Customer Services: Three Essential Processes

/0 Comments/in , , /by

At the heart of every business endeavor lies the basic need to deliver quality products or services. And though there is a myriad of ways to go about achieving this end goal, it’s still important to remember order processing is just as crucial. A fast, easy, and reliable system of order processing can make for an accurate and hassle-free experience, leading to customer satisfaction and continued patronage. So the need for a proper order processing system, especially in the Digital Age when products or services can be easily accessed online, should be prioritized and properly designed for smooth and seamless transactions.

There are key factors business owners should keep in mind to create an effective order taking and processing system, though they are usually overlooked and unappreciated, these are significant just the same. With online services continually improving and becoming more and more customizable, it’s easy to get wrapped up in all the tech, and forget about the main purpose of the whole transaction.

Standard Forms

Starting the whole transaction is the customer placing their order, and in comes the all-important order form. Whether via telephone, web, or in writing, the form should be simple and straightforward, for the benefit of both the customer and the company’s internal teams. All details and relevant variants of the service or the product should be present to easily provide an accurate account of what the customer wants from the company; and it’s in the representative’s best interest to make sure the customer properly understands the requirements and information for a smooth transaction.

The filled up form should be regularly confirmed with the customer. Double-check to make sure everything is in order, and reassure customers they are getting what they want, for the proper price agreed upon. Once the order is finally placed, the completed form would breeze through being processed and getting to the customer.

Order Confirmation and Status

Between the time of placing the order and receiving the product or service, customers would want to know the order’s status. As with the process of taking the customer’s order, representatives should confirm the details of the order placement, complete with a reference number and the receipt of the order purchased. Customers should also be duly notified by the delivery status of the order, if there are any delays or any changes as per the customer’s requests. It is imperative that customers know the status of the order, to reassure them their order has been processed and will be delivered.

Then, once the product or service reaches the customer, and the order has been completed, representatives should confirm if the completion of the order was delivered to the customer’s satisfaction. Communication with the customer is important when it comes to any business endeavor, since it is important for both parties to agree on the same thing, for all intents and purposes.

Customer Feedback

Many businesses tend to forget about this valuable factor when handling orders; they are missing out on the chance to discover what their customers think of their services, if there should be improvements made, or to take up suggestions that can make their future transactions run more smoothly, coming from a customer’s perspective.

By taking the time to reach out, businesses can come up with new ways on how to deliver their products or services better. And by valuing the customer’s comments and suggestions, customers will feel more inclined to trust in the business and rely on their products or services.

With the proper and effective order taking and processing system, the company can look forward to productive transactions, stable growth in the market, as well as a growth in loyal clientele. Going back to the basics of providing quality customer service and taking time to understand the clientele, their wants, and their needs will pave the way for an unparalleled customer service that will be sought after and appreciated.

Elsewhere on this blog:

Why Bother With Post-Sales Follow Up?

Four Easy Steps to Calming Angry Clients

Boost Your Business Without Going Bust – 4 Scaling Tips for Startups

A Three-Step Guide to Effective Contact Center Management

/0 Comments/in , , /by

In today’s highly-competitive industry, it is no secret the primary goal of every entrepreneur is to attract and maintain customers, ensure their business’s success in the long run. This is due to the fact that corporations go head-to-head when it comes to providing the same products/services, leaving consumers with a wide variety of choices and ultimately, giving them the power to choose which brand is better, which lacks the ability to satisfy consumer needs. In light of this situation, companies see the only way to increase sales is to make sure customers keep coming and keep purchasing. Hence the birth of a more elaborate and organized customer service and support system.

Not until recently, business owners saw the worth of customer service as a minor factor in the development of their corporation. But with the growing competition among industries, followed by rapid changes in market trends, corporations are forced to invest and provide more attention to customer service, to building relationship between the company and its target market. In line with this new marketing strategy is the birth of the contact center, a system under a company’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) department that handles customer issues. Generally, contact centers are the ones responsible in maintaining good customer relationship, it’s main role is to provide a clear communication line where customers can conveniently voice out their requests and concerns.

Here are three simple but essential steps to help you better manage your contact center.

