When your company defines great customer service, what are the key factors? Does it mean implementing new technologies? Or perhaps you aim to train employees regularly? No matter what your brand’s definition may be, customer service needs regular quality monitoring just like any aspect of your company. As Deloitte affirms, 62% of companies view customer experience delivered by contact centers as a competitive differentiator. Here are five steps for successful monitoring of your customer service practices that will keep your brand ahead of the game.
It’s not enough to loosely monitor your channels or sample some of the calls your contact center receives per month. Rather, it’s important to use all the tools at your disposal to get a comprehensive view of your practices. Call quality monitoring and speech analytics can provide insights on the voice channel, while text analytics may be used to understand customer concerns on channels such as email, chat, and SMS. Social listening tools are likewise essential to knowing how customers talk about your brand on social media. The more in-depth your analysis, the more you will understand where improvements need to be made.
Asking your customers for feedback on their preferred channels is a great start. However, don’t be afraid to ask specific questions and contact specific customers for greater insight. For example, in your post-contact surveys, ask questions that are highly specific to the customer service process—not just the customer’s overall satisfaction with your company—and be sure to encourage free response answers. For customers with difficult and ongoing service cases, reach out to them more frequently to make sure you are doing all you can to resolve their issues.
Your agents undoubtedly have much to say about their experiences with customers. Are there frequently occurring issues that need to be addressed? Are certain channels understaffed? Do they have tips for best practices? With their comments, your brand can improve practices by taking measures such as revising call scripts, matching agents to the best roles, and better integrating technology for seamless customer experiences.
Analyzing your service channels may reveal areas where agents need to improve. Do they need to sharpen their interpersonal skills? Is there confusion about the company’s mission or brand values? Use such information to update your training programs and address the weaknesses that may be stalling your service. In addition, agents should also receive regular mentoring on an individual basis to ensure that they have the support and tools they need to perform at their best.
A true omnichannel brand needs to make sure that all channels are functioning well at all times. In addition to staffing channels to meet customer demand, verify that the technology itself is working correctly. Do mobile customers have access to updated IVR menus ? Is self-service well integrated into your omnichannel approach? Is your callback system working efficiently? Regular channel maintenance is imperative to ensuring great customer service at all times.After following these steps, your brand can measure results by closely tracking customer satisfaction scores and feedback. The most important thing to remember is that quality monitoring should be an ongoing process. Evaluating your customer service practices regularly ultimately reaps the reward of customer loyalty.