We are just like everyone else. Our business objective is to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction in order to retain and expand our customer base. And you probably do too. So, perhaps you are looking for a few tips on how to improve customer satisfaction? Well, you have come to the right place – we have got just a few tricks up our sleeve…
Why focus on customer satisfaction?
In fact, what is customer satisfaction?
As a metric, customer satisfaction (CSAT) is a basic measure of customer satisfaction with a company’s products or services. It determines his or her level of satisfaction at key interaction moments. For example, like after a call, a support ticket resolution, a purchase or anything else linked to the use of the company’s services.
When satisfaction drives business…
To explore this further, take a look at Greenberg’s definition of customer engagement: “The ongoing interactions between the company and the customer, offered by the company chosen by the customer.” Well, indeed, this definition is specific to customer engagement (which is different from customer experience) but the core idea is the same. Greenberg talks here about “offered by the company, chosen by the customer”. It means that your customers choose, and they have control over everything. It’s essential to keep this in mind if you want to understand how your interactions with your customers work. And, of course, what impact this has on their satisfaction.
How can I improve support service in my company?
Now that we’re talking about the same thing, it’s time to consider how you can improve yourself to influence your customers’ satisfaction rate.
First of all, be aware that the customer experience is not a one-off event, and every interaction will be different. You have to pay attention to every step in the sales process but also the after-sales service and support. To improve customer satisfaction, considering the full experience is key, from the beginning to the end. Your customer is central, and each customer is different with different expectations. So, you have to be able to analyze their needs and adapt to them.
Here are 8 tips to help boost your customer satisfaction:
1. Be empathic with your clients
Are you listening to your clients to improve customer satisfaction? Well, fine. But it is no longer enough. Go further: talk to them, ask questions, and try to understand their needs. Your goal is to find a solution to their problem. And to do this, you and your team must experience your services or products. Knowing your product and all its updates inside out will boost the customer experience. Because you live what your clients live.
2. Set clear expectations
Pay attention to what your support service promises to your customers. By setting a certain standard, your customers cannot be disappointed. The message you send to the customer should be clear and direct to avoid any misunderstanding or further frustration. If you promise to provide exemplary customer service, that’s what your customers will expect from you! Don’t let them down.
3. Provide multichannel support
If you want to boost your customer satisfaction, you need to make it easy for them to contact you. And offering multichannel support is a very good option. Be omnipresent on the channels your customers use (Messenger, Whatsapp, chat on your website, support via email or phone…) For example, you can organise surveys to your customer database by SMS. And you can send this a few seconds after a customer had contact with your support. Why is it efficient? Because thanks to multichannel support, you can engage with your customers through their preferred communication method. And to really boost your customer satisfaction, make sure you offer high-quality support on all these channels.
4. Answer quickly and in the right way
To improve customer satisfaction, time is of the essence. If you respond to your customers as quickly as possible, you reduce their worries and demonstrate your efficiency. Because by responding quickly, you build trust. Beware, it’s not just about responding quickly. Indeed, some situations require research. There is really no point in answering quickly but badly. So, to boost your customer service, take the time to let people know that you have received the customer’s request and that you are considering possible solutions. In any case, customer service should not only be responsive but the information you provide should be beneficial and educational.
5. Measure your results regularly
The only way for you and your team to continue to progress is to measure your results. Okay, but how do you get the figures? How do you know how satisfied your customers are? Start at the beginning. First determine which metrics you will monitor and which tools you will use to analyse them. That way, you can get valuable information about what areas need improvement or what is working well.
Do you know what tools exist to measure and boost your customer experience? Here’s a quick overview:
- Net Promoter Score ® or NPS ®: helps you to see how likely a customer would recommend your services to a friend.
- Customer Satisfaction Score or CSAT: allows you to see if your customers are happy with your services.
- Customer Effort Score or CES: helps you to find out how easy is it for your customers to contact your company.
By conducting these three customer surveys you can understand the drivers for improvement and boost your customer satisfaction.
6. Ask for feedback from customers (and reply)
To improve your support service, remember to actively seek feedback from your customers. Even if you want to believe that your customers are all satisfied, negative experiences do exist. When they do, you need to be aware of them. Don’t wait for customers to come to you or leave negative comments on social media. Proactively ask for their feedback. And a big advantage, if you give them a specific space for their feedback, your customers are less likely to express their frustration publicly.
Feedback, whether negative or positive, is an excellent tool to find out what you could improve. It also shows to the customer that you are focused on customer satisfaction.
7. Collect answers and make it a company matter
Collecting feedback from your customers is one thing, using it smartly is another. Customer feedback is a clear indicator of your customer’s satisfaction with your company. Above all, your customers’ comments indicate their level of satisfaction. Companies that focus on their customers are more likely to be profitable. If you collect customer feedback (through various channels as explained above) and treat it with care, you will instantly boost customer satisfaction. Then turn that feedback into action.
8. Take action on complaints and negative reviews
Did you know that complaints and negative reviews are your most valuable feedback? Treat complaints and negative reviews as an opportunity to improve. Remind you that considering customer feedback shows that you value their opinions. And this is key.
So, first, immediately after receiving the negative feedback, contact your customer. Let the customer know that you have taken note of their complaint and are doing your best to resolve it. Then, try to solve the problem as best you can. And don’t forget to keep the customer informed of developments, it’s important to follow up so that they don’t become impatient or think you’ve forgotten about them. Once the situation is resolved, contact the customer again to let them know that everything is resolved and ask if there is anything else you can help them with.
Remember, negative reviews will not destroy your business if you respond to them properly!
And there you have it: concrete actions you can take to boost your customer satisfaction. There are still others, but this will be a good start. And it will undoubtedly inspire you to find your own best practices. Depending on your business, your sector and your audience.
Do you want to start off on the right foot? Naxai is a platform that lets you build and create satisfaction surveys, send them through multiple channels and analyze the feedback received. It’s a tool that will come in very handy when it comes to putting many of our tips into practice. And if you want to go further, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts – that’s what we are here for!