Know Your Role

It’s hard to do your job if you have no idea what your duty really is. You’ll perform to your potential if you’re well aware of your role – the nature of your work, why it’s important, and what you’re doing it for. Knowing the importance of the contact center, as well as your company’s benefit, will give you detailed reason why the job is crucial. This way, not only will you learn how to act accordingly, you will also find some motivation to help you focus on your work.

Act the Part

However, knowing the nature of your job is not enough. The next step is to act the part. Once you understand your role to the full, it’s time to set goals that would lead to the success of your department and the company as a whole. It is essential that you and your team work in synchronized manner, with the same ideal in mind. Just like in a play/movie, each person has a role, and the whole cast/company has to perform as one unit for the play to really work. The same is to be said in contact center management: for the whole crew to build a harmonious connection with the customers, everyone has to play the parts assigned to them. Only in this way could the team achieve the set goals, which includes maintain a good relationship with the clients.

Own the Part

The ultimate role of a contact center team is to make sure customers get the attention they want and deserve. Meaning, a contact center system works for the sole purpose of endorsing their company’s good image, by presenting an excellent customer service performance. Contact center teams need to keep in mind the department exists to increase customer retention rate. This being said, they should know that their job as contact center personnel essentially means the success or failure of their company.

While it is true that modern technology is of great help in enhancing customer service performance, it can also be said that the technical aspect is not enough to build a strong foundation for a customer support. The real deal still fully relies on the ability of the employees to perform in accordance with the standards of their clients.

Elsewhere on this blog:

How’s Your Outbound Sales Performance Doing?

Five Tips for Providing the Best Customer Service Experience

Expanding Your Business Reach: Multilingual Contact Centers

Do You Want to Grow Your Clientele? Work on Your Retention Rate

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The primary objective of a business is to attract customers, with goal of covincing them to buy products or services. However, many entrepreneurs are unaware the true success of a company is measured through its ability to retain its clientele – something as important as gaining new customers. Business owners should understand the fact that maintaining existing customers contributes more to the success of the company; acquiring new clients cost more than keeping existing ones. Unlike a business that has a large base of clientele, companies with low customer retention rate tend to struggle in developing and growing their markets.

Research has proven the significance of customer retention in the success of a business, and these studies have determined the cause-and-effect factors involving the tendencies of a company to lose or retain existing customers. While some of the data in these research may slightly differ from each other, the prevailing results show that the customer retention rate of a certain business depends wholly on the way business owners handle their services/products and their customers.

To give you some insights on how to properly manage your business, here are some academically approved tips on how to boost up your company’s customer retention rate.

Clear Communication, Effective Brand Positioning

Building a strong relationship with your clients doesn’t happen overnight – it takes the same effort as building personal relationships. It also requires acute strategies to make it happen. Creating a real and friendly connection is a great way to start if you’re aiming for loyal customers. Research says that clients most often stay in a certain brand if the company share the same goals and values. If you want people to truly understand your brand, you have to establish a clear message that will convey your purpose.
Another way to get consumers to trust your business is by having a positive social proof. According to studies, good social proofs such as testimonials are the most effective way of getting people to know your business. Use different platforms of communication to connect with your clients. Social media is today’s most convenient mode of contact, utilize it to constantly inform people about your business.

Customer Identification and Education

Studies show that the only way to truly get to your target market is to know their needs and to understand the way they think. Start by identifying your customers –their goals, aspirations, likes, and dislikes. Once you’ve established a clear perception of these, it is easier to formulate a marketing tactic that will attract their curiosity and attention. The important thing to remember here is that people should be able to relate to your message, so they’re encouraged to continue patronage of your business. Know the things that your customers love to hear, and use these to your advantage when presenting your products or services. This way, they will be willing to purchase in a constant manner.

Consumers appreciate it when you communicate with them directly, for it makes them feel important. Talking to them and informing them of your latest features and offers also add up to the good image of your business. As proven by research, customers love being informed about new products that would benefit and suit their needs and preferences. Providing helpful tips is also a great way to keep existing clients to visit and avail of your services.

