Internet Marketing Customer Support

5 Essentials of Great Customer Service

We've all experienced great customer service at some point. It makes you go 'Ah!'. It makes you feel happy. It drives you to tell someone about it.

That's the kind of customer service YOU should strive to offer your clients, customers and buyers.

So what are the 5 essentials of great customer service?

Great Customer Support Is Efficient

It is delivered with minimal hassle, without wasting resources or time or effort.

Here's an example. Use templates. If a particular question keeps popping up over and over, then write out a detailed answer to it - and then use it as a template to copy-and-paste into a response whenever the question gets asked. That's efficient.

And what makes it even more efficient is making it a part of a 'Frequently Asked Questions' list - so customers with a problem can find it even WITHOUT asking you for help! Faster, easier, less resources wasted.

Great Customer Support Is Effective

Pride in responding swiftly or automatically is misplaced if the response does not solve the problem or allay your customer's concern.

If your 'instant' reply ends up in making a series of emails back and forth necessary, it is efficient - without being effective.

Great customer support is both. It is rapid, convenient - and solves the problem. Does it in the least possible time, with the least possible trouble to both buyer and vendor.

Great Customer Support Is Ever-Courteous

There is simply no excuse for being rude to a customer. Never.

Yes, I have had rude, obnoxious and boorish buyers. Yes, I have returned their money and terminated our association. But I have always tried to be polite and courteous to them.

That attitude stems from respect and gratitude to someone who just trusted you and your business enough to part with their money to buy from you. If something went wrong with the process to make the experience unpleasant, it still does not take away from that initial trusting transaction.

Great Customer Support Is Elegant

Streamlined. Smooth. Sophisticated.

You feel GOOD after dealing with an expert customer support agent. The key to handling customers lies in making them feel good about what they did. Even if they asked a stupid question that you answered seven times in your FAQ!

Great Customer Support Is Empathic

It IDENTIFIES with your customers. Feels their pain. Aches to relieve it.

We've all been on the 'other side' of poor customer service. When you're hurting from a problem you face, and the insensitive person on the other side of an email or phone line just won't try harder to help you.

Don't be that person when you deal with your customers. That's why great customer support can be best delivered by business owners and support team members who know their audience, feel their pain and enjoy helping them out.

Assembling such a wonderful team, devising a winning process, and being known for top notch customer support comes with its own benefits.

5 Benefits of having great client support