A company’s successful growth depends on creating loyal customers by following certain customer retention strategies.A first step to high customer retention is to find the reasons why customers are turning away from your company.This lets you generate focused strategies to form loyal customers who will purchase your products often.Moreover, you can learn what features of your offerings excite and encourage your customers.Maintaining an old customer is more cost-effective than acquiring new customers. With this in mind, we will go through some strategies and metrics you can track for customer retention. What is customer retention?Customer retention is an organization’s ability to hold on to customers after they approach your brand, product, or service.Retention of customers reflects how well the organization, and its offerings satisfy customers.Difference between customer acquisition and retentionCustomer acquisition describes the procedure of or efforts to attract new customers to a company’s products or services. This usually involves marketing efforts.Conversely, customer retention occurs after the customers approach you. Your goal is to form customer loyalty and promote repeat business once they make a purchase.Customer retention strategies to considerCustomer retention strategies will change and develop continuously as your company grows.Here are some practical concepts for improving customer retention:1. Analyze customer surveys regularlySending out surveys and analyzing them regularly, as customer retention strategies, help you understand how customers perceive your brand and inform your steps to improve.For example, NPS (net promoter score) surveys estimate a customer’s likelihood of endorsing your product or service.You’ll understand better how much of your business is coming through word of mouth and why.The CSAT score exposes the quality of support service you provided your customers.A CSAT survey occurs after a ticket resolution to gather customer opinions.Generally, it requests customers rate their support experience on a scale ranging from very satisfied to very bad.This helps agents improve their service. In fact, good customer support leads to higher retention of customers.2. Implement customer service toolsIn the starting stage of your company, you have a small number of customers and customer issues.Later, the arrival of more customers makes your number of customer issues grow, too.Therefore, everything done manually will take time, and you need to put more effort into handling these situations.To overcome this, you can adopt customer service tools like help desk software to maintain an efficient workflow in your support team.Help desk software streamlines urgent issues and lets your team fix them in a timely fashion.Moreover, it aids team collaboration, which improves your support team efficiency. Quicker response and resolution times will drastically reduce your churn rate.3. Educate your customersEducating your clients can make your clients’ experience with your products smooth and pleasant.Having no or poor instructions on your product’s usage can frustrate your customers.Besides, customers will value your effort to ensure their purchase is easy to implement and thus, remaining loyal for many years.Additionally, let customers educate themselves by providing a knowledge base.If you provide adequate instructions and tips on your website, they can solve their issues on their own and feel self-sufficient, too.Accordingly, tutorials, documentation, life hacks, and forums are all great ways to keep customers informed. Then, customers may continue using your product or brand for long.4. Provide customers an easy way to contact youA consumer is already having a less-than-ideal experience when they ask for assistance or ask a question.So, don’t make things worse by making them figure out how to contact you.Make it incredibly simple for customers to contact you, either by prominently displaying contact information on your website or by including a support link on each page, or offering livechat support.Therefore, this enables your customers to request assistance from anywhere.5. Improve your customer supportMost customers repeat the same product or service when they have a positive experience with its customer service.Purchasing a product or service with a new company is always a risk. Therefore, you must prove to your customers that you back up your offerings by providing excellent customer service.They will know going forward that, even if they do have issues, they can rely on your company to sort them out.A Microsoft study reveals that a poor customer experience has led 56% of respondents to cease doing business with a particular brand.Additionally, you have to ensure a fast response to customer inquiries.You can meet the communication expectations of your customers by properly training your staff and monitoring their performance with benchmarks.6. Implement a customer loyalty programOne of the most effective strategies for retaining clients is rewarding loyalty. Customers appreciate when brands acknowledge their loyalty and provide them incentives to remain loyal.Brand-loyal customers are more likely to:Make repeat purchasesRefer othersProvide valuable feedbackRewarding loyalty is a way of acknowledging and appreciating this commitment, which in turn encourages clients to continue their patronage.A loyalty rewards program is a structured way of rewarding clients for their continued business. These programs provide customers with incentives to remain loyal to the brand.The more a customer purchases, the more rewards they receive. This could be in the form of points that can be exchanged for products or services, exclusive discounts, or members-only offers.This not only encourages them to stay but also motivates them to spend more. However, it’s important to regularly evaluate the program and make adjustments as necessary to ensure its success.7. Quickly address customer support inquiriesOne key strategy to improve customer retention is to provide a quick response to support inquiries.According to a report commissioned by Emplifi, 52% of customers anticipate a response from a brand within an hour.When users reach out with a support inquiry, they are looking for immediate assistance.Delays in response can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction, which can, in turn, impact their loyalty to your brand.By promptly addressing support inquiries, you can demonstrate your commitment to customers’ needs and enhance their overall experience.8. Utilize personalizationPersonalization is a compelling tool that businesses can use to retain their clients. It is the process of tailoring services or products to meet the unique requirements and preferences of individual clients.The more you know about your clients and their needs, the better you can use personalization to keep them engaged and loyal to your brand.Encouraging customers to set up an account is an effective strategy to gather more information about them.With the right strategies and tools, you can use personalization to build strong, long-lasting relationships with your clients.Personalization involves understanding the client’s behavior, preferences, and needs, and then customizing your offerings accordingly.It can be as simple as addressing the client by their name in communications, or as complex as offering product recommendations based on previous purchases.Remember, personalization should be implemented in a way that respects customer privacy and complies with data protection regulations.9. Provide excellent after-sales serviceAfter-sales service is a vital component in establishing a loyal customer base. It refers to all the support and services provided to clients after they have purchased or started using a product or service.This includes services like product installation, repair and maintenance, customer support, warranties and returns, product upgrades, and replacements.Here are a few strategies for providing excellent after-sales service:Regular follow-ups: Regularly check in with customers to ensure they are satisfied with their purchase.Offer ongoing support: Even after the sale is completed, offer your clients ongoing support. This could be in the form of technical support, advice, or training.Show appreciation: Show your appreciation to your clients with a thank you note.The primary goal of after-sales service is to ensure client satisfaction and build a long-term relationship with them.10. Offer competitive pricing and dealsCompetitive pricing and deals are essential tools for businesses to retain their clients.By offering them, businesses can ensure that clients feel like they’re receiving good value for their money and are less likely to switch to competitors.Implementing competitive pricing involves a thorough understanding of the market and the pricing strategies of competitors.Businesses should conduct regular market research to stay updated on the pricing trends in their industry. This will help them set prices that are competitive yet profitable.Remember, the goal of these strategies is not just to compete on price but to provide value to your customers.Building a relationship with your customers, understanding their needs, and delivering quality service are just as important for customer retention.Why is customer retention important?There are many ways to benefit from the customer retention strategies. Below is why customer retention is important:Reduce customer acquisition costLearn more about your target customersIncrease the purchase value of each saleIncrease referrals and loyaltyCreate a more stable revenue streamCustomer retention metricsDifferent metrics for retention of customers help you analyze which method reaches your customers more.Using these metrics, you can decide which customer retention strategies to emphasize with your work force.First, let’s see some of the metrics that help you to realize the strength of the current customer base.Customer retention rateEvaluates the capability of an organization to hold on to its customers for a specific period of time.How to measure customer retention rateTo estimate the customer retention rate, set the time period you want to measure (last year, quarter, month, week) and collect the number of customers:At the start of the time.At the end of the time.Newly arrived during the time.Formula:Customer lifetime value (CLV)Customer lifetime value denotes the total predictable revenue a customer will bring throughout their dealings with a business. CLV enables you to determine a customer’s potential lifetime value rather than just the value they bring at the time of their initial purchase.How to calculate customer lifetime value (CLV)Calculate the averages of the following:Customer lifespanPurchase valueNumber of purchasesMultiply the average purchase value by an average number of purchases, and then multiply the obtained value by the average customer lifespan.Formula:Customer satisfactionA customer satisfaction survey states a customer’s level of satisfaction with your brand, product, or service.How to calculate customer satisfaction (CSAT)To calculate the CSAT score, gather the number of positive responses and the total number of responses obtained from customers.Formula:Customer attrition rateThis rate describes the number of customers a company loses over a certain period of time. They no longer use the company’s product or service.How to calculate attrition rateTo compute the attrition rate, take the number of customers your company has left at the end of the time period and divide it by the number of customers at the start.Formula:Net promoter scoreA net promoter score (NPS) gauges your customers’ desire to recommend your product, brand, or service.How to calculate net promoter score (NPS)Estimate your NPS by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters in your customer feedback.Formula:What is a customer retention program?A customer retention program is a strategic approach implemented by businesses to maintain and enhance relationships with existing customers. The primary goal is to reduce customer churn and increase customer loyalty.A customer retention program emphasizes the importance of nurturing and retaining existing customers to drive repeat purchases, increase lifetime customer value, and ultimately maximize profitability.Here are some tactics used in customer retention