Exceptional Customer Service

One of most effective ways to keep loyal customers is by providing exceptional customer service. Clients tend to continue patronage on businesses that cater good service and product quality. Being polite and responsible are some of the characteristics that people often look for in a service staff. If they feel they’re being attended to accordingly and willingly, there’s increased the chance that they’ll keep coming back. As much as possible, avoid incidents that would make your clients dissatisfied; solve problems as soon as possible, always make it a point to apologize for any inconvenience, make it up to the customer if you have to.

Customers are the most important element in a business. The growth of a company depends wholly on them, thus, it is crucial that business owners meet their standards and satisfaction. Being able to retain clients is a sign of success in the company’s part, and gaining a high customer retention rate lies upon the hands of the business owners -how they manage their services, how they treat their customers, and most importantly, how they maintain a good image.

Elsewhere on this blog:

Maximizing Customer Retention: Handling Complaints

Why Bother With Post-Sales Follow Up?

You Need These Five People to Succeed in Business

How’s Your Outbound Sales Performance Doing?

/0 Comments/in , , /by

One way businesses generate (revenue) leads and sales is through outbound marketing: sales representatives reach out to existing and prospective customers, promoting products and services. However, this marketing tactic is often overshadowed by inbound marketing, what most companies don’t realize is that outbound marketing is just as important as any other marketing strategies.

While it has its own flaws and disadvantages, outbound marketing can potentially increase not only leads and sales, but the number of loyal customers as well. In today’s industries, consumers not only look for quality product and services; customer service and support are just as important.

Consumers are more inclined to patronize a brand if it delivers well in customer service; they will trust your company if you show a sense of responsibility and empathy. To earn and build loyalty, you have to be sincere in your efforts, and communicating you want the best for them is priority.

This is accomplished in outbound marketing, where sales representatives engage and develop trust with clients. Since their job is to persuade consumers to buy products, outbound sales agents can make use of personal strategies in establishing rapport with customers. This method can be effective if the goal is to generate sales. But how can you be sure if your outbound marketing team is doing their job right?

How is your company’s outbound sales performance doing?

As experts put it, business is not just about product/service quality, there’s also emphasis on customer relationship. Corporations have to realize the way customers think, something which changed over the years. It is still essential to secure a special connection with them. The ultimate goal for every company is to build and maintain a good and trustworthy image. This involves providing high-quality products, and effective customer service and support. This principle is applied in outbound marketing. Anticipating the challenges involved, here are two simple tricks you can implement:

1. Identifying, understanding your prospects

Outbound sales representatives need to know, having basic information about clients won’t do them any good. If they want to really see some progress, sales agents have to understand the way customers think. They should be able to relate to the clients’ situation – how it is in their customers’ shoes, how would they respond to the call or offer? Would they consider buying if the conversation is lighthearted? Does straight-forward work to them best? Agents should be able to contemplate these things before planning their marketing approach.

2. Build lasting relationships

Once the agents establish a connection with prospects, the next important thing to do is to nurture that relationship. Customers who feel a certain bond with a company are most likely to continue patronage with them. One way to do this is with consistent follow-ups, updating on new products or promos that could stir interest. It’s these little things like these send customers the impression that your company has a focused and dedicated customer support system.

While some customers may be a little hard to persuade, following these steps can change the course of your outbound sales. The key here is that your company must convey your message (that your customers are important) clear and loud. As a business owner, the first step you need to do is to find people who can successfully do the job. Look for employees who are effective communicators, good decision makers, great listeners, and most importantly, those who have dedication. Do this and your outbound marketing team should be fine.

Elsewhere on this blog:

Why Bother With Post-Sales Follow Up?

Maximizing Customer Retention: Handling Complaints

Five Tips for Providing the Best Customer Service Experience

Five Tips for Providing the Best Customer Service Experience

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A bad customer experience can ruin your business reputation, drive customers away. This is unfortunate realization for companies forced to recall products, compensate for poor service. It’s really difficult to make up for such scenarios, especially when you’re up against angry customers who just wouldn’t quit. This is why many consider customer service outsourcing an efficient solution to complaint management. Whether your customer support is in-house or leased, these best practices should spare you from mistakes too many companies fumbled with.

