Don’t Play the Blame Game

It’s human nature to point the blame at someone or something.  When it comes to customer service, it’s important to understand that there’s a grey area. It’s unreasonable to consider customer service as a black and white scenario.  

The truth is, there are typically issues on both sides that make the customer service experience negative. It’s time to stop blaming the consumer and start reviewing internal customer service processes. There’s no solution that guarantees 100% customer satisfaction but reevaluating your methods can help substantially. Let’s go over some key guidelines to get your customer service in tip-top shape.  

Keep Emotions Out of It

Did you know that the act of ‘blaming’ is an emotional response? The healthy way to resolve an issue is by conducting an analysis. With analysis, there is a positive motivation behind the action. Blaming someone for the failure/misfortune of a situation is a defense mechanism. Anytime we as humans get defensive, we react with our emotions and not with our rationality.   

Customers can be difficult. It’s crucial to stay focused on the issue at hand when you’re assisting a customer. Start by asking yourself these three questions when you are dealing with a dissatisfied customer:  

• Why is the customer upset?  
• What does the customer want from this transaction?  
• How can you help?  

Using the questions above as a guide will help you avoid getting into negative altercations with consumers.  

The Apology  

When a customer is frustrated, an apology is a customary practice. As someone working in customer service, you need to be aware of the do’s and don’ts of apologizing. A good apology should include some constructive information for the customer. Customers get annoyed with generic apologies that show no hope of a resolution. Even if the issue at hand is something that you can’t solve, let the customer know that you’re proactively searching for a solution.  

Collaboration & Automation 

Attention to detail and communication play a role in quality customer service. To help keep things organized, minimize the number of platforms your team conducts business on. Dealing with an excess of moving parts will only overwhelm your workload. That’s why you should choose communication tools that encourage teamwork and orient your goals.   

Lastly, work smarter! Technology can automate monotonous tasks for you, allowing you to focus on the bigger picture, without missing a beat. If you are worried about your task list falling through the cracks, an automated work platform is a perfect solution.  

Final Thoughts  

There is no fool-proof solution for flawless customer service. Mistakes and misunderstandings will happen. The best way for you to stay proactive is to maintain a focus on the problems at hand and keep operations organized and consistent.  

Deskware 

Deskware is a combination of manual and automated processes that allow you to resolve customer issues fast and efficiently – all in one place. The cloud-based nature of this ticketing system helps to keep track of conversations, prioritize, categorize and implement problem resolution, so you are always a valuable resource for your customers. To learn more, visit us online!  

Want to stay connected? Give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.