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20 CUSTOMER SERVICEBEST PRACTICESHOW TO DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

We are firm believers inputting the “customer” backin “customer service.”The world has changed. People and devices aremore connected, customers are more informedand empowered, and companies have more dataat their fingertips than ever before. We haveentered the age of connectivity, wheredigital-savvy consumers expect a connected,responsive, frictionless customer experience. Thefuture of business success depends on whethercompanies can deliver a customer experience thatmeets their rising expectations in this new,hyperconnected world.Yet when it comes to customer service, manybusinesses are stuck in the past. That’s why we’vecreated this e-book: to equip you with the corebest practices of excellent customer service sothat your business can succeed in the age ofconnectivity. Using feedback from our customers,product experts, and thought leaders, we’vepulled together 20 customer service bestpractices, with five aimed at great service acrosschannels, five around treating your customerswell, and 10 focused on building a world-classteam. Let’s take a look.

Table of ContentsGreat Service Across All ChannelsBuild Your Team1Know Your Customers,Wherever They Are11Start With the Interview2Leverage CustomerInformation12Hire for Culture Fit3Use the Channels YourCustomers Prefer13Think Beyond the Cubicle4Go Mobile14Implement Gamification5Provide Omni-ChannelTraining15Use Multiple Channels toReduce MonotonyTreat Customers Like Friends16Allow for FlexibleScheduling6Share Helpful Content17Frame the Job in aMeaningful Way7Keep It Real18Reward Success8Turn Setbacks Into Solutions19Give Regular Feedback9Leverage the Experts20Provide Opportunities forGrowth10Follow the Regulations20 Customer Service Best PracticesPage 2

Section 1Great ServiceAcross AllChannelsTechnology has transformed the modern customer into amulti-screen, always connected, highly opinionated forcein the business world. If your customer service isn’tprepared to deliver exceptional service across multiplechannels and devices, you are going to miss theopportunity to service your customers effectively.Your customer service needs to not only keep pace withyour customers, but be out ahead, waiting for them toarrive. This means embracing new channels and using datato create a more complete picture of your customers thanever before.Page 3

Great Service Across All Channels#1#2Know Your Customers, Leverage CustomerWherever They AreInformationCustomers often report lowersatisfaction when companiesforce them to visit multiplechannels to resolve their supportissues. Make sure your agentsknow your customers well,including what they want, theirhistory with you, their preferredcommunication channels, etc.That way, if customers begin aconversation on email, they don’thave to start over if they switchto phone or live chat.20 Customer Service Best PracticesUse your contact center as thecollection point for complaints,comments, and productsuggestions. Your team shouldcentralize all customer data inone place, making it accessibleto anyone involved in thecustomer service experience.#3#4Use Channels YourCustomers PreferMove Toward MobileCustomer ServiceWhen a new customer arrives,that’s the time to find out whichchannels they prefer for serviceassistance. As part of youron-boarding process or welcomecall, have your agents ask whichchannels customers prefer to usefor service issues. If part of youron-boarding includes a welcomeemail, include a handy “cheatsheet” of all of your serviceteam’s contact channels. As well,include calls-to-action in yourmarketingcontentaskingcustomers to connect with youon their preferred mediums.Mobile options, such as textmessaging, aren’t a dominantchannel for most contactcenters, but companies need tostart thinking about it as aservice option. Mobile offers aplatform that’s always with thecustomer, and offers a real oneon one feel. Does yourcustomer service centerconsider other options forcustomers to connect, likemobile and beyond?Page 4

5ProvideOmni-ChannelTrainingYour agents won’t become multichannel mastersovernight. As you add service channels, your customersupport agents need to be trained onhow to use them effectively.Staffing different channels means finding the hiddenstrengths of your existing service agents. Look at yourteam’s previous experience, and actively solicit writingsamples to find your team’s most proficient writers.Make certain they’re trained and ready to respond toyour customers on channels that require writtenresponses, such as email.Page 5

Section 2TreatCustomersLike FriendsGood customer service experiences answer a customer’squestion. Great customer service experiences providesomething more. Companies that are creating realcompetitive advantages with customer service areproviding real human interactions that surprise, delight,amuse, and educate their customers.The days of stodgy, script-based interactions are fadingfast. Customers just want to interact with a real person,and get real help with their issue. Enable customers toeducate themselves and feel like they are helping makereal improvements to your business.Page 6