programs:Customer loyalty programs: Reward customers for repeat business with points, discounts, or exclusive rewards.Customer advocacy initiatives: Encourage satisfied customers to become brand advocates by incentivizing referrals, reviews, or testimonials.Proactive customer support: Provide proactive customer support by reaching out to customers about issues or concerns before they escalate.Subscription services: Offer subscription models that provide ongoing value and convenience to customers.Personalized communication: Tailor communication and offers to individual customer needs and preferences, when appropriate.Exceptional customer service: Provide prompt, helpful, and friendly customer service to build trust and loyalty.Customer feedback mechanisms: Actively seek customer feedback and act on it.Exclusive content and offers: Provide exclusive content, discounts, or early access to new features for loyal customers.6 customer retention examplesHere are some customer retention examples featuring real brands, showcasing various strategies to keep customers engaged and loyal.Sephora Beauty Insider—Loyalty rewardsSephora’s tiered loyalty program offers a compelling case study. Customers earn points for purchases, receive birthday gifts, and gain access to exclusive sales and events. This encourages repeat business and personalizes the shopping experience for beauty enthusiasts.Amazon Prime— Subscription perks and convenienceThe Amazon Prime subscription service offers a collection of benefits like free, fast shipping; exclusive deals; a streaming service; and early access to deals. This value proposition incentivizes customers to become Prime members, leading to increased spending and brand loyalty.Spotify Premium—Personalized music experience and ad-free listeningSpotify Premium provides an ad-free listening experience, on-demand music selection, and the ability to download music for offline playback. These features address key desires of music lovers and justify the subscription fee compared to the free, ad-supported version. This approach encourages users to upgrade and maintain their premium subscriptions.Peloton All-Access Membership— Interactive fitness and community engagementPeloton offers high-tech bikes and treadmills with built-in screens that allow users to participate in live and on-demand fitness classes. Peloton bikes are a significant investment, but the Peloton all-access membership further strengthens customer retention. This membership provides access to live and on-demand fitness classes, instructor interaction, and a sense of community for Peloton users. This combination of premium equipment, interactive classes, and a supportive community creates an experience that keeps users coming back for more.Nintendo Switch Online—Enhanced functionality and online playNintendo Switch Online offers a paid subscription service that enhances the online gaming experience for Switch users. Features like online play, cloud saves, and access to a library of retro games provide value beyond the initial console purchase. This strategy encourages continued engagement with the platform and incentivizes players to maintain their subscriptions.REI Co-Op membership—Long-term investment and shared ownershipREI’s unique lifetime membership program requires a one-time fee that unlocks annual dividends on purchases, gear rentals, and exclusive discounts on products and events. This upfront investment for long-term benefits fosters a sense of ownership in the company and rewards loyal customers.Future-proof your business with effective customer retention strategiesUse these customer retention tactics as a roadmap to develop customer experiences that increase retention so that both your customer base and your revenue continue to grow.Help desk software enhances the capacity of the retention of customers for your organization.Moreover, it helps you send quick responses to your customers, resolve customer issues fast, analyze your customer support data, and get accurate customer feedback.Book a live demo to discover how LIKE.TG can assist you show excellent customer care to your clients every time they reach out to you.Start a free trial to explore its numerous features.For any questions, please contact us through oursupport system, built onLIKE.TG.Related blogsBest techniques for reducing customer service response timeMost essential customer service skillsGuidelines for customer service for any business8 Strategies to Provide Efficient Customer Service10 Creative Ways to Avoid Common Customer Service Mistakes Automated Customer Service: Examples and Benefits10 Practical Tips to Improve First Response Time in Customer Service

Regardless of your business, you will always have customers, both new and loyal. Customers will stay depending on how good your customer service is.Calabrio reports that 60% of consumers have switched their favored brands following negative interactions with customer service centers.By establishing a guide to customer service for your company, you can maximize your customer retention and even attract new customers.Do you know how to serve your customers? If you’re not 100% clear on it, don’t worry.In this blog post, I will take you through some essential guidelines that you can apply to your own company’s customer service efforts. What are customer service guidelines?Customer service guidelines are a set of procedures, principles, rules, and recommendations that organizations establish to guide their employees in delivering consistent and exceptional customer service.These guidelines provide a structured approach to ensure that customer interactions align with the company’s values, goals, and standards.They define how employees should behave, communicate, and resolve issues to achieve high customer satisfaction and build strong relationships.Why do businesses need customer service guidelines?Businesses require customer service guidelines for several reasons:To offer consistency in service deliveryGuidelines provide a standardized approach to customer interactions, ensuring that all customers receive a consistent level of service regardless of the channel or representative they engage with. This consistency helps foster a reputation for reliability.To align with company valuesCustomer service guidelines help align customer interactions with the company’s values, mission, and overall brand identity, contributing to a consistent and positive brand image.To boost customer satisfactionConsistent and well-defined customer service practices contribute to higher customer satisfaction levels, as customers appreciate predictably reliable interactions with a business.Customer service guidelines emphasize promptness, accuracy, and effective problem-solving, leading to quicker resolutions and happier customers.To build a positive brand reputationEvery interaction with clients reflects on the brand’s reputation. Customer service guidelines help employees represent the brand positively and professionally, ensuring that the company’s image is upheld in every customer interaction.To efficiently resolve problemsGuidelines provide a structured approach to problem resolution, empowering customer service agents with the tools and processes needed to address customer issues promptly and effectively.To effectively train agentsCustomer service guidelines serve as a training resource for new employees, giving a clear understanding of how to handle various situations.They also help in the ongoing training of existing staff by providing a reference point for best practices and expected service levels.To uphold legal and ethical standardsCustomer service guidelines help ensure that all customer interactions comply with legal and ethical standards, protecting the company from potential liabilities and maintaining its reputation.Best practices for customer service guidelinesCustomer service also plays a significant part in marketing and improving the quality of your product. Therefore, having thorough guidelines for customer service improves its quality. Here are some to follow:1. Be responsiveResponding to your customers’ tickets and emails builds their confidence in your customer service.Moreover, by being responsive to your customers, you can easily figure out what’s truly on their mind, thus enabling you to satisfy their needs directly.Therefore, being responsive builds a good relationship between you and your customers and improves your product.2. Advise your customers on the proper actions to takeTo build a good brand name, you must advise your customers on the proper actions to take to successfully use your product.Additionally, by giving the best advice, your consumers can easily use your product, thus improving their customer effort score (how much effort customers spend to use your product or communicate with your company).Consequently, better customer effort scores are shown to be good indicators of customer loyalty, as well as the likelihood for a customer to spend more with your company.3. Communicate with your product’s end usersCommunication is key to solving your customers’ problems. Listen (or read) carefully. Minimize downtime between correspondences.Understand the context or circumstances of how your customer is using your product or service.By being attentive in your communications, your customers are more likely to be satisfied, and encouraged continue their work with you.4. Analyze and resolve your customers’ inquiriesAccording to a study from CGS, 80% of consumers develop a stronger emotional bond with a brand after customer service successfully resolves their issues.Analyzing and resolving your customers’ inquiries is the ultimate goal of customer service.It is the one sure-fire way to earn a higher customer satisfaction score.Moreover, this assistance can make your customers prefer your product over others, and they may go on to recommend your product to others.Consequently, this increases your customer base, your profit level, and your business.5. Supply knowledge base articlesMost customers stop using a product if it becomes too difficult to use or a similar product is available that offers some notable benefits of yours.Supplying knowledge base articles about your product increases customers’ lifetime value by giving them the resources they need to use your product successfully.When they can use their product to meet their needs, they won’t switch to a competitor’s product.6. Effectively plan your daily routine to avoid procrastinationProcrastination steals time. By planning effectively, you can avoid procrastination and satisfy your customers’ wants in time.Additionally, effective planning plays a key role in managing your customer support.When it is clear to every agent what needs to be completed and when, you will resolve your customers’ inquiries on time.7. Treat your agents the same way you would treat your customersThis final guideline isn’t so much about how to help your customers, but how to run your support team, or just how to work with other agents on your team.Treat your colleagues with respect and consideration. Doing so makes them feel valued, which motivates them to provide the best service to customers.In turn, this fosters healthy relationships throughout the business for both agents and customers.8. Collect and analyze customer feedbackCollecting and analyzing feedback throughout the provision of customer service and support gives you great insight into the effectiveness of your business’ product or service, its development, and its support.It also helps you determine overall customer satisfaction, net promoter scores for individual customers, and more.As a result, feedback collection helps you plan effectively since it gives you clear information on what your customers need.ConclusionIn short, providing customer service is essential for your business to thrive, and providing a set of guidelines for your customer service team will help its agents perform to the best of their abilities.If you’re looking for a better way to manage your customer support, try LIKE.TG.It facilitates easy communication and feedback from customers, and the tools to drive up your customer satisfaction rate.With LIKE.TG, perfecting your customer support team is easy. You can start a 15-day free trialon BoldDesk.com.Book a live demo to discover the ways in which LIKE.TG can enhance your business processes. For more information, contact LIKE.TG support.