1. Provide a clear explanation

You’re very familiar with your industry’s technologies and terminologies, and they say familiarity breeds contempt – towards your customers. If you can’t explain your service in plain and simple terms, the customer will feel misunderstood, even patronized. The clarity of communication is important because it affects everything you do. It influences the customer’s decision in buying as well as their experience in using the product or service offered.

Aside from slangs, colloquialisms, or technical jargon, you should also avoid passive-aggressive language and negative undertones. Explain things in chronological order or in order of difficulty, complemented by a friendly voice; your customers appreciate clarity.

2. Active Listening

In answering queries and dealing with customer complaints, listen with an intent to understand what the real problem is. If you ignore the issue or fail to meet your customer’s expectations, the situation could worsen or escalate.

To save you from failed communication, pay close attention to the words used, as well as the tone and other nonverbal signals used in a conversation. Through this simple practice, you would know where a customer is coming from, and you can address the problem correctly and efficiently. If you’ve considered customer service outsourcing, invest in training and coaching programs to ensure your support is equipped to handle the worst customer complaints.

3. Use Positive Language

One way you’ll steer clear of accidental conflicts brought by failed communication is to use positive language. Instead of saying “can’t” or “unavailable,” shift to words that propose a definite solution. When the focus of the conversation is on the outcome, the customer is less likely upset in the end. Done professionally and formally, the angry or frustrated customer will still trust your brand.

4. Follow up on Customer Requests

Whether you promised to give an update on a request or not, the customer expects the agent to follow through until completion. Failing to do leaves the impression you’re unprofessional, and may smear the reputation of your business. Before it happens, keep in mind all the requests deserve an immediate response, ensure your customers are guided from start to finish. Remember to be accountable for the customers’ satisfaction, making them feel important and valued.

5. Close the Conversation on a Good Note

Closing a conversation is more than just saying thank you and goodbye. A good agent doesn’t leave an issue hanging and unresolved. He/she guarantees that every transaction completely addressed the customer’s question or achieved the purpose of the call. Your willingness to close a conversation correctly shows that you want to get things right and care about the customer’s gratification.
A good customer experience sustains retention. Manage your customer base well and watch your prospects grow through word-of-mouth, on social media. Building a good reputation takes time; value what you’ve accomplished by keeping constant pulse on your customers.

Elsewhere on this blog:

Maximizing Customer Retention: Handling Complaints

Essentials of Contact Center Management: Call Handling

Four Easy Steps to Calming Angry Clients

 

Media Managers

Expanding Your Business Reach: Multilingual Contact Centers

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The Philippines is a primary source of English-fluent customer service employees, no doubt a feasible destination for companies in need of business process outsourcing. Did you know opportunities also abound not just for Anglophiles, but for multilingual customer service representatives? What makes multilingual contact centers prime potential, for companies looking for cost-effective solutions to sales and customer support? Your business has a lot to gain, whether you’re a start-up or large corporation. How can you take advantage of it? Here are points to consider before you invest:

A Culture Open to Influence

Most Filipinos are at the very least bilingual—learning English side by side with their native tongue at the start of their schooling. Many even have third or fourth languages, dialects learned in childhood. Thoroughly exposed to Western culture, Filipino contact center employees are surely comfortable in dealing with foreign customers. Their openness to other aspects of foreign cultures help them adjust and adapt to change, too—from their knowledge of Western pop culture to the influences of Malay, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean culture in their vocabulary and lifestyles.

Moreover, outsourcing employees who are well-versed in more than two tongues is an easy feat, given the prevalence of students studying in language institutes across the country.

Crucial Aspects in Maintaining a Good Multilingual Contact Center

Having a vast talent pool of people fluent in English, Mandarin, Spanish, Korean, or other languages is a good start. However, it’s better if you find other essential aspects before you invest in the country. This includes building a solid sales team who can easily fire on all cylinders to scout new demographics. Furthermore, it’s important your talent is thoroughly trained to be language and culture competent.

Investing in human resource outsourcing means investing in their potential. Employers must require more than fluency, since the customers they face will have different temperaments. For instance, German and Japanese customers are more likely to expect more efficient responses, given the importance of time in their cultures. Moreover, train your employees to know the variations in spellings in English—no matter if it’s American, British, Australian, or other varieties.