Treat Customers Like Friends#6#7#8#9Share HelpfulContentKeep It RealTurn SetbacksInto SolutionsLeverage theExpertsTo empower your customers, youmust help them become sourcesof knowledge. Useful content —whether it’s a blog post, webinar,social post, or white paper — canhelp solve your customers’ issueswhile enabling them to easilyshare this information withothers.To use content effectively,maintain a constant dialoguewith your customers to ensurethe content you’re creating andsharing is helpful, shareable, andrelevant to their needs andchallenges.10 Essential20 ElementsCustomerofServiceGreat BestEnterprisePracticesMobile AppsIt sounds obvious, but stayingaway from canned responsesand ensuring every interactionis authentic are critical tosuccessful customer service.Train your customer serviceteams to be genuine, andencourage an open and candidtone with customers. If yourcustomers feel comfortable,they will speak honestly —which helps you solve problemsfaster.Unfortunately, many companieswill have customers who like togripe. Customer service providesa place for them to let off steam.Remember, this can be a verypositiveandproductivedevelopment, helping currentcustomers, as well as imitations. Ensure your teamtreats every complaint as anopportunity to make yourorganization even better.Encourage your agents tocollaborate directly with theexternal experts in yourindustry. Choose experts thatare devoted fans of yourproducts, highly engaged, andready to help others get themost out of your offerings tocreate even more highlysatisfied customers.Page 76

10Follow theRegulationsEnsure that with any customer interaction, industryregulations are followed. This can be particularlyimportant when adding new channels, such as acontact center adding a live chat option that may beused to collect credit card data from customers. It’scrucial to ensure that this new option and yourprocedures are still in compliance with all regulations,and that the required organizational policies areestablished and enforced. Implement solutions forquality management that fully comply with industrystandards.Page 8

Section 3Build YourTeamThe success and failure of any customer servicedepartment rides on the experience, skill, anddetermination of it’s team members. Hiring the rightservice agents can set you up for incredible success downthe road, or handicap your ability to provide adequateservice right from the start.Even the best teams will falter without proper coachingand incentivizing. Make sure you are creating a culture ofsuccess on your service team and you’ll find that successtranslating straight to your customers.Page 9

Build Your Team#11#12#13#14Start withthe InterviewHire for Culture FitThink Beyondthe CubicleImplementGamificationDuring a session at 2013’s CallCenter Week event, KimberlyWarrick, Client Services Managerat NJ Shares noted that agentmotivation should be consideredfrom the very first interview.Here, you have your prospectiveagent directly in front of you,ready to answer any questions.That’s the time to get your firstlook at what motivates them.Before they’ve even put on aheadset, you’ve got the chanceto make note of what will keepthis potential service teammember motivated. Just askthem!10 Essential20 ElementsCustomerofServiceGreat BestEnterprisePracticesMobile AppsMany agents will have the skills,fewer will have the attitude. Theright culture fit should be whatgets an agent hired.Sometimes, it may be worthkeeping customer servicepositions open a bit longer tofind the right person ratherthan rushing to fill availablepositions. The long-term cost ofhiring the wrong person can bemuch greater than keepingthose spots unfilled. Cuttingdown on attrition begins withbringing the right people onboard in the first place.The millennial generation hashuge career aspirations, and aspotential hires, they often makeup their mind during trainingwhether they’ll work at yourcenter for a long-term period.Telus International has seen adecline in attrition rates semployees to gain arts andbusinesscreditswhilestillworking with the company. Theyfully invest in their customersupportteammembers’development outside of thecustomer support role.There is a plenty of buzzsurrounding gamification insales, but the very same tacticscan benefit contact centers aswell. While targets may differbetween sales and customerservice teams, motivationaltechniques don’t have to. Bybringing in realtime contests,reps can engage withcolleagues, strengthening yourcompany culture and improvingcenter morale. Gamificationbrings an element of fun to anoccasionally monotonous job.PagePage106

15Leverage MultipleChannels toReduce MonotonyAdding new customer service channels doesn’t simplyoffer new options for customers to interact with yourcompany. Agents benefit by acquiring and usingadditional skill sets that can improve their resumeswhile breaking up the monotony of their day. Manyagents will welcome the change of pace and anopportunity to switch from answering calls toresponding to emails and social media posts. Consideradding incentives that offer the opportunity to coverdifferent channels if specific target goals are met.Page 11