. If your support team is hard to get a hold of, unhelpful, or just plain rude, you’re going to have a hard time keeping customers on-board.

A  business that is able to provide customers with exceptional service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year is a business that knows success. However, we know that most businesses, especially small start ups, don’t have the resources to be available around the clock, but they do if they’re using call centers. When working with a call center, it’s important to make sure the transition is as seamless as possible. Below are some of our tips to help ease the process:

• Make sure to arm your call center with FAQs: The more questions your operators are able to answer, the more customers they can help, and the less calls you have to return.
• Set up your call handling to match your in-house procedures as closely as possible: If your in-house agents are screening calls and handling new clients differently than existing clients, have your call center do that as well. When your business works in tandem with your call center, your customers are able to experience seamless and streamlined customer support.
• Allow your call center to transfer callers: When scenarios come up that your call center agents are not able to help with, allowing them to transfer the caller to your in-house employees ensures that your customers are always receiving the greatest care and attention possible.

The post 8 Stats About Live Customer Service in 2019 appeared first on SAS Call Center.

At SAS, we’re dedicated to giving our clients and their callers the best customer service experience possible, which means we take the time to hire the most professional customer service reps. However, the same can’t be said for all call centers. To help prepare you for whatever customer service experience may come your way, we listed 30 different types of customer service reps, and categorized them into what we think would make a great customer experience, all the way down to what we think would make a catastrophic customer experience.

Great Experience

• Friendly Talker: Friendly talkers engage in conversation, and ask how  your day is going. They listen to what you’re saying, and they genuinely care about providing a great customer experience.
• Excited Talker: Excited talkers may speak a little too quickly, but they’re just so enthusiastic about their job they can’t help it!
• Knowledgeable Talker: Knowledgeable talkers know what they’re talking about, and can answer any question you have.

Mild Experience

• Fast Talker: Fast talkers are a bit hard to understand, and you may have to ask them to repeat themselves, but ultimately they provide a good experience.
• Loud Talker: Loud talkers may disrupt the people around them, and may make you hold your phone away from your ears, but they mean well.
• Life-Sharer: Life-sharers are good to talk to when you’re trying to kill time in the doctor’s office – not when you’re trying to cancel that hotel reservation before your lunch hour is over.

Neutral Experience

• Indifferent Talker: Indifferent talkers are neither here nor there. They get the job done, but they don’t really bring anything else to the table.
• Wants to know too much Talker: Similar to Life-Sharers, the “Wants to know too much Talker” can eat up time that you just don’t have.
• Joke-Telling Talker: As long as their jokes are funny, you probably don’t mind talking to a Joke-Telling Talker. But on the other hand…

Questionable Experience

• Boring Talker: Similar to Indifferent Talkers, Boring Talkers don’t really bring much to the table other than a monotonous voice and a “stick to the script” attitude.
• Close mic Talker: Close mic Talkers are hard to understand and may make you feel slightly uncomfortable.
• Winded Body Talker: Unless they just got finished running a marathon, there’s no reason a support rep should be out of breath.
• The Forgetful Talker: Um, what did you say? Forgetful Talkers are annoying because you just told them your whole problem and they’re already asking you to repeat yourself. Rude!
• Quiet Talker: Quiet Talkers provide a questionable customer service experience simply because you can’t hear a thing they’re saying.
• Distant Talker: Distant talkers sound like they’re miles away from the phone, which is miles away from a great customer service experience.
• Speakerphone Talker: Speakerphone talkers simply don’t care about their surroundings or who they may be disrupting. They’re also harder to understand and sound like a garbled mess.

Unfortunate Experience

• Cutting out Talker: Unless you’re actually driving through a tunnel, your callers shouldn’t have to piece together every other word that you’re saying.
• Slow Talker: Slow talkers aren’t the worst, but they are just. So. Boring. Speed it up, Sally! We don’t have all day.
• Long to Respond Talker: If your callers have to question whether you heard them or not because you’re taking forever to respond, or if you fell off the line entirely, you’re not providing a great customer service experience.

