At Ways and Means Technology, our experience in providing IT support has taught us that prioritizing customer service is crucial for a startup’s success. Neglecting this aspect can result in failure, while businesses that focus on customer retention enjoy better customer experiences, increased lifetime customers, and sustainable revenue growth. In fact, a 5% increase in customer retention can result in a 25% to 95% increase in profits. Here are five effective customer service tips that can help your startup thrive:
#1 Choose Your Customer Communication Channels
To ensure that your customers can reach you quickly, choose the communication channels that they are most likely to use. For example, if your customers are millennials, they may prefer live chat or social media over traditional channels like email and phone. On the other hand, if your product or service is sophisticated and expensive, a phone call should be a priority. Emails are also a viable option as long as requests are processed quickly (89% of customers expect a response within an hour). Pick at least two channels that your customers use frequently and respond promptly.
#2 Define Your Customer Service Metrics
To measure the quality of your customer service and identify areas for improvement, you can use a variety of customer service metrics. Startups can focus on the essential ones, including:
First response time (FRT), the time between a customer submitting a ticket and a customer support agent providing an initial response.
Interactions-to-resolution, the number of interactions between a customer and a support agent until the issue is resolved.
Resolution rate (RR), the percentage of issues resolved by support agents compared to the total number of tickets received.
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT), a measure of customer satisfaction obtained from a survey filled out after the issue is resolved or after a conversation with a customer service agent.
#3 Develop a Knowledge Base
According to a survey by Software Advice, 73% of customers look for answers online first in case of any issues. A customer portal or knowledge base with comprehensive articles, guides, how-to manuals, and FAQ sections can provide proactive customer support. This is especially useful for startups with limited customer service resources since many customers will be able to resolve their issues without seeking assistance from an agent.
#4 Gather Customer Feedback
Gathering customer feedback after every interaction is crucial for your startup’s customer service quality and overall success. This feedback not only shows what customer service agents are doing well and what needs improvement, but it can also provide insights for sales reps by detecting opportunities for upselling and cross-selling. The marketing team can use this feedback to create marketing campaigns that match your target audience’s expectations.
#5 Create an Onboarding Process for Your Agents
Creating an onboarding process for your customer service agents that includes thorough guidance on your product’s characteristics and customer service processes is a crucial step for your startup. Agents who are knowledgeable about your product and follow your customer service workflow will resolve tickets promptly and provide the support that keeps your clients satisfied.
A Final Tip
As you can see, providing top-notch customer service is essential for your startup’s success. If your startup has limited resources and is unable to provide a great customer experience, help desk outsourcing may be the solution. Contact our help desk team if you’re interested in entrusting your customer service to a reliable provider.
