Did you know that two-thirds of consumers expect brands to understand their expectations and needs? Today’s consumers want customer interactions to be personalized around their unique needs.
While you are probably already applying personalization to your marketing strategy, your personalization efforts can’t stop there. You’ve also got to personalize customer support. Join us as we explore customer support tips that will make service experiences feel more human, more connected, and ultimately more effective.
What Is Personalization in Customer Service?
Personalized customer service is a tailored, individual approach that makes each customer feel recognized and valued. It’s about seeing customers as individuals with specific needs and preferences rather than just another service ticket number.
Every customer interaction is different and needs to be treated as such. That is the spirit of personalization in customer service. You don’t just focus on the problem. You look beyond the issue at hand and curate the experience to make the customer feel valued and understood.
Why Personalized Customer Service Matters
Now, you might be wondering: why go through all this effort? After all, solving the issue is the only thing that really matters, right? Not exactly.
Personalized customer service is a crucial step in building long-term relationships with your customers. When you make customers feel like “just another support ticket,” they are going to view your business as “just another brand.” In contrast, when customers feel understood and valued, they are more likely to remain loyal, provide positive feedback, and even advocate for your brand.
Personalized customer support isn’t just good for customers; it’s great for your business, too. It can lead to increased customer retention, higher satisfaction rates, and a stronger brand reputation.
Customer Support Tips to Make Interactions More Personalized
There are lots of ways to add a touch of personalization to inbound call center interactions. To win at personalization, you’ll need to:
Understand Your Customer
First and foremost, you need to understand who your customers are. This means gathering data about their past interactions, preferences, and any feedback they have provided. You can use this information to create a more complete picture of each customer, which will allow your support team to tailor their approach accordingly.
Empower Your Team With the Right Tools
Equip your support team with tools that help them quickly access customer information. For instance, CRM systems can provide instant access to customer history, allowing your team to personalize interactions based on relevant data. Your team will also need a system that allows them to efficiently switch between support channels so they can adapt to customers’ shifting needs.
Deliver Quality Training
Personalizing service isn’t just about information; it’s also about empathy and communication skills. Train your team to use their tools well and also listen actively, show empathy, and communicate in a way that resonates with the customer. Role-playing exercises and regular training sessions can be incredibly effective in this regard.
Customize Your Communication
Use the customer’s name, reference past interactions, and tailor language to suit their communication style. This approach shows that you’re paying attention to the customer as an individual, which helps build rapport.
Go Multichannel
While phone-based support is still a fan favorite, some customers prefer to seek support using other channels. Don’t force your customers to use some other option, but give them a say in how and where they seek support. Some channels you should add to the mix include email, live chat, text, and even social media. Make sure to add a self-service option, too.
However, you should avoid adding too many channels too fast. Doing so can overwhelm your support agents and confuse customers.
Create a Feedback Loop
Encourage feedback from your customers. This will not only provide you with valuable insights but will also make your customers feel heard and appreciated. Implementing feedback shows that you value their opinions, further personalizing their experience.
Follow Up
After a call, consider sending a personalized follow-up message. This could be an email or even a brief survey asking about their experience. It’s a small gesture that can reinforce the personalized service they’ve received.
Ensure Consistency Across Channels
Going multichannel will help you deliver support using each customer’s preferred channel. However, the quality and tone of the support must remain consistent across channels.
View Tech as a Complementary Tool
While automation and AI can streamline the delivery of support, they should not replace the human touch. View these technologies as complementary tools that improve the customer’s experience. For example, chatbots can gather preliminary information before directing customers to one of your support agents who already has their background data.
Recognize the Value of Small Talk
While you don’t want to waste anyone’s time, a little small talk can go a long way toward making a conversation feel more personal and less transactional. Train your team to engage in friendly, brief conversations that can make the customer feel at ease. A genuine “How are you doing today?” can take the tension right out of a conversation.
Continuously Improve
You aren’t going to master the art of personalized customer service overnight. Personalization is a long game, one that you must commit to see through. Continuously review and update your strategies based on new trends, shifting customer expectations, and emerging technologies. And remember to stay adaptable and always look for ways to get better.
Ready to Personalize Customer Support?
While you may be ready to personalize customer support, deciding where or how to begin can be exceptionally difficult. You’ll need to empower your agents with modern tech tools that provide them with real-time insights into each customer, train your staff on personalization techniques, and revamp your support delivery model.
Fortunately, there is an easier and more cost-effective way to personalize customer support. The solution is inbound customer service outsourcing. A leading provider can deliver customized outsourcing services and make your customers feel like every interaction was designed just for them. To tap into the benefits of personalized customer service without the headache, consider outsourcing inbound call center functions.