If Customer Satisfaction Is Your #1 Priority, Consider Enhancing Your Messaging

By Shannon Flynn

If you run a business, you know how vital customer service is to your reputation. Consumers can choose from potentially millions of competitors who offer the same type of product or service you provide.

Good customer service builds brand loyalty — loyalty is king in an increasingly oversaturated online retail market. If customer satisfaction is your main priority, consider enhancing your messaging to reach people quickly and answer their questions.

1. Make A Q&A List

Create a list of answers to common questions or complaints your employees can use to reply to customers quickly. For example, instead of your team members having to type, “I’m so sorry to hear we didn’t fully meet your expectations. Please let us know how we can make this right,” they’d be able to click this response from a menu of ready-to-go replies.

Then, they could add details such as your customer’s name or the product they want to talk about. With potentially hundreds or thousands of people reaching out to your customer service line every day, this will save your customer service team a lot of time they’d otherwise spend typing.

2. Automate Your Messaging Services

If customers have a generic question other people have asked time and time again, an AI service can answer it for them. If they have further questions or need assistance from a customer service representative, you can redirect them to one of your team members. This will save your team a lot of time.

Many people would rather text than make a phone call, especially to a customer service line that might place them on a seemingly endless hold. If customers get a quick reply to their text — even if it comes from an automated service — it sends the message that your company is responsive and wants to help them as quickly as possible.

3. Employ Multiple Communication Channels

Some people want to text. Others would prefer to call, send an email, or write a letter to your company. Some people are even happy to video chat with customer service, as it adds an extra layer of human interaction to the call. Keep all avenues open and answer people via their preferred communication method.

For example, what might be a frustrating back-and-forth email session could be quickly resolved with a phone call. Or a flustered client might want to articulate their thoughts in a long text rather than speak to someone. If you have the resources for it, train your team to follow your customers’ lead and communicate in multiple ways.

You also can use several methods to reach out to your customers with surveys or promotional material. However, most people prefer email, text, or physical mail for this type of content. Refrain from calling people to ask for reviews or let them know about sales.

4. Use Photos And Videos

When texting or emailing a client, ask them to send you pictures of an item they have questions about, such as if they need help assembling a table or finding a USB port on their new computer. You can then draw directly on the picture to point out features or walk your customer through fixing an item as you both look at the same image.

This can be much faster than trying to describe what something looks like. It also helps communicate with visual learners.

5. Provide Text Updates

If someone orders an item, send them an automated text telling them their order has been received. You also can provide updates on shipping delays, tracking numbers, and delivery address changes.

Doing so can save you from getting an influx of questions from customers. Plus, it shows you know what they want and anticipated their question before they even asked it. This comes across as helpful and could lead to greater customer satisfaction.

Making Customer Satisfaction Your Priority

By enhancing your messaging services, you can provide excellent customer service and build brand loyalty. This helps ensure people will keep coming back to your business. Moreover, it will help you secure an excellent reputation to attract future consumers.

About The Author

Shannon Flynn is a technology blogger who writes about AI and IT trends. She's also the Managing Editor of ReHack.com and freelances for sites like IoT for All, ChatbotNewsDaily, and more. Follow her on Medium or MuckRack to read more tech news.