To have a successful business, you have to satisfy customers’ expectations. Which means that first, you have to make it clear what your customers can expect of you. In this blog, I am going to explain why a formal SLA is necessary to your company’s customer service operations. What is SLA?SLA is an acronym for service-level agreement. It is an agreement between a company and its customers on what products or services the company will provide them and the quality they can expect. It’s a contract with a particular set of standards concerning the service, as well as what happens when those standards are not met. A service-level agreement can also be used internally in a company, such as between departments. With an SLA, everyone knows what to expect, what is expected of them, and how to remedy the situation if those expectations fall short.Components of SLAsThe following are some of the common components of SLA,Agreement overviewThe agreement overview includes details such as the groups involved, dates, and the general terms of the contract.Service termsThe service terms are details of the services to be provided by and for whom, when, and under what circumstances. They can also include the details for services that won’t be provided. They set the responsibilities for all involved parties. These services also include details like security measures all signatories of the contract must take.Performance measurementsWith the terms of service set, there needs to be an agreed-upon way to measure whether or not the parties involved are meeting those terms. Usually, this involves metrics and consensus on how and where they will be tracked and reported.ConsequencesNow that the expectations for and of all parties are written out, the consequences of not meeting those expectations need to be detailed. This might include compensation and discounts. There also need to be plans for exceptions laid out for unforeseeable circumstances that may prevent one side or the other from meeting their obligations.Review and terminationAgreements for review and termination specify how and when your agreement will be modified, if necessary, as well as how the agreement may be terminated. The latter includes natural expiration and situations in which early termination is acceptable, as well as the processes for both.Reasons you need an SLA in customer serviceAn SLA lays a solid foundation for your growing business. The following are the most important reasons why you need an SLA in your customer service system.1. Clarify expectationsSLAs help in defining clear expectations for performance and relationships in quantifiable and reliable terms. Additionally, SLA helps keep the all parties accountable for delivering on their contracts, so there are no surprises.2. Define customer service needsAn SLA defines your client’s customer service and support requirements. Your teams can better understand the client’s priorities and expectations, thus helping you to plan effectively when problems arise.3. Track performance goalsSLAs define and track performance standards with metrics based on your current level and goals. Agents know where they stand and what level of performance is expected of them. Team leads can set realistic goals and communicate more accurate timelines to customers when issues arise. An SLA specifies the frequency and types of reports tracked.4. Outline solutions for underperformanceSLAs include penalties for failing to meet expectations. Additionally, the agreements made with your clients offer solutions if either of you fall short, thus defining dispute resolution processes.5. Build trustBy clearly defining your obligations to your clients in a SLA, you can engender confidence among both current and potential customers and demonstrate your dedication to meeting their needs. An SLA is your company’s commitment to accountability, giving your clients peace of mind. They have faith in your dependability because the signed agreement specifies the penalties for breaking your (and their) ends of the deal.6. Create new business opportunitiesAll clients need a good relationship with companies with which they do business. In most cases, clients switch companies if their needs are unmet and they do not get enough personal attention. These agreements can be powerful tools for eliminating bad feelings in your customers caused by ambiguity in the service and attention they can expect. By sticking with your agreement terms and creating transparency in your client relationships, you build a reputation for accountability and reliability in the market.ConclusionIn summary, an SLA is a tool you can use to help deliver the best customer experience. By adhering to a well-defined SLA, your company’s reputation becomes stellar, which attracts more customers, thus helping your business to grow.Check out LIKE.TG to see how you can use an SLA in your customer support services. You can also try a 15-day free trialon BoldDesk.com. For more information, contact LIKE.TG support.

Customer complaints are dissatisfied messages from customers when their expectations are not met regarding a company’s products, services, communication, marketing, or some combination of these.To handle customer service complaints and give your customers a positive perception of your business or product, resolve their complaints as fast as possible.Therefore, it is important to know how you can respond to your customers’ complaints to make them happy.In this blog, we will discuss the common types of customer complaints, methods of handling them, and the benefits of addressing them. What are customer complaints?Customer complaints refer to the negative feedback that customers give regarding a product, service, or experience they received from a company or brand. These complaints can be submitted through surveys, emails, social media reviews, community forums, or online review sites.Customer complaints can arise from a variety of issues, such as product defects, bad customer service, billing errors, or any other aspect that does not align with the customer’s expectations.Types of customer complaintsBelow are some typical customer complaints that you might come across in your daily interactions.Delay complaintsHaving to remain on hold on phone calls for extended periods of time may not be practical for customers who are busy. When the wait for assistance exceeds expectations, it can result in dissatisfaction and complaints.These complaints can also occur in situations involving late product shipments, delayed project deliverables, and other instances where timely service is expected but not delivered.How to resolve and prevent this customer complaintAnalyze call volume patterns and consider implementing callback options to reduce wait times.Update customers on the status of their orders, anticipated delays, and the new expected timelines.Set realistic initial timelines and prioritize tasks and projects based on their importance and urgency.Analyze the causes of delays and address them by streamlining operations, adopting new technologies, or removing bottlenecks.Offer compensation, such as discounts or freebies to help alleviate frustration.Delivery complaintsComplaints due to delivery problems are common in the e-commerce and logistics industries. Delivery issues can range from damaged goods to packages being lost or stolen. These issues can negatively impact customer satisfaction and the reputation of the business.How to resolve and prevent these customer complaintsProvide customers with accurate delivery estimations and real-time tracking information.Ensure that items to be delivered are packaged securely.Have an efficient return policy that allows customers to send back incorrect items at no extra cost.Apologize to customers and offer refunds for lost items.Complaints due to miscommunicationMiscommunication can occur for a variety of reasons, including language barriers, unclear instructions, technical problems, or simply a lack of clarity in the customer communication process.Complaints due to miscommunication can lead to customer dissatisfaction, negative word-of-mouth, and even customer churn.How to resolve and prevent this customer complaintActively listen to customers, understand their message, respond appropriately, and archive the conversation for future reference.Invest in regular training for customer service representatives to enhance their communication skills.Implement a contact management system to keep track of customer interactions and history, which can help reduce miscommunication.Use canned responses for common inquiries to provide consistent and accurate information.Offer multilingual support when possible to cater to customers from a diverse marketplace.Product or service quality complaintsQuality complaints occur when a company’s offerings do not meet customer expectations. Such complaints can result from minor issues such as a delay in service or major concerns like a product defect or a breach of contract.Handling these complaints effectively helps maintain customer loyalty and a positive brand perception.How to resolve and prevent these customer complaintsClearly communicate policies, procedures, and what the customer should expect.Identify the root cause of the problem and propose feasible solutions.Analyze complaints to understand where you can improve your products or service.Follow up with the customer after solving their issue to make sure they’re still satisfied.Complaints about unsupportive agentsCustomer complaints about unsupportive agents typically revolve around issues such as lack of empathy, inadequate resolution to problems, rudeness, or insufficient knowledge about the product or service.How to resolve and prevent this customer complaintProvide comprehensive training to agents to ensure they have the good product knowledge and customer service skills.Conduct regular performance reviews to improve agent productivity.Promote a culture where customer satisfaction is the goal and reward.Complaints arising from having to repeat informationInefficient communication systems often fail to retain or transfer key details across service interactions. Customers are then forced to repeatedly provide the same information whenever they are transferred to another agent.How to resolve and prevent this customer complaintImplement shared inbox software that centrally stores and provides easy access to customer information. Make sure agents can make notes on conversations before transferring an issue to another agent.Billing complaintsThese complaints arise when customers dispute charges on their bills, feel overcharged, are confused by the billing structure, or encounter errors in the billing process. These are usually caused by a lack of transparency, clerical mistakes, technical issues, or misunderstandings of the pricing model.How to resolve and prevent this customer complaintProvide clear and detailed explanations of charges.Make sure customers know what to expect before they purchase.Promptly correct any billing errors and offer refunds or credits where appropriate.Complaints due to a lack of self-service optionsCustomers sometimes express dissatisfaction when they are unable to find information to help them resolve issues independently. Younger customers, especially, prefer to find answers themselves rather than have to communicate with company representatives.How to resolve and prevent this customer complainInvest in user-friendly self-service options such as knowledge base software, FAQ pages, or forums.Regularly maintain information on these platforms so customers always find relevant information.How to handle customer complaintsRegardless of a business’s best efforts, its customers will have complaints at some point in the relationship. Here are some methods on how to avoid customer complaints and handle them effectively:Pay attention to the customer’s remarksMake inquiries to understand customer complaints betterBe apologetic, regardless of the issueAcknowledge the customers’ complaints and appreciate themProvide a solution to address customer complaints1. Pay attention to the customer’s remarksThe most important thing to do when you want to handle customer complaints is to listen to what your customer has to say. While listening, take notes to help you identify the problematic areas.Though your customer may perceive their problem one way, your extensive knowledge of your company’s product (or whatever the complaint involves) may give you greater insight into the core problem.When you listen to your customer, you are more likely to address the customer pain point solve the problem that is affecting the customer. If you do your job well, eventually, you get a happy customer.2. Make inquiries to understand customer complaints betterListening to your customers’ complaints is the time to learn all the important facts about the matter.How do you do this effectively? You get permission from your