Customer communication does not have to be complicated. At its core, it’s simply a conversation between a customer and a support agent. The way that these conversations happen, however, has changed significantly over the years.
Customers interact with brands in so many ways. As a matter of fact, 85% of customers expect consistent communication across departments.
So, how can you ensure that these interactions are meaningful to your brand? Let’s examine six ways that will help your support team master customer communication.
Effective customer communication is the foundation of every profitable business relationship. It involves actively listening to your clients, deciphering their messages, and taking action to improve their experience with your product or service.
We’ve all had conversations where answers were implied, instead of given directly. This also happens with clients. A good customer service agent must read between the lines and understand what is not being said. Then, they can use the information clients hold back to find new ways of helping.
Here’s how a good customer communication plan influences the customer experience.
Effective communication is just as important as using the right software to handle client requests. Here are six rules you should follow to benefit from enhanced interactions.
Nobody wants to feel like they’re interacting with a robot. When you connect with customers, they can offer valuable details about their problems, which can help your team improve processes and product features.
Here’s how to achieve this goal:
🥰 Show your customers that you care and, most of all, make them feel heard. The solution may come as a bonus. People want to feel that their input matters and that you’re taking action to improve their experience.
This is where real customer communication skills come in. Be mindful of the language you use. There are some expressions that you should avoid at all costs.
Instruct your customer service team to avoid using negative words and phrases like “Can’t,” “Won’t,” “Don’t,” “Never,” etc.
Instead, provide positive answers like: “We are looking into that and working on a solution as we speak” and “I’m sorry to hear that, but I assure you, we are doing everything to help fix the issue” to keep customers satisfied, even in the absence of an immediate solution.
Sometimes, the tone of voice matters more than the message itself.
Always be transparent — if you haven’t found a solution, just say so, but always end the communication on a positive note.
☝️ Customers will remember the effort you put into fixing their problem just as much as the outcome.
Companies that engage their customers across all digital channels keep 89% of them. Those who reach customers on just a few customer communication channels only achieve a 33% retention rate.
Companies using omnichannel communication get a complete history of client interactions. They can see how clients came into contact with their brand, how many times they asked for support (and on which channels), and how they log complaints or product reviews.
Omnichannel communication makes it easier to be consistent with your brand message across the digital spectrum, regardless of customer touchpoints. No matter how the customer interacts, they will access the same information, messages, promotions, etc.
☯️ This cohesive approach helps you manage customer expectations and makes clients feel like they can rely on your brand to deliver as promised.
Hybrid support is a mix of traditional customer support provided by call center agents and a digitized approach based on self-support materials and automation.
This type of communication offers fast answers to your clients’ problems, especially if answers to basic client questions are automated. For example, FAQs, chatbots, and self-support materials give your customers immediate access to the information they seek.
They also work well as a primary gate of communication. Your client’s initial contact with a chatbot will establish intent.
After these questions are answered, a customer service agent can address more complex issues. Although messaging apps and bots have become increasingly popular, 85% of consumers would rather interact with a live agent than a virtual assistant.
📢 Each customer is unique, so you need to provide multiple options and levels of interaction. To get the customer communication strategy right on every level, you need to pair automation with live customer support.
The first time a person interacts with your brand sets the tone for their entire customer journey. What differentiates a great first customer experience from a bad one? Speed, ease of use, and accessibility.
A good first impression must include the following:
🌐 Make sure that information is accessible across all channels and on every device. Busy customers need intuitive mobile navigation, while clients who are not digitally savvy prefer traditional leaflets and on-site consultants to handle their requests.
Communication styles play a crucial role in customer service. Most people who work in this field focus on the message that they are trying to send and forget about using the right approach when dealing with difficult customers.
The main communication styles customer service representatives should know are:
🗣️ Assertive is the customer communication style you should use most of the time. It relies on honesty, politeness, and confidence. People who use assertive communication in customer service are great listeners, which makes them great communicators.
This section showcases the successful implementation of client communication best practices.
Wistia strategically employs videos to provide exceptional customer service. It creates personal how-to videos to guide customers through various software features. This enables customers to troubleshoot and retain Wistia’s solutions more efficiently than they would by emailing or calling Wistia’s support.
Image source: wistia.com
👍 Pro tip: Utilize platforms like Snagit or Awesome Screenshot to craft valuable support resources for customers to revisit.
Neat, a company that offers bookkeeping software, ensures that its customers feel welcomed. Their website includes a 24/7 chatbot with predefined questions and automated knowledge base responses.
Image source: neat.com
👍 Pro tip: Introduce a chatbot on your website to guarantee that customers receive timely assistance.
Buffer excels in customer communication by seamlessly integrating in-app support. It includes a search icon accessible on every app page. Buffer’s extensive help center, featuring over 216 articles, provides a comprehensive resource catering to various customer communication preferences.
Image source: support.buffer.com
👍 Pro tip: Develop an extensive knowledge base with diverse articles to cater to customer concerns.
The purpose of communicating with customers is to understand their needs, provide valuable assistance, and ensure a positive interaction that fosters loyalty.
Great support relies on good customer communication. Improve your team’s communication skills and your customers will thank you.
Iustina is a curious copywriter with an analytical mind and a demonstrated history in the advertising industry. She likes mixing words with data and is passionate about human behavior. When she's not at her work desk, you'll probably find her enjoying refreshing tea flavors, spilling stories on paper, or binge-watching true-crime documentaries.
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