Customer service remains a cornerstone for any business. The growing expectation of consumers to have their problems seamlessly solved makes companies need to be able to not only understand and solve their customers' difficulties but also anticipate and solve them before they become more complex.
The customer service we provide is a key factor in the credibility and value perceived by our brand. For that reason, it is important to be aware that Customer Service could potentially differentiate us from the competition.
Make it effective with root-cause customer service
Sometimes, the issues expressed by the customer may not be solved effectively due to a lack of understanding of the underlying causes of those problems. It is fairly simple for any situation to be expressed in dozens of different ways by the customer.
For example, for a problem affecting several users, such as the lack of activation of a TV voucher promotion, some could express it as a billing problem and others simply reach the support line to say that they can not watch the last episode of their favorite series.
There is a root cause for their problem but they are only aware of the symptoms, thus that is what they can express. If we focus on solving problems rather than identifying their source of them, we will never be able to anticipate them. This is indeed where the root-cause approach can make a difference.
This approach involves identifying and addressing the underlying causes of a problem rather than simply fixing the surface symptoms. It means seeking the origin behind complaints and problems that customers experience in order to gain greater control over future situations as well as gain effectiveness and agility in resolution.
For instance... if a customer complains about a delay in the delivery of his order, a company with a root-cause customer service approach would not simply report a new date to the customer but would address the source of the problem to prevent it from happening again with another customer.
But the understanding of the root-cause goes much further than that...
It allows you to build a differential experience from proactivity. For the above example, we could even anticipate the customer's needs and offer to pick up the order that same day at an alternative location. If we analyze information for signs of patterns, we will be more effective in anticipating the difficulties and needs of our customers.
Similarly, we can work proactively with mitigation policies on situations that massively affect our customers, preventing them from contacting us.
Likewise, delving into the source of problems leads directly to knowing and being much more connected with other departments. This allows us to break down interdepartmental barriers to improve the quality of customer service and enhance the experience offered.
Focus on understanding and knowing in detail what happens to your customers
Guiding customer service towards root cause knowledge is essential for a proactive approach. With this, we can gain effectiveness and agility. If we know in detail and have under control what is happening, we can save time and effort for both ourselves and our customers.
Additionally, proactivity allows us to build stronger and longer-lasting relationships. Anticipating our customer's incidents demonstrates to them that we don't settle for simply solving problems when they occur, but that we care about their satisfaction and are committed to providing exceptional service by anticipating what may happen and resolving it before it affects them.