Unsavory Experience

• Side Conversation Talker: Side conversation talkers are notorious for providing unsavory customer service experiences because they’re always snubbing their callers.
• Robotic Talker: If we wanted to talk to robots we would have called your answering machine.
• Yawner: We get it, you’re tired. Come back to work when you get more sleep!
• Bathroom Talker: “Did I just hear the toilet flush?” Unless you’re on the phone with your mom or your best friend, you probably shouldn’t be talking on the phone while you’re in the bathroom.
• Inappropriate Story Talker: Some stories are meant to be told in public, and some should probably never be told ever. Do your customers a favor and don’t make things weird.
• Interrupting Talker: If your customers can’t get a word in edgewise, they’re going to get real mad real quick.
• All About Me Talker: An “All About Me Talker” doesn’t care what your customers have to say, which makes for quite an unpleasant experience.

Catastrophic Experience

• Disrespectful Talker: Disrespectful talkers were never taught manners from their mamas, and it shows.  If you can’t R-E-S-P-E-C-T me, then I ain’t buying what you’re selling.
• Back Talker: Customer service reps who talk back to their callers should not be customer service reps, unless they’re representing a business from hell.
• Angry Talker: It’s okay to be angry. It is not okay to be angry at a customer who is already angry because of an issue they are having with the company you are representing.
• Sarcastic Talker: Unless you’re making fun of your little brother, don’t be a sarcastic talker – especially at work.

The post 30 Types of Customer Service Representatives appeared first on SAS Call Center.

For example, if you call the sales line and the representative can’t answer even the most basic questions, that’s bad customer service. If you call a business to ask when they’ll have that new Lego set in stock but no one can give you a straight answer, that’s bad customer service. The point is, people don’t just need to contact the customer service line to have a customer service interaction. But the common thread across any department that speaks to the customer service experience is how the other party engages you. Are they representing the brand well, or are they failing?

So, when businesses outsource to call centers, they’re looking to strengthen their customer service across the board. But before you begin building great customer service experiences by using call center services, you’ll need a framework to get started.

Do the following before you look for a call center

#1. Agree on your outsourcing goal

Before you start looking for a call center, you and your business partner(s) need to agree on your outsourcing goal. Is your goal to  funnel in more sales leads? To increase customer retention? To offer 24/7 support? Maybe it’s all 3, or maybe it’s none of those. However, once you have a clear goal in mind, you can start the process of finding the right call center that will get the job done for you. Depending on your goal(s), here are some things to look for:

• If your goal is to funnel in more sales leads, you’ll want to partner with a call center that has a focus on sales. This means they offer things like outbound telemarketing and market research. It could also mean that their agents are trained in up-sell and cross-sell techniques.
• If your goal is to grow customer retention, you’ll want to partner with a call center that has a focus on customer service. This means they offer things like multi-channel support and 24/7 customer service. It could also mean that they offer features within their online portal that allows you to send surveys to your customers to gather insight on their experiences with your business.
• If your goal is to offer 24/7 support, you’ll want to partner with a call center that has a focus on solving problems. This means they offer things like help desk troubleshooting and emergency dispatching. It could also mean that they are able to integrate with CRM software  you’re already using to help streamline ticketing requests.

#2. Blueprint the caller’s experience

In order to create the perfect call center experience, you have to take your customer’s journey into consideration, and use that feedback to implement changes in the way you outsource. Some ways you can do this include:

• Create call center surveys: The best way to figure out what your customers are thinking is to just ask them. For example, with SAS, you can create call center surveys right from your online portal which can be emailed to the caller after each interaction. They can even be customized to include your company logo! This feedback will help you determine which of your products are doing well, and which could use some fixing up. Call center surveys are a great opportunity to ask for feedback without having the customer go too out of their way to provide it.
• Letting your callers rate the operators: Another way to find out what your callers are thinking is by having them rate the operators that are taking their calls. With SAS, after each call is finished, your customers can receive an email asking them to rate their experience from 1-5 stars, with the option to leave a comment. For example, if your callers think that their phone calls with your company are taking too long, you can review your script and maybe weed out some questions that don’t need to be asked.