customer to ask some questions. As you ask questions, you get to understand the context of the issue, giving you more detail than you had before.Questioning helps you get to the root of the complaint. And with that, you figure out a way to resolve the issue as easily as possible.3. Be apologetic, regardless of the issueA study by Forbes reports that96% of customers are unlikely to return to a business that has disappointed them.Therefore, whenever you get a complaint from a customer, you need to offer a sincere apology to win back customer trust.Offering an apology expresses that you did not expect the problem to occur. It also shows that you care about the customer’s issue.In your apology email, communicate that you are committed to setting things right as fast as possible.4. Acknowledge the customers’ complaints and appreciate themThough some customers may react negatively regarding an issue, it is a good idea to authentically thank them for raising the matter with you.Thanking your customer reveals that you are considering the complaint seriously.Besides thanking them, ensure you recognize how significantly the problem may be affecting the customer. Doing this is simple: just ask how much harm has been done.Your customer will view you as genuinely concerned.5. Provide a solutionFinally, after listening, asking questions, and acknowledging the issue, you should find a solution.Providing a solution is the final step in handling a customer complaint. The solution should address the issue reasonably and result in a happy customer.Handling customer complaints by utilizing LIKE.TGCustomer complaints are useful to every business. This is because negative feedback helps the business improve on specific shortcomings the moment the issues are rectified.LIKE.TG is a customer support platform for addressing customer complaints in an effective manner.The following are some of the ways LIKE.TG helps handle your customer complaints:Organize customers’ complaints effectivelyLIKE.TG provides a help desk ticketing system that converts all incoming support emails into tickets. Customers can respond to their tickets through email.By managing customer data from a central location, your staff can access the most recent information. With this, you can eliminate the need to track multiple responses and threads.You can also categorize tickets with tags and private notes based on customer requirements.By applying advanced filter rules to tickets, you can organize the tickets as needed and assign them to the appropriate support agent.Send quick responsesNetomi reports that for 61% of consumers, an outstanding customer support experience involves a short time to resolution.By using canned responses, you can send quick responses to common customer complaints without any mistakes.Perfection in a reply is important because it increases customers’ confidence in your support team.By eliminating chances for mistakes to be introduced, you can more accurately and effectively resolve customer complaints.LIKE.TG also lets you set priority levels for tickets so that critical issues can receive replies first.Send reminders regarding unsolved complaintsA service-level agreement (SLA) sets response and resolution due dates based on business hours.Most businesses have customers in various time zones. LIKE.TG allows you to create business hours and holiday lists to fit your team’s schedule.An SLA helps set ideal response times and send reminders about assigned issues and unsolved complaints via email.Reminders help prevent customer complaints from remaining unassigned or unaddressed for a long time.Sending a reminder allows agents to focus on resolving customer issues and speeds up the resolution process.Analyze the customer’s complaintsLIKE.TG’s reporting and analytics dashboards make managing a support team easier. For instance, a ticket conversation report shows messages updated by customers and agents across all communication channels in one place.By examining the agents’ responses to customers, you can identify agents who need more training and add a tag or private note inline for follow-up.Accordingly, these reports help support managers in monitoring agent performance and identifying areas that need improving to handle customer complaints better.Additionally, the customer satisfaction (CSAT) report provides CSAT scores, survey response rates, and customer feedback and ratings.Using filters, you can categorize CSAT data by agent, category, contact, and contact group. This helps identify customers’ issues and agents that may need additional help.Reduces the resolution time of customer complaintsLIKE.TG auto-assignment rules direct incoming tickets to the appropriate agents in the organization based on ticket attributes.Assigning tickets to the correct team based on the conditions configured avoids unnecessary redirecting between teams.By eliminating manual effort at each step of the ticket life cycle, agents can focus on resolving customer issues.Consequently, this helps support agents resolve issues on time and thereby reduces ticket resolution times.Address customer complaints for satisfaction and retentionHandling customer complaints is a primary function of a company’s support team, and handling them effectively can lead your company to growth. We build products that you can customize according to your present and future needs.Without a doubt, LIKE.TG can help you solve your customers’ complaints easily. Contact us to arrange a live demo to experience the enhanced capabilities LIKE.TG can offer your support team. Or, sign up for a 15-day free trial with instant access today.What strategies do you use to manage customer complaints?Feel free to share in the comments section below.

Your customers may be negatively affected by a mistake you or your company has made, so you urgently need a crisis management strategy.Certainly, apologizing to customers is the first step taken to pacify irate customers by showing accountability for a mistake. Moreover, asking for forgiveness helps pave the way back to a smooth relationship.A sincere apology emails to customers can do wonders and even increase client loyalty when they see your commitment to their satisfaction.In this blog, we will discuss how to draft an apology letter to customers using proper and effective methods. The importance of writing effective apology emails to customersWriting apology emails to unhappy customers is an effective customer interaction strategy that can turn a negative situation into a positive one.It provides you with an opportunity to show empathy to customers and demonstrate to them that your company acknowledges its mistake, takes responsibility for it, and is committed to rectifying the situation.Sending an apology email to customers is crucial in restoring trust in your brand, reshaping their perceptions, and mending your relationship with them.Additionally, they can help to prevent the customer from sharing their bad customer service experience with others, which could potentially harm your company’s reputation.Essential tips on how to write an apology email88% of clients believe that the experience provided by a company is as significant as its product or service.Here are some straightforward guidelines on how to apologize to customers while conveying sincerity in any apology email to clients.Listen attentively and get a clear picture of the problemListening shows your willingness to find a workable solution. Ensure you understand a customer’s issue as they explain.To understand the seriousness of the issue, gather all possible information from them and ask any questions. You must do this before you apologize to customers.If you don’t know the details and just send an apology email because it’s required, your customers will know.They will become irritated because it appears that you don’t really mean the apology and don’t have enough respect to listen to them.Paying close attention to clients enables them to discuss their concerns and helps in comprehending them effectively.Providing a precise response can alleviate the customer’s frustration and allow them to listen and accept your apology.Recognize the issues’ impactRegardless of what issue the customer has, the support agent should recognize the difficulty their or the company’s error has caused the customer.If it’s a really critical issue, inform the customer that you fully realize the amount of disruption it can cause to their regular workflow process. Consequently, this will help the customer to believe that their issue is being treated seriously and real effort is being made to find a feasible solution.You should specifically acknowledge the hardship when you apologize to customers. It is your understanding and sympathetic manner that will ultimately show the customer your respect for their time.Learn from customer’s feedbackInform your customers that you have taken note of the issues they mentioned in their feedback and assure them that you are working diligently to address them.In addition, use the customer’s feedback to improve your products or services and prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.For more on reasons customer feedback is important for your business, read this blog.Think from client’s perspectiveAgents should realize that a client’s reaction is not personal. A client may have had a hard day for some other reason even before encountering an issue with your company or brands.Agents shouldn’t overreact in such circumstances. They should attempt to imagine the issue from the client’s perception.You can teach agents to pay attention to client concerns quietly and talk calmly once the clients finish speaking.Taking offense to a client’s frustration and bad attitude only worsens the situation. Knowing how to keep distance between themselves and their customers’ emotions will help their apologies be more sincere.Don’t use template responsesWhen agents apologize to customers using template apology emails that portray no concern or empathy; it hurts rather than help your company.You run the risk of losing such clients and need to consider how they might affect other potential clients if they openly express their opinions.You cannot afford to allow negative reviews to spread in social media sites. In these circumstances, an apology email to clients and acknowledgement of the error are essential.Avoid sending any apology emails to customers with these types of templates.We apologize for the inconvenience; our team is investigating.I’m sorry for the trouble.I apologize for the negative experience. To speak with a support representative, dial this number.Take responsibility and be serious in your effortsWhen dealing with a furious and unhappy customer, apologize to customers well. Remember that you are representing your company as a whole, not just one individual.Act appropriately because his response will depend on what you do. It doesn’t matter if you weren’t the cause of the problem.The client wants a company representative to accept responsibility before offering a workable solution.ToneIt’s crucial to get the apology’s tone right to express that you sincerely understand your customer’s perspectives and you are making an effort to resolve their problem.So, as you assure the client that you will personally handle the issue,Be firmProfessionalUpbeatDefinitely, this positive approach will let them relax while understanding that their problem is still being taken seriously.Assure and ensure it won’t happen againYou’ve dealt with a consumer who has already wasted enough time trying to get the right solution. Subsequently,You’ve taken care of their issueExpressed regretSucceeded in keeping themNow is the time to reassure them that no one else will have the same problem and to thank them for helping to improve your product or service, if applicable.In order to make your reassurance truth, it’s crucial that you conduct a complete root cause investigation of the issue with all relevant internal teams.Follow upYou should follow-up with your customer to see if all problems have been resolved and if they are receiving the best customer service possible.Consequently, by following up, you can convert a disgruntled consumer into a loyal one of your brand.Read our blog to learn more about customer follow-up strategies.10 Examples and templates of apology letters to customersDelivering exceptional customer service involves not just meeting expectations but also taking responsibility when things go wrong.The following list contains examples of apology emails to customers to help you effectively express regret and initiate damage control. You should, of course, always seek advice from your company’s legal team for any serious issues.1. Apology letter for mistakesYou can send the following apology email to customers to seek their forgiveness for any mistake you may have made, for instance, miscommunication, undelivered emails or messages, or unexpected