THE CUSTOMER IS KING (QUEEN TOO): MASTERING CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR NIGERIAN BUSINESS

Mastering customer service for your business is the heart of keeping customers happy and boosting your bottom line – your revenue. The customer is king. Picture this, your products are available, fully stocked and there your proposed customer avoids your store and moves onto the next. What is your next store neighbor doing well as opposed to you? You’re eager to please your customer but you’re struggling to understand the diverse needs of the market. The customer is a king and also a queen! Let’s find out

WHAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE?

Customer service refers to the range of activities and support provided by a business to assist and satisfy its customer. 

It involves addressing the needs, inquiries, and concerns of customers before, during, and after they purchase a product or service. The ultimate goal of customer service is to create a positive experience, build customer satisfaction, and foster long term relationships.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE?

Effective customer service has several benefit;

1. POSITIVE BUSINESS REPUTATION: Exceptional customer service builds positive reputation for your business. Through word of mouth recommendations from customers to others or through online reviews thereby causing your business to experience traffic in sales and generating revenue.
2. INCREASED CUSTOMERS LOYALTY; Happy and satisfied customers become loyal to your brand, contributing to more sales, general success and increased revenue to your business.
3. CRISIS MITIGATION: Effective customer service can help mitigate potential crises by addressing and resolving issues before they escalate, helping your business tackle negative sentiments and review.
4. REDUCED CUSTOMER CHURN; resolving issues promptly and providing excellent service helps retain customers, reducing the likelihood of them switching to competitors.

5 WAYS TO MASTER CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR YOUR NIGERIAN BUSINESS.

CULTIVATE A CUSTOMER-CENTRIC CULTURE:  Cultivating a customer-centric culture mindset across your business is important because it helps you prioritize and value your customer’s satisfaction while putting them first in every interaction. Here’s how you can cultivate a customer -centric culture in your business;

1. Leading by example through your actions to customer as well as your employees.
2. Training and development programs.
3. Communicating the visions to your employees
4. Feedback loops.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: Effective communication is essential in mastering customer service for your business. It involves clear and empathetic interactions where you ought to prioritize active listening, and fully grasping your customers’ needs and concerns. You should also consider Using open-ended questions to gather more information. For instance, instead of asking a closed-ended question like “Did you find everything you were looking for?” which simply demands a “yes” or “no” response, use an open-ended question such as “Can you share more about your experience today and any specific products or services you were hoping to find?” This will encourage your customers to provide detailed feedback, offering valuable insights into their needs and expectations. You should also paraphrase to confirm understanding. More so, if you run an ecommerce business you have to constantly be available and respond promptly to orders being placed. That should be your priority.

SWIFT PROBLEM RESOLUTION: Equip yourself with the skills and tools to address customer issues promptly. Here’s the skills needed for problem resolution.

• Effective communication
• Active listening
• Empathy
• Decision making.

Here are the tools needed for effective problem resolution

• Customer relationship management software (CRM)

• Automation tools 
• Ticketing system
• Analysis and reporting.

By combining these skills and tools you will be able to resolve issues swiftly, effectively and promptly in your business.

TECH STACK; Implementing the right tech stack is crucial for mastering customer service in your business. A well-chosen combination of tools and technologies can enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and the quality of your customer experience. Here’s what you should consider when selecting a tech stack for your business:

• Business goals
• Scalability
• Costs and budget
• Easy to use
• Customization options
• Performance and speed

You also need to consider the tools in response to your above selection. Here are possible tools to consider for your business;

• Customer relationship management software CRM
• Multichannel communication platform
• Knowledge base and self-service platform
• Customer feedback and survey tools
• Data analyst and reporting tools
• Call center software

A thoughtful selection of tech stack will improve your customer service goals and provide a solid foundation for your business.

METRICS TO MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS; To make customers happier, you need to use simple measurements and improvements. Tracking metrics is a key part of data-driven decision making in mastering customer service strategy. It allows you to identify bottlenecks in your customer service processes. Aside from this, metrics are an important way to keep track of customer behavior, preferences, and challenges. It can also help you with allocating resources more efficiently, setting realistic goals, and optimizing customer journeys. Here are possible metrics to measure your customer’s satisfaction;

• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Measures the likelihood of customers recommending your product or service.
• Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): gauges satisfaction levels by asking your customers to rate their experience on a numerical scale.
• Customer Effort Score (CES): Assesses the ease with which your customers can resolve issues or complete.
• Retention Rate: Measures the percentage of customers who continue to use your product or service over time.
• Resolution Time: Measures the time it takes to resolve your customer’s issues from the moment they are reported.
• First Contact Resolution (FCR): Tracks the percentage of issues resolved in the first interaction with your customer.
• Customer Churn Rate: Calculates the percentage of customers who discontinue their relationship with your business.

 CONCLUSION 

Conclusively, building an effective customer service elevates your customer experience, builds your business, brand, raises you and boosts your bottom line- revenue. By incorporating these strategies, you can build a strong foundation for exceptional customer service in your business.