Developing a multilingual contact center pays off in the long run. So long as you make the most of your teams’ potential, you’ll always have someone able to step in to handle foreign-language clients.

Elsewhere on this blog:

3 Big Reasons Why You Should Hire a Graphic Designer

3 Great Benefits of Outsourcing Data Entry

Hiring Your First Offshore Employee – Outsourcing Tips for Beginners

Essentials of Contact Center Management: Call Handling

/0 Comments/in , , /by

There are instances when call center agents get a rough time handling customer calls. With the variety of phone connectivity available, numerous troubles, concerns, and complaints need to be addressed accordingly. There’s always the option of contact center outsourcing, and there’s always room for improvement; here are some steps to implement with your teams. Let your teams work on these strategies, improving the overall call handling performance of the agents.

Answer Incoming Calls Immediately

If you want to convert customers, answer their calls. Even if you think it’s only a complaint, every call you receive is worth the company’s income. Through this fundamental gesture, your customers feel valued. If the roles were reversed, you don’t want to be on the other line, waiting for someone to pick up the call even though it has been ringing nonstop. Make sure that your agents answer the calls properly and on time. This is a great start to help you convert more calls into customers.

Ask for Contact Information

When the consumers call, it’s possible that they are considering doing business with you. In this case, you better train your team well and provide an effective system that helps them collect the name, email address, and contact number of each potential customer. This is an essential step in contact center outsourcing, knowing how to follow-up on consumers for possible leads or other special offers, even if you have multiple agents receiving the calls. After all, you don’t want to lose a lot of information in the shuffle of different people answering the phone.

The Art of Putting Calls on Hold

Remember that the longer you keep a caller on hold, the less likely that customer stays on the phone. With this in mind, train your agents to have a clear understanding of how to keep callers on hold for the shortest time possible. In fact, it can be observed that the average waiting time of most callers is more or less within the 50-second range. It is best to make the most of the customer’s time by moving with a comprehensive system of gathering information, providing solutions, and the like.

Developing dynamic, efficient contact center outsourcing involves equally effective methodologies. Stay on top of processes, and don’t hesitate to apply feasible ways of improvement. You’ll know the teams are doing well with significant decrease in complaints, and increased rate in customer satisfaction.

Visit our Solutions Page and tell us what you need!

Elsewhere on this blog:

Four Easy Steps to Calming Angry Clients

5 Ways Customer Feedback Can Help Grow Your Business

Should You Outsource Your Customer Service?

 

Four Easy Steps to Calming Angry Clients

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Customer complaints are expected even in thriving businesses, constant reminders that there will always be opportunities for growth. The question is how to handle these complaints in such a way that both you and your customer come out as winners.

Actually, there is no sure-fire formula to effectively handling disgruntled clients. In many large businesses, staff leasing is considered the solution; a complaints department or team is created to make sure that grievance calls are addressed promptly. Sadly, even this is sometimes ineffective. When dealing with an angry customer, only four things should be observed.

1. Listen.

Some people are simply fed up with the customer service and just need to release that pent-up emotion. The call that they make serves as their outlet and your role is to listen patiently to what they have to say, without judging them in any way. At some point during the call, your caller will calm down. That will be your cue to offer a solution, but make sure that you fully understand the problem.

2. Repeat.

Once you sense that the customer has let down his guard, repeat the problem back to him to make sure that you got it right. Getting corrected at this point should be expected because how you tell the problem may not be what your caller wants to hear. Continue this “parrot” technique of presenting the problem until the customer agrees to what you say.

3. Empathize.

With the two of you agreeing on the issue, offer an apology for what your customer has experienced. Saying sorry may have become too common in many complaints cases, but if you say it with a sincere heart, it will always have a calming effect on your caller. Follow this up with the appropriate solution and an explanation as to why the problem came up, but without putting the blame on others.

4. Assure.

A strong assurance that the issue is an isolated case and is not a normal procedure will inspire your customer to stay with the business. In some cases, making a follow-up call a few days after the problem was resolved comes highly recommended. Not only do you get to find out if your client is satisfied with your service, your call can help bring back that all-important customer trust.

