Guide to outsourcing: everything you need to know
Outsourcing has become a widespread business practice for some time and, with the current pandemic...
Email could be considered an obsolete communication tool, now surpassed by the most efficient and modern channels, such as chat, chatbot and social networks. However, it continues to maintain its extraordinary communication skill, both as a means of information and marketing. Not all users have the means or time to contact support via chat or phone, so they take advantage of the downtime in their days to send an email to report a problem or ask for information
Email offers some advantages that more sophisticated means of communication do not. For example, it allows you to prepare a more complete written answer with greater care. It also permits you to send photos and images, an aspect that should not be underestimated.
At We Are Fiber, we know how to enhance email and we have the right tools to optimize customer service for any need and requirement. If you want to understand how to improve your company's customer care, we at We Are Fiber are ready to assist.
Show interest in your customers and use clear and positive language
Customers browsing an e-commerce site may not find the products they desire, or the automatic payment to use a service may be unsuccessful. Whatever the problem a customer faces, you need to show interest in it. In fact, if the customer feels abandoned and that you are not listening to the issue at hand, he or she will probably turn to a competitor.
It is therefore essential to reply to the email raising the problem as quickly as possible, ensuring that the request is taken care of in a speedy fashion. You can also set up automatic messages, but be sure to schedule the response to contain the name of the requester. In general, it would be preferable to use personalized answers, so that the customer does not feel treated like a mere number.
Use clear language, without grammatical errors, slang or overly technical words. Your message must arrive loud and clear and be positive. To understand this concept, let's take these two messages as examples, in the case where a product purchased online has not yet been delivered:
- The product you ordered is currently not available;
- Hi Antonio. Sorry for the delay. Due to issues beyond our control, the product will only be available next month. However, we have already placed your order among those considered a priority, in order to send you the item as soon as possible. Sorry for the inconvenience!
The second message is far more empathic and may well dampen the anger of the customer, who is reassured that the order will be processed as soon as possible.
Adopt proactive communication
Being proactive means that you don't simply interact with customers when they question you or when you intend to promote a new product or service. People need certainty, especially during this pandemic period where everything is unknown.
During the first lockdown, many companies sent an email to their customers, reassuring them that they would continue to operate in full compliance with Covid regulations.
Some customers would have searched for news to find out whether particular trusted businesses were still open or if they had stopped production. This type of proactive communication allows you to provide direct information to consumers, giving a sense of reliability.
Analyze customer complaints
When a customer sends you an email complaining or reporting a problem, don't dismiss it as a nuisance or "just" an issue to be resolved. Rather, view it as a means to identify a challenge within your company, one that could be an issue for many other customers going forward.
Give credit to your customers' feelings by following these steps: check the situation; understand the problem; refocus the conversation; and solve the problem for customer satisfaction.
This way, you will not only make the customer happy, but you will be able to optimize your service at 360° and prevent similar complaints.
Focus on omnichannel
A fundamental aspect for a modern and interactive company is omnichannel, that is the ability to manage the various communication channels simultaneously and in perfect synergy. A customer may request chat support and then send an email to inquire about the progress of the request.
By the time you read the email, you must already know who that customer is, what the request is and at what point the resolution of the problem stands. To do this, of course, all communication channels must be tuned to one another and constantly interconnected.
As you can see, email is a much more current tool than you think, so if you want to get more information to optimize its performance, contact We Are Fiber to find the right answers to your questions.