changes in policies or terms of service.Apologies for Our MisgivingsDear [Customer Name],We are extremely sorry for [List the issues and issue details with date]. We understand how this must have affected your operations.We will take the necessary measures to ensure that such an issue never reoccurs.Thank you for your patience.Sincerely, [Your Name]2. Apology letter to an unsatisfied customerWhen you distribute surveys to customers and receive negative responses, it’s crucial to follow up with those who provided the negative feedback. You can utilize the customer apology email example below to express your appreciation for their feedback and delve deeper into the cause of their discontent.Apologies For Falling Short of Your ExpectationsHi [Customer Name],Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We are sorry to learn that you are unhappy with our [List product details]. To help us improve our product, we’d appreciate it if you could take a moment to let us know what led to your poor experience.We would love to have a chance to serve you and our other customers better in future. We look forward to your response.Thank you,[Your Name]3. Mass apology letterCertain actions carried out by your business can affect a large number of customers. This could happen if, for instance, you disseminate inaccurate information to your clients through email. To rectify such a situation, you can use this mass apology email and update the addresses of your customers.An Update on [Issue at hand]To our valuable [Company name] customers,In our previous email, we stated that [incorrect info]. In fact, [correct info].We would like to apologize for any inconvenience the incorrect information in that email might have caused you.Rest assured, [Company name] is committed to preventing such occurrences in the future. Our goal is to provide you with the best service possible. We appreciate your patience and continued support.Best regards,[Your name]4. “Sorry for the late response” apology emailIt is commonplace to receive customer complaints along the customer journey. How fast you respond and apologize for the inconvenience can have a significant impact on the situation.You need to demonstrate that you respect their time and take their issues seriously. You can use the following apology email to customers for delaying to respond:Sorry for the Late ResponseDear [Customer Name],Although we strive to provide the best customer experience, it’s evident we’ve fallen short in this instance, with our late response to your issue.Please accept our heartfelt apologies for the frustration and stress this must have caused while you waited for us to get back to you.We have created a support ticket of your issue with top priority, and our team is currently working on it. Your issue is to be resolved within [Give duration]. Thank you for understanding.Sincerely,[Your Name]5. Apology follow-up emailAfter saying sorry and proposing a solution to a customer’s problem, it is recommended to follow up with an email to confirm that the issue was fully resolved.You can use the following customer apology email as a follow-up.Follow-Up on [Issue]Dear [Customer Name],We trust that the solution we offered has successfully resolved the issue you reported. We assure you that we will take every possible measure to prevent its recurrence.Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts on how we can enhance our services. Should you have any more questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.Thank you once again for your patience and cooperation as we worked through resolving your issue.Sincerely,[Your Name]6. Apology letter for shipping a defective productCustomers’ expectations can be completely shattered upon receiving a defective product. The product may have been damaged during delivery or simply been of poor quality. Regardless of the circumstances, it is essential that you apologize to the customer for the negative experience.You can deploy the following customer apology email:Apology for the InconvenienceHello [Customer Name],We want to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you experienced when you received a defective product as part of your order [Order ID] on [Delivery date].Assuring the quality of our products is of utmost importance to us, and we ensure that our products meet high standards before dispatching them. We have informed our quality control and logistics teams about this issue to prevent such instances in the future.To rectify this error, we would like to extend the following options to you:We can arrange for the same product to be shipped to you immediately at no extra cost.Provide a full refund through this form.Please feel free to reach out if you need any further assistance or have any other questions. We greatly appreciate your patience during this time.Best Regards,[Your Name]7. Apology letter for when an agent was unfriendly or impoliteIt is only normal that, in the course of business, an agent might have been unfriendly to a customer. This following customer apology email will help you make amends and possibly retain the client.Apology for Unprofessional ConductDear [Customer Name],We deeply regret hearing about your unsatisfactory encounter with a member of our team. We appreciate you alerting us to this issue. Please accept our heartfelt apologies for this circumstance.Please be aware that our customer service teams consistently participate in training programs to ensure they are equipped to assist customers in a professional and empathetic manner. While such incidents are uncommon, we strive to prevent them from happening in the future.Should you have any questions or further comments, please feel free to contact us at [Your contact number].Regards,[Your Name]8. Apology email for delivering a product lateAt times, unexpected events such as unfavorable weather conditions or accidents may result in delayed product delivery to customers. This can undermine customer confidence in your brand and may even lead them to cease doing business with you. In such instances, you can utilize this customer service apology email template to manage these situations effectively.Apologies for Late Product DeliveryDear [Customer Name],Our sincerest apologies for the delay in delivering your order for [Product Name/ID]. We acknowledge it was supposed to reach you on [Promised Delivery Date]. Regrettably, unexpected technical issues prevented us from achieving this.Rest assured, your product will be delivered by [New Delivery Date]. We greatly value your patience during this time.Sincerely,[Your Name]9. Apology letter for scheduling conflictsThere are instances when staff members might have overlapping appointments with clients, necessitating prioritizing one over the other. This can lead to customer dissatisfaction and potential damage to your brand’s image. To handle such situations, consider using the following sample apology email.An Update on Your Next Appointment Dear [Customer Name],I regret to inform you that [ team member] unfortunately has an unforeseen conflict and is now unavailable for your scheduled appointment on [date].We’d like to work with you to find a new suitable date and time. Kindly visit our [website/app or give us a call] to choose an alternative date and time that work for you.We apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility, and we look forward to seeing you soon.Sincerely,[Your Name]10. Apologizing for an unexpected disruption in serviceWhenever your business experiences unpredicted disruptions such as website downtime, it’s recommended to send apology emails to customers as quickly as possible. Doing so can alleviate the burden on your support agents of managing numerous calls and emails inquiring about the incident.You can use this sample apology email to communicate your regret and inform customers about the outage.We’re Sorry for the Unexpected [Outage type]Dear [Customer name],We apologize for the inconvenience, but we are presently dealing with [Outage details]. If you’ve attempted to access our website in recent hours, you likely encountered [an error]. Our team of experts is working diligently to rectify the problem and restore the website to full functionality as swiftly as possible.We anticipate the issue to be fully resolved by [Mention time]. We sincerely apologize for any trouble this outage might have caused you and appreciate your continued trust in shopping with us!Sincerely,[Your Name]Rebuild customer relations with a heartfelt apology emails to customersEvery business makes mistakes. However, how you choose to handle these errors can distinguish your company from your competitors.Use these strategies in your customer apology emails to customers and observe the understanding they create.Try usingLIKE.TG, which helps you to manage customer issues and store templates easily in your customer support.Check out ourLIKE.TG free trial to see how it can improve your support operations. Schedule alive demowith one of our product experts to explore how LIKE.TG can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your business.For any questions, please contact ourLIKE.TG support team.

Escalation management is of great benefit to any customer service. No matter how efficient the escalation handling process a company uses to offer its products or services, a customer can still face issues.For this reason, if the agents find it hard to resolve the issues or take more time than expected to resolve them, then they can get an escalation.In this article, I will take you through the best escalation management tips to consider for your customer support to be stellar. In addition, you will briefly learn the definition and types of escalations as well as the common causes of escalations. What is an escalation management?Escalation management is the process in which customers’ issues are moved or reassigned to a different agent, preferably of better expertise and experience, for faster and accurate resolution.In an escalation management process, if a ticket is not resolved within the set target time, an automated notification is sent to the support lead. The support lead will proceed to escalate it by:Asking the assigned agent to resolve the issue faster.Reassigning the issue to a different agent with more expertise.Ticket escalation process helps boost client satisfaction and improve the agent productivity.Read on Escalation Management Process.Types of the escalation management processThere are two types of the escalation management process: functional and hierarchical.Functional escalation management processFunctional escalation management is when the request of a customer fall above the ability of an agent.For instance, when a ticket needs data and the support agent does not have permission to access it, the ticket will be escalated to a team or person who has proper permissions. This is a functional escalation.Hierarchical escalation management processThe hierarchical escalation handling process occurs when the issue of a customer requires an agent of a higher rank to step in.Certainly, this escalation is vital when an agent cannot solve a customer issue. This may be due to the plans of a company or other limitations.Due to this, a manager may need to make exceptions or supply more resources to resolve the issue.Causes of escalationHere are the most common reasons that lead to issuing escalations.Violation of the SLAAn SLA (Service Level Agreement) outlines the rules agents have to follow to solve the issues of a customer. Additionally, it includes all the situations that need escalation management.For instance, the ticket escalation process can happen if an issue of a customer is not resolved within the SLA time frame.To learn more about why you need an SLA for customer service, read this blog.Failure to communicate wellThis is where a customer and an agent fail to get each other well. This can easily trigger a help desk software escalation.By communicating, you can get to know the issue of the customer. Moreover, you can get more information to resolve the issue fast.Lack of skillWhen your agents cannot manage a customer’s query, the only option is to escalate. Additionally, when an agent fails to handle the issue of a customer well, the escalation process for customer service might be necessary.Ticket escalation to a higher agent will assure the customer that their issue is taken care of.Excess ticketsThe goal of your agents is to resolve tickets in a fast and proper way. If agents have many tickets to handle at once from many customers, they can be worn out.Due to this, agents may need to escalate tickets to reduce the burden.The best escalation management tipsWhen creating an escalation management process for your company, consider the following best ways.1. Create an SLA and train support representatives in its useThe first step to do when escalation handling is to create an SLA. Secondly, you need to train