#3. Anticipate errors before implementation

Whenever you start anything new, errors abound. The trick to creating the perfect call center experience is to anticipate errors before they happen, and implement a solution before it’s a problem. Here are some examples of errors that could happen, and how you can avoid them:

• Operators are fumbling your company name: Unless your company name is something simple like ABC Plumbing, there’s a chance an operator can trip over their words during your greeting. It’s important to remember that call center operators answer for hundreds of businesses a day and probably don’t have time in between calls to practice each individual greeting. So, when they see a complicated company name, they may stumble. Instead of having your operators open with your company name, see if your call center can implement a custom recorded greeting that will say your company name prior to an operator getting on the phone. This eliminates any chance of error, and your callers will still know that they’ve reached your company!
• Operators are taking the wrong path: Operators are only human, and humans make mistakes. If your call center script has a lot of different options for the operators to choose, it increases the chances they may go down the wrong path. Instead of opening with a generic “how may I help you?” you should add a driving question to help steer the call like “Are you calling for sales or service.” Additionally, you would want to make sure you’re not including too many options for the operators to choose from, as that would increase the chance of errors.
• Integrations are not working properly: A call center that can integrate with software that you’re already using is great – if it works. Before you go live with your callers, you’ll want to make sure your configuration is set up properly, it’s integrated with  your call center, and you’re able to successfully push test messages through. The last thing you want is for your operators to get error messages when trying to update client data.
• Your phones are not forwarded correctly: Most third party call centers are built on call forwarding, meaning that they are able to answer your calls once you’ve forwarded your lines to them. Typically forwarding is done by press *72 on your keypad, followed by the number you wish to forward to (in this case, it would be the number your call center provided you). However, call forwarding is a feature that is offered by your phone provider, so instructions may change. After you’ve forwarded your phone, make sure to place some test calls just to make sure the connection went through. Otherwise, your callers may hear a busy signal, your voicemail, or they may hear nothing at all.
• Operators not able to answer questions: When setting up your call center account, you’ll want to make sure you include some basic FAQs that the operators can access. That way if anyone calls with simple questions about your business hours, location, pricing or services, they are able to answer them easily without having to take a message. The whole point of using a call center is to take some work off of your shoulders, which would be counter-intuitive if your call center operators can’t answer basic questions.

The post 3 Steps to Building A Perfect Call Center Service Experience appeared first on SAS Call Center.

• You need to be on Instagram
• Customer service should be handled 24/7
• You should survey your customers regularly

While it’s one thing to follow blind advice, it’s even better to have facts to back them up. For example, Microsoft’s 2017 Customer Service Report found that 78% of consumers have a more favorable view of brands that ask for and accept customer feedback – a nod to the importance of surveying your clients. Additionally, they found that 59% of customers had stopped doing business with a brand  because of a poor customer service experience – a nod to the importance of 24 hour customer service. These statistics help paint a clearer picture of what goes into creating the best customer experience, and allows you to make an informed decision about if your business needs to change course, or if it’s not worth the investment.

We highlighted some of the more important statistics from the report into an infographic. Keep reading to learn which channels customers are using to reach out and how often, if social media is that big of an influence on consumers and what customers actually think about their experiences.

If you find our customer service infographic useful, please share it on your own site using the code below:

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<img title=”Customer Service as 100 People Infographic” alt=”Customer Service as 100 People Infographic” src=”https://www.sascallcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CustomerServiceas100People.jpg” width=”2500″ />
<pre><em>Image originally posted on <a href=”https://www.sascallcenter.com/customer-service-as-100-people-infographic/”>The SAS Call Center Blog</a></em>
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