10 Ways to Build a World-Class Customer Service Team

Hiring an efficient and effective customer service team is one of the bold steps a company can take in its quest to build a world-class customer service team.

Its starts from the point of screening suitable candidates in a rigorous hiring process. In some instances, you might notice persons with the passion and potential but lacks the desired experience. Like it’s the saying ”A long journey starts with a single step”, everything starts from somewhere, so it’s the situation here.

Invest in their potential, train them and make them the best customer service personnel. When you finally manage to build the best customer service team, create an enabling working environment that your team will enjoy working in.

A conducive environment will help you retain your personnel and keep your customer service team intact. Be good to your service team, offer invectives, take them on retreats and offer team building weekends. They are the face of the company – they decide whether your company grows or dies.

Your clients will be happier to be served with skilled and happy customer service personnel than being served with an arrogant and unskilled person.

Your customer service team is the voice of your company – the brand image relies on it.

Here are 10 ways to build a world-class customer service team.

1. Never Overwork Your Team

If you don’t balance the workload, you are basically whispering to your employees to look for alternatives. No matter how effective your customer service team is, if you overwhelm them with work, it’s just a matter of time before they burn out.

We all know that work burn out isn’t a good thing, especially to a customer service team. It makes your team appear less knowledgeable and demotivated.

2. Be Considerate

These are people who are the backbone of your brand. Be considerate to them, listen to their complaints and suggestions if you want your brand to be known for exceptional service.

Breaks, team building activities, holiday celebrations are a great way to keep your customer service team engaged and motivated to continue your clients top –notch customer service experience.

3. Empower Your Employees

After hiring suitable persons as part of your customer service team, do not put limitations on what they can offer to you.

You surely don’t have a customer support personnel often running to the IT assistant to ask questions when a client knocks/ calls. Invest in them, train them and make them confident that whatever the decision they make in the course of their duty, the company will stand by it for long as it resonates with the company’s values.

Part of the training could be taking your team for events, exhibition or any other set-up where your team can learn.

Attending events is also important as your team can share their experience and knowledge with other persons in the industry. There could also be chances of presentations or leading groups, and this can perfectly hone their skills.

This kind of events not only provide your team with that out of the office breather, but they also make your team feel involved in the community customer service team as a whole.

When you give your customer service team a sense that they are part of the organization and a pivotal component of the ‘Bigger picture’, your organization will definitely grow.

4. Motivate with rewards and recognition

Motivation is the key factor that differentiates between happy and unhappy employees. A company that values its growth will invest in making her employees happy because happy employees always translate to happy clients.

There are several ways of keeping your employees motivated and focused. It could be small motivations, such as a wider variety of teas and coffees in the break room, or better breaks. It could be bigger motivations, like a good bonus scheme and recognition for when people go above and beyond. Rewarding your employees and recognizing their efforts with employee benefits is just one of these ways.

It’s important however to consider the environment in which you are issuing the reward and whether it will serve to motivate your employees.

The rewards should also be in line with your company values. While rewarding, follow the due process and reward based on performance and not company loyalty.

Rewards can create more unity in a team or generate hostility depending on how it’s done. Be careful with your procedure of rewarding so as not to create hostility in the team.

5. Communicate with customer service team members

One of the key tools you can use to motivate your customer service team is by improving the communication between the front-line desk and the management.

We normally see the customer service ranked down there in the company’s organogram. But trust me, the man at the top will not have a job if you the person below here isn’t available.

It’s the downward and upward communication that will matter at the end of the day. The CEO must rely on the customer service team to know exactly what people are saying about their brand.

And he, ‘the person at the top’ must make it easier for his customer service team to communicate with him.’

When the customer service can easily and freely communicate with management, the management will get key information that will enable them to make essential decisions and build strategies that work for them.

6. Keep Your Promise/Don’t Break Your Word

Trust is earned when you mean what you say and do what you promise. Do not commit when you cannot deliver or rather it’s better to under promise but over deliver than the vice versa.

Develop your reputation as a consistent person and let it trickle throughout all the sections of your business.

7. Be honest to promote a world class customer service.

Be honest with your customer service team. Let your customer team know the exact situation of your company so accurate information can be passed to your customers.

8. Motive your employees to build superb customer support.

Hire suitable people, train and give them a reason to work in your customer support team happily. Build a world class customer service. Give your employees the tools to execute their duties, the freedom to make independent decisions and the freedom to communicate with you.

9. Be empathetic.

As the boss, aim to put yourself in ‘YOUR TEAM’ shoes when they have difficult issues. Always assure them of your support and solve their pressing needs.

10. Value relationships over revenue.

Good relations with your customer support team will actually generate more revenue and triple your income. It may be understated by the ultimate goal is good relations will help you create the world class customer service.

Wrap – Up

These tips above can help you build a world class customer service team. Besides, customer service is one of the pillars for business success that will boost your business and triple your income.