your agents on its contents.They will use its rules to decide when to start the escalation management process. The SLA helps your team to make plans when issues occur.2. Set up an escalation management process for every SLA violationEach time an SLA violation occurs, your help desk should trigger escalation management based on how you set it up.The following are examples of the ticket escalation process:A manager stays in touch with the customer after an escalation is triggered.The manager assigns an expert agent to handle a customer’s inquiry as a higher issue.A manager reviews a ticket and assigns it to another agent with better abilities if the assigned agent cannot resolve it.Furthermore, not all escalations triggered are equal in terms of priority.Therefore, you should develop a system that organizes new tickets by:PriorityTypeTime3. Do an analysis of escalated issuesIn the rush to correct an escalated issue, an agent may feel they don’t have time to do an analysis.Therefore, without a good look at what caused the issue, they can mishandle the case. This disappoints your customers.It is key that your escalation management process includes time for your agents to look into the causes of problems and how they can be avoided in the future.Implement a system to track escalated issues. This will help identify trends and patterns in customer complaints, allowing you to address systemic issues and improve overall customer satisfaction.Additionally, tracking escalations can help you measure the effectiveness of your escalation process and make improvements when needed.4. Train your agents on how to communicateIt is not enough for your support agents to know the ins and outs of your product.For escalation handling purposes, you must train your agents to consider and be polite, and not to upset customers.Your agents also need to know how to channel their anger away from the customers’ eyes and ears. Teach your agents these skills to increase their ability to prevent escalations.5. Be transparentAccording to a report by Salesforce, 74% of clients state that honest and transparent communication has become more crucial now than prior to the pandemic.When a customer submits an inquiry, you need to keep them in the loop on the status of their issue. This helps you improve customer satisfaction.Often updates reduces mistrust, hence limiting the escalation process for customer service. If possible:Tell your customers how you are resolving their issues.Communicate wellEnsure your clients know when their issues have been resolved.6. Develop a clear escalation policyEstablish a well-defined escalation policy that outlines the steps to follow when dealing with different kinds of customer service issues that need to be escalated.This policy should include:Guidelines on how to identify an issue that needs escalation.The various levels of escalation.The roles and responsibilities of each team member involved in the process.7. Set up an escalation hierarchyDefine the escalation hierarchy, including:The different levels of escalation.The individuals responsible for handling issues at each level.This hierarchy should ensure that issues are escalated to the appropriate person who has the authority and expertise to resolve the issue.8. Continuously improve the escalation processRegularly assess the effectiveness of your customer service escalation process and make adjustments as needed.This will help ensure that your team is well-equipped to handle escalated issues and deliver a high level of customer satisfaction.The importance of escalation management in customer serviceEscalation in customer service is essential in situations where a customer’s issue cannot be resolved by a first-contact customer support agent. Escalation management is important for several reasons.Proper issue resolutionSome issues may be too complex for an agent or require a higher level of authority to resolve. Sometimes, agents lack the necessary knowledge or resources.In these cases, the issue is escalated. Escalation with a proper procedure ensures that the issue is handled by someone with the appropriate expertise and authority to resolve it.Customer satisfactionEscalating a customer’s issue to a higher level of support ensures that the customer’s concern is addressed promptly and effectively.According to research, 80% of customers believe that the experience provided by a company is as significant as its products and services.Efficient issue resolution can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.Reputation managementOn a related note, effectively handling escalated issues can:Help maintain and improve a company’s reputation.Prevent negative word-of-mouth or online reviews.Customers are more likely to share their negative experiences with others, so addressing issues promptly and effectively through proper escalation channels can help mitigate potential damage to the company’s image.Legal and compliance issuesIn some cases, escalated issues may involve legal or compliance concerns.Properly addressing and resolving these issues can help prevent potential legal problems or penalties on a larger scale.They can be escalated straight to people in the legal department who can not only provide solution but fix underlying policy issues.Learning and employee developmentIncluding a method of tracking escalated issues in your escalation management process can help identify areas where employees may need:Additional trainingSupportBetter resourcesImproved processesThis can lead to improved performance and efficient customer service.Regaining trustCustomers often get annoyed when they have problems with a product or service. When managed effectively, though, escalation offers the opportunity to alter the customer’s perception of your brand.By including proper communication in your management process, they can see that your team is doing the best they can to help them. You can regain any lost trust stemming from the problem they encountered.A report by Salesforce indicates that, in times of change, 88% of customers think that trust becomes increasingly significant.By regaining that trust, you not only reestablish the customer’s faith in your brand, but also potentially provide them with a fresh perception of your company.Role of LIKE.TG in preventing escalationThrough an effective customer escalation management process and customer satisfaction, LIKE.TG helps you save time with clients.Some of the main benefits of adopting LIKE.TG for escalation management in your business include the following:a. Enhances your client support by using event trigger automationLIKE.TG has features such as event trigger automation which help you to keep your agents active.This feature allows you to configure your escalation management process and carry out an action when specific conditions of a ticket or email are met.Your agents may respond to the queries of your customers with ease. When you respond to queries at once, your response becomes a benefit to your clients, your business, and prevents escalation.b. Enhanced time management with time triggerLIKE.TG has features such as time triggers, which enable you to set up automated rules. This feature helps perform repeated actions based on selected gauge every hour.With it, you can gain the loyalty of your clients and trust fast. As a result, your business is able to grow with minimal escalation management processes.c. Aid in the analysis of how agents performLIKE.TG gives you the ability to track and gauge the number of ticket responses and resolutions that fare in your SLA.As a result, you can track the progress of the ticket to prevent escalation.It also provides you with an SLA dashboard that provides visual data of the achieved tickets versus the violated tickets over time.The dashboard measures the efficiency of your team to match consumer expectations thus guiding you on where to improve.d. Improved prioritization with help desk softwareWith LIKE.TG, you can distribute preferences using a help desk software. The help desk will manage new tickets and related issues.For example, if a ticket impacts more than one support worker, LIKE.TG will allow your agents to work together on the ticket.ConclusionEscalation management organizes your help desk and increases customer satisfaction.To have an advanced help desk with better escalation handling, consider usingLIKE.TGby Syncfusion. You can give it a try with the15-day free trial package.For more information, contactLIKE.TG support. To explore how LIKE.TG can be tailored to meet your business needs, please contact us to set up a live demo.Related blogsCustomer retention strategiesHow to apologize to customersCustomer follow-up strategiesBest practices to handle customer complaintsCustomer support operations

Well-implemented customer support operations are always valuable when developing and expanding.A company must be prepared to provide customer support when and how required to keep and gain clients.In this blog post, I will walk you through the importance of customer support operations personnel in improving your support team. What are support operations?Support operations are the environment, strategies, policies, and standards needed to meet the expectations of customers seeking support in interacting with a company or its products.A team dedicated to support operations keeps track of and updates processes, rules, and technologies related to the functioning of the company’s support system.When do you need customer support operations team?Companies might need a customer support operations team under several circumstances. Following are some scenarios.Scaling to manage a high volume of customer requestsWhen a company experiences a high volume of customer inquiries, it can become challenging to maintain service quality and response times without a dedicated operations team.This team can implement processes, oversee workflow automation, and ensure that the infrastructure is in place to handle large numbers of tickets efficiently.Expanding to new marketsAs companies expand into new geographical markets or launch new products, they encounter customers with different languages, cultures, and support expectations.A customer support operations team can help adapt their support strategies to meet these new demands, ensuring that all customers receive high-quality service regardless of their location or the product they use.Implementing new support technologies and channelsImplementing new customer service technologies, like customer relationship management systems, requires a team that can manage the transition, train staff, and optimize the use of these technologies.Furthermore, the addition of new support channels such as social media will need a customer support operations team to integrate these channels into the existing support ecosystem.This team can facilitate training, design workflows, and monitor the effectiveness of these tools.Scaling operations to meet growthWhen a company is scaling rapidly, it can quickly outgrow its initial customer support setup.A customer support operations team is needed to manage this growth on the support side, ensuring that the infrastructure, processes, and workforce can handle the higher volume without sacrificing quality.It can streamline processes, implement new technologies, and ensure that the support team grows in a way that is sustainable and maintains high standards of service.In crisis managementIn the event of a product recall, security breach, or PR crisis, a support operations team can devise protocols for ramping up quickly to manage increased call volumes and provide clear, consistent information to customers.In these and other situations, a customer support operations team can provide the backbone for a company’s customer service strategy, ensuring that customers receive timely, helpful, and satisfying support interactions.What do customer support operations managers do?Customer support operations managers play a critical role in ensuring that a company provides good customer support. While the specific duties of support operations can differ based on the company’s size and industry, common tasks are typically:Overseeing the customer support operations team.Developing and implementing strategies to improve service quality, response times, and customer satisfaction.Tracking customer service performance metrics.Designing protocols for escalation management and service-level agreement (SLA) violations.Collaborating with product development teams to understand and provide feedback on how product changes affect the customer service department.Providing guidance to staff for continuous improvement.Analyzing customer feedback to identify customer pain points.Contributing to the design and implementation of technological tools and platforms like help desk software to facilitate better customer interactions.Analyzing data and reports on support operations to identify trends, and pinpointing areas for improvement.By continuously refining processes and integrating customer insights into broader business strategies, support operations managers bridge the gap between a company’s offerings and its customers’ needs, working toward a seamless and satisfactory customer experience.Why are customer support operations important?Customer support operations are critical to the governance and management of the customer support team.The following are some of the key roles that support operations play in a customer service team.Aiding in consumer retentionAccording to a study by Zippia, 93% of customers are likely to repeat purchasing from a company after experiencing excellent customer service.Another Forbes study revealed that96% of customers typically leave a business if their demands are not addressed.Therefore, customers become more devoted to your business when your customer support system is well designed by the operations team and well implemented by a trained workforce.The more devoted your customers are, the more your firm may grow to its full potential.For example, if your customer service team has a streamlined process in place that allows quick and easy returns, you are more likely to retain customers and build a loyal customer base that appreciates your no-hassle policy and smooth implementation of it.Increasing employee retentionEmployees like to work for organizations that make their jobs easier to perform well.Therefore, when your organization has strategically planned customer support operations, your staff will be more comfortable and confident doing their jobs.They have all the technology and training they need, plus the reassurance of support from the operations team if a unique issue presents itself.Carefully planned and managed customer support operations encourage your employees to stay with your company and fully commit to their careers.Producing recommendationsHaving a good customer service system keeps your customers satisfied. This results in positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations from current and former clients who have enjoyed working with your business.Their connections are then inspired to make a purchase from you. The most effective and affordable type of marketing for a business is often the expression of positive opinions by your customers.Competitive advantageGreat customer service through customer support planning, like proactive customer outreach, helps bring in new customers and keep old ones.Moreover, it sets you apart from your competition. By having a customer operations team making strategic moves, you can improve your company’s reputation.You prove by example that you care about the individuals who buy your products by offering best-in-class customer service.How does LIKE.TG facilitate support operations?LIKE.TG is modern, cloud-based help desk ticketing software that can handle a variety of customer support tasks.It helps you manage support requests, collaborate with customers and teammates, automate repetitive tasks, and improve overall customer satisfaction through enhanced customer support operations.Robust help desk softwareThe LIKE.TG help desk is a tool used by organizations to manage support tickets, optimize agents’ efforts, and improve performance with the help of analytics to achieve efficient customer service.Within a single platform, it offers a smooth ticket management solution to handle customer inquiries through email, thus streamlining the support process.Efficient ticketing system workflowsLIKE.TG’s ticketing system tracks and handles customer concerns as tickets. The ticketing system functions by converting issues raised by consumers through emails into tickets.The created tickets are categorized based on the urgency and type of issue, and then they are assigned to appropriate agents or groups to resolve.Using the LIKE.TG ticketing system, your customer operations team can far more easily set up workflows for common and specialized issues, ensuring those issues are assigned to the proper department, resource, or agent.Automation capabilitiesCertainly, automating some of your workflows and processes can help you iron out inconsistencies and gaps, thus allowing your team to focus on its core responsibilities. This lightens the load for the people planning these processes.LIKE.TG provides you with other features that streamline support processes:Use no-code automation to create a business-specific operation workflow. It performs recurring manual tasks at each stage of the ticket lifecycle, thus saving you time at work.Use service level agreements (SLAs) to set response and resolution times for your tickets automatically.Create automated rules to perform a predefined set of actions when an existing ticket is updated based on selected criteria.Use webhooks to notify and transfer real-time data automatically between a help desk and external tools when certain event occurs.Send an email to the support team informing them of SLA breaches and the stipulated time remaining.Insightful reporting and analyticsLIKE.TG uses built-in reports and dashboards to gather insightful real-time data and display it in useful metrics. Reports with these metrics can be used by support operations managers and development teams to assess the health of the support system quickly.The following are some of the example reports and dashboards that can be created in LIKE.TG to help in support management:Support traffic dashboard: A dashboard that tracks the current status of support tickets.Support monitoring dashboard: This dashboard is helpful in tracking and analyzing the inflow of tickets over time.Satisfaction survey report: This report tracks and analyzes ticket response ratings as they are submitted by customers.Worklog report: This report tracks the total time spent on each ticket by agents.Conversation report: This report allows you to review ticket updates.SLA dashboard: The SLA dashboard provides insight into how a team has been meeting SLA policies.Agent performance dashboard: This report tracks and analyzes the performance of the agents and groups.Contact performance dashboard: This dashboard tracks and analyzes tickets and updates made on them by agents and customers.Elevate customer experiences with refined customer support operationsIn summary, customer support operations serve to organize your support process and increase customer satisfaction.Try Syncfusion’s LIKE.TG to see how you can better your customer support operations with a sophisticated help desk.Contact usto schedule alive demo to experience LIKE.TG’s features first hand. Or, sign up for a 15-day free trial to gain instant access, today!Recommended reads5 Best Ways to Build and Organize a Customer Support TeamBest Strategies to Offer Exceptional Multilingual Customer Support20 Best Customer Service Tips for Better Support in 2024

Business surveys are broadly classified into product, marketing, demographics, and customer satisfaction survey questions.They all serve different purposes, assessing different aspects of customers and their experiences at different stages of the buying process.This blog will guide you through everything you need to know about customer satisfaction survey questions to assist you in getting started. What is a customer satisfaction survey?A customer satisfaction survey is a questionnaire sent to customers by businesses to help them understand their customers’ opinions about their products, services, or policies.Additionally, it aids in obtaining customer recommendations for how the business, product, or service could be improved.Customer satisfaction survey reports, in particular, gauge how customers perceive your business and the level of their satisfaction with your service.Customer satisfaction survey questions enable businesses to expand their markets.Types of customer satisfaction surveysCustomer satisfaction surveys come in various forms, each tailored to gather specific feedback from customers.Customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveyCSAT surveys are the most straightforward type of satisfaction survey. They normally ask respondents to rate their satisfaction with a product, service, or experience. The rating scale often ranges from very unsatisfied to very satisfied. CSAT surveys are often sent immediately following an interaction or transaction.Net promoter score (NPS) surveysNPS surveys measure the likelihood that a respondent would recommend a company’s product or service to others. It is a strong indicator of customer loyalty and is calculated based on responses to a single question.Example question: On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend our product or service to someone else?Customer effort score (CES) surveysCES surveys assess the ease of the user experience with a company. The focus is on how much effort was required from the user to achieve their goal, with the understanding that less effort leads to higher satisfaction. A low-effort experience is more likely to lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth than one that requires the customer to put in a lot of work.Example question: On a scale from Very Easy to Very Difficult, how easy was it to get your request handled?Product-market fit (PMF)A product-market fit survey is a type of customer satisfaction survey that focuses on understanding how well a product or service meets the needs and wants of its target market. The concept of product-market fit is important for startups and established businesses alike, as it indicates whether the product is likely to be successful in the market.When conducting a product-market fit survey, it’s important to have a clear goal, ask precise questions, and reach out to a representative sample of the target market. Analyzing the results can help companies make informed decisions about product development, marketing strategies, and customer experience improvements.Advantages of conducting customer satisfaction questionnairesConducting customer satisfaction surveys helps improve your customer service by identifying areas that need improvement.The following are other advantages you can unlock for your business by measuring customer satisfaction metrics.Improves customer communication and engagementUnderstanding the level of satisfaction of clients allows businesses to conduct proactive outreach initiatives to improve relations with them.Such an endeavor may seek to retain unsatisfied clients, cultivate connections with impartial clients, and add value to pleased clients.Detects issues earlyThe evaluation of how satisfied your clients are helps you identify possible issues and take appropriate actions. Your clients won’t find every issue they encounter to be worth contacting your support team or complaining in a review about.However, small issues, like a website that is hard to navigate, can turn some potential end users off your products. Survey answers can alert you to these issues.You can take steps to address them, such as training more customer service agents, improving the useability of your website, or hiring more staff to reduce wait times.Lets you give customers fast responsesAgents can understand the real-time customer experience when you monitor customer satisfaction score.Giving clients a space to air their grievances when they interact with your company prevents negative reviews in public spaces.Your support agents will be the first to see negative survey responses and can make instant apologies to unhappy clients. Your help desk software can alert agents to them.Therefore, this lets you stay on top of issues and public perception of your company.Provides marketing contentOpen-ended questions in your customer satisfaction surveys allow clients who love your products to gush about them.Certainly, it lets you know what features of your products and services are most valuable to the clients. These are features your company can promote.Moreover, your marketing team can use more detailed positive statements in promotional material or on your website.40+ customer satisfaction survey questionsCustomer satisfaction survey questions provide valuable insights into a business.If you never question your customers, you won’t get the information needed to make better decisions.However, customers rarely enjoy filling out customer service survey questions.It is your responsibility to employ the best practices for customer satisfaction surveys to ensure the questions have all the key characteristics, such as being:ClearBriefRelevantPreciseHere are some of the most asked and useful customer satisfaction survey questions for different use cases.Product usage and satisfactionCustomer loyaltyCustomer experienceProduct market-fit questionsOpen-ended questionsDemographic and psychographic questionsFollow-Up QuestionsGeneral questionsProduct usage and satisfactionTo understand customer satisfaction, knowing how other people view your product or