Empathy should be the first thing on your mind when handling customer complaints. It’s an important element of frontline service, and it’s crucial to resolving complaints. Nothing spells service better than effective, personalized customer service.

We can help you build an amazing support staff, request a quote now!

Elsewhere on this blog:

Competitive Advantages of Offshore Staff Leasing

5 Ways Customer Feedback Can Help Grow Your Business

Staff Leasing: What to Look For When Hiring a Support Staff

 

Call Center Dilemma: Don’t Just Quit Because of Workload Mismatch or Lack of Challenge

/in /by

Let’s face it, a lot of good call center agents hop from one service center to another only to hop again after a few months. Some agents argue that workload mismatch or lack of challenge is to blame. If you feel any of these two, do not worry, there is a solution for these kinds of issues and you might find it even more interesting than you ever thought. So don’t just quit your job because of workload mismatch or lack of challenge, try looking at it on a different angle.

Workload Mismatch

If you find your job too exhausting because a huge amount of effort is needed to complete a task that does not even cover half of your day’s work and you’re about to burnout, you can always talk to your manager. Some agents fear that if they express their work problems to their immediate superior, they would get reprimanded, humiliated or fired on the spot. But that’s not always the case; some agents get this kind of treatment because they disrespectfully addressed their problems.

Before knocking on your manager’s office door, think of as many possible solutions to your own problem. Be a solution maker, not a burden. Make sure you express to your manager that you want to be a part of the company’s growth by contributing in your best efforts. You’ll be surprised to find out if all you needed is a cross-training.

Lack of Challenge

When workload becomes too monotonous for you and you feel that boredom is about to take over your career, or when you feel less satisfied with your work because you’re using less of your skills and expertise, don’t just stop and call it quits. You can request for a more challenging role where your entire skills can be utilized.

Call center companies usually have several training opportunities for career development and advancement plans for their employees. You can discuss your desired career path with your manager and work out a solution together.

Sometimes call center agents tend to forget that their word is also valuable to the company. As an employee, if there is something you want to voice out you should do it in the most professional way you could. Your inputs are important for the company’s growth, you just don’t realize it. Whatever the reason is for an employee to consider leaving his job is always a problem for the company.

The Perks and Benefits Working in a Call Center Company

/in /by

To be a call center agent means that you have what it takes when it comes to tackling rush hours, managing work load, and camaraderie. Working in the call center industry in the Philippines is no easy job compared to other Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies in the country, but it does have its cool perks and loads of benefits!

The Big Pay

The call center industry offers higher basic pay for fresh graduates, experienced agents and even for working students. Other benefits like performance-based, night differential and allowances may differ among call center companies, but they do get higher in percentage (%). For some employers in the Philippines, on top of the 13th month pay, they also offer a mid-year bonus, Christmas bonus, cost of living allowance and more!

Free Trainings and Career Growth

Working in a call center company gives you the benefit of free trainings on languages and management. This helps employees to communicate better with customers, potential clients and provide superb services. Some call center companies even provide their employees with post-graduate studies scholarship.

Promotions and incentives are faster inside a call center company than any other BPO company in the Philippines. Employees’ efforts and hard work are easily recognized and quantified!

Being a call center agent doesn’t just limit you to accepting or making calls; you can also be a language translator, an online tutor or an effective operations supervisor or manager.

Health Benefits

Because call center companies are notorious for their rush hours, Holiday and rotating shifts, employers have developed the perfect Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) to help their employees with their medical and dental finances. Not only that, different call center companies in the Philippines even provide sleeping quarters for employee who will be changing shifts the same day, a computer and gadgets room to satisfy the gamers, unlimited supply of coffee and juices if that’s what you’re into, and spa vouchers so you can have your tired body relaxed after work.

Do You Have What It Takes?

To be a customer or technical support professional is not for all. A call center agent might have already told you the amounts of stress he or she had. But no work is stress-free! Even an elite company’s CEO gets stressed from time to time; they just know how to handle it, so should you if you want to be a part of the call center industry.