service is essential. These customer satisfaction survey questions gauge consumers’ overall satisfaction using an ordinal scale.You can ask customer service survey questions to:Learn about clients’ experiences while using your brand. This will help you get clear, qualitative responses.Help you identify whether your product or service meets clients’ expectations.Define your product-market fit and determine brand development.Examples of product usage and satisfaction questions1. Was our product or service up to your standards?2. On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with our brand quality?3. Please rate the quality of our services.4. Rate your satisfaction with our support team in your issue resolution.5. How pleased are you with the pace at which we provide our goods or services?6. How pleased are you with the speed at which we provide our goods or services?7. Are you delighted with how quickly we service you?Customer loyaltyThis is an NPS survey question that determines how likely it is for your customers to tell others about your company.It produces quantitative answers that enable you to assess your performance in relation to your competitors.Consequently, such customer survey questions help you forecast which of your customers are likely to continue doing business with you.Examples of recommendation questions:8. How likely are you to recommend our brand to others?9. What’s the probability of you recommending our product/service to a friend or co-worker?10. What’s the likelihood that you would recommend our brand to others?11. Based on this experience, would you recommend others to use our brands?Customer experienceThese types of questions determine how easy it is to use your customer service. According to Oracle, 90% of companies consider customer experience as their key focus.Customer experience-related questions help you determine how helpful your consumers find your self-service capabilities.Customers’ answers like—simple, neither simple nor challenging, or difficult—will inform you of where support processes or issue workflows can be streamlined.Examples of customer effort questions:12. How simple did you find it to address your issue?13. How effective were our self-service tools?14. Did you find it easy or difficult to resolve your concerns?15. How would you describe your experience with our brand?16. How easy was it to resolve your issue?Product market-fit questionsYou can use product-market-fit (PMF) questions to know the level to which your product satisfies a market need or resolves an issue.More directly, these customer satisfaction survey questions show you whether clients need your brand or not.Examples of PMF questions:17. If we stopped offering our product or service, how would you feel?18. How would you feel if we shut down our service?19. How would you feel if you couldn’t use our product anymore?20. Is our product or service a necessity for your business?Open-ended questionsWhen you need in-depth feedback from clients, open-ended inquiries are useful. Their recommendations can amend negative situations and help you win back dissatisfied clients.Both positive and negative feedback from former customers is a key tool to proactively match your brand roadmap with your consumers’ needs.Note that positive customer feedback may not help you grow as much as negative feedback can.Examples of open-ended questions:21. What stopped you from using or purchasing our brand?22. What’s the main problem you faced while using/interacting with our brand?23. What would you recommend us to improve or change in our product or service?24. What is the one thing you would change about our brand?25. Do you have any suggestions on how we can improve our brand? If yes, kindly mention it.26. How can we make your experience with our company better?27. Are you satisfied with the assistance provided by our support team?28. How was your experience talking to our customer support agent?Demographic and psychographic questionsIt’s key to follow up on your clients’ behavior and motivations. Create memorable interactions by considering psychographic data, such as individual beliefs and values, in relation to the type of product your company offers.You can gauge your client’s preferences, attitudes, and desires about your product, its role as a solution, and the market segmentation of the brand.This helps gauge client expectations and enables you to plan for future shifts in the product space or industry.Examples of psychographic questions:29. What is more important for you when purchasing a product or service: quality or price?30. What expectations do you have from brands you interact with?31. How many hours a week do you spend on social media sites?32. What is your age group?33. What is your name?34. What is your gender?35. Please rate the following on a scale of 1 to 10: quality, brand, cost-effectiveness, and reliability.Follow-Up QuestionsSending follow-up questions at the end of every customer interaction is a great customer follow-up strategy.These customer satisfaction survey questions require you to invest enough time with your clients to make sure they know that you care about them and their issues.Examples of follow-up questions:36. How was your experience talking to our customer support agent?37. Is there anything you dislike about our product or service?38. Do you have any concerns about your industry and how it relates to our product?39. How would you rate the call?40. Was the issue resolved to your satisfaction?41. How well have we responded to your questions or concerns regarding our products?42. How successful is our response to your worries about our products?43. Did we react to your queries or complaints about our products in a way that met your expectations?General questionsThese client feedback survey questions are genuinely global. No matter what the topics of your CSAT survey questions are, it is always beneficial to inquire if your respondents have any more comments.CSAT survey questions help you obtain extra insight into unexpected topics.Moreover, they can provide new perspectives that may not be found within your company.Best practices for creating the perfect customer satisfaction surveyBelow are the best practices to follow in creating a good CSAT survey to raise participation rates and record a wider range of experiences.Provide several survey mediumsSend surveys to customers via a variety of channels, including chat and email.Instead of using real-time surveys that are offered at the time that is most suitable for the company, focus more on delayed response channels such as email or text.This makes it more enjoyable for consumers to take part in the survey whenever is best for them. You have a better chance of getting more responses and earning their engagement if you respect their time.Reduce the number of questionsAt the end of a sale or service, most customers tend not to take a survey. They assume it will be long, and they want to get on with their day.Keep your survey brief—no more than three or four questions—so that they aren’t aggravated by the survey. Use a survey tool that enables you to ask a few questions randomly selected from a larger pool.By doing this, you may acquire a sufficient sample size for a range of queries without overwhelming each consumer with an in-depth survey.Always send survey questions at an ideal timeDo you know that the success of any survey is heavily dependent on its timeliness? No one likes it when notifications pop up while they are busy doing their daily activities.Therefore, it is critical to choose an ideal time to send your surveys. Precisely, the best time to send a survey is immediately after a customer purchases your product.Similarly, you can conduct a survey after resolving a customer issue by asking questions like, “How was our customer service?” In such cases, it will be easier for your customers to reply.Train agents to write CSAT surveysHaving a training program for creating CSAT surveys is more crucial than ever. Many organizations devote a tremendous amount of time, attention, and effort to their sales training but do not put the same amount of care into teaching agents how to write quality CSAT surveys.Identify key points that should be followed when creating a survey and make sure every agent understands them completely.For example, one of the first things to inquire about through a CSAT survey is whether the brand promises and your customers’ satisfaction line up.Knowing which questions to write and how to write them helps your company identify and work on imperfections.Pick the most appropriate survey metricsThere are many survey metrics you could gather. Each of these can aid your company in unique ways. Therefore, before choosing any metric to track, always identify the one that will provide the most insight into what you want to learn about your customers’ experiences.Similarly, you have to know which data can truly assist you in the development of your organization.Learn more customer experience metrics you should track in our blog.Provide a reward for participationAlthough rewards are not a strange idea, it is rare for them to be used in CSAT surveys. Therefore, you need to be particular when offering them completed surveys.For instance, you can use modest rewards like coupon codes for discounts on future purchases or offer an instant purchase discount.Unsurprisingly, discounts that can be applied to the purchase or service that the consumer is currently using are the most potent incentives.Moreover, it’s important to remember that customers will tolerate answering several questions more readily if the reward is bigger but be careful not to overdo it.The insights learned from the customer may not be worth the cost of the discount to the company.Carefully plan your survey processBefore you conduct any survey, the essential first step is to plan effectively for every process you expect to follow. For instance, you can plan for the survey to be verbal (through calls) or online (through email, dedicated forms, ticket responses, etc.), and even plan for the exact resources you need to run the survey.This helps you save time and resources since you’ll already have an image of what you want to do and how you will do it.Moreover, planning also gives you the advantage of assigning every agent their designated tasks, thus easing your management load.Thank your consumers for their suggestionsBy carrying out customer satisfaction surveys, you will inevitably take some course of action in response to the findings. Otherwise, why would you be doing them in the first place?Therefore, showing gratitude and letting customers know that you’ll put measures into action in accordance with their responses shows them that their feedback matters. This also promotes their continued engagement with your company.It also shows them that you are willing to put in extra effort to meet their needs and that their needs come first.Use images in your surveysImages can help explain concepts that are tough to explain in words. That’s why images used sparingly and effectively can be helpful in customer satisfaction surveys.The right images can prompt rapid understanding and boost response rates.In fact, something as simple as using face emojis in place of qualitative answers like “strongly dissatisfied” and “very satisfied” can be beneficial to use in your customer satisfaction surveys.Measure results post-customer satisfaction surveyBusinesses that focus on doing customer satisfaction surveys but fail to measure customer outcomes beyond the survey end up with an incomplete picture of their customer’s experiences and satisfaction.It is, therefore, critical to have a final phase in which survey results are analyzed in the context of customers’ continued business with your company or lack thereof.This helps you gauge your past performance and prepare for the future.Tips to enhance your client’s satisfactionBelow are some tips you can use to boost your client’s satisfaction:Get feedback from customers on a regular basisThe best way to know if your services or products satisfy your customers is to ask for their feedback often, after short periods. There are several methods to use to get feedback from clients:Customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys get reviews from clients once support tickets are closed. The most common survey questions ask the clients to rate and review the products or services offered or talk about their customer service experience.Carry out customer effort score (CES) research after customers contact the support team.Employ the use of net promoter scores (NPS) to measure the statistical data in feedback.This feedback lets company leaders know the areas they need to improve on in their brands and customer service.Take action on the negative feedbackFeedback from customers can be negative based on their experiences. Agents must analyze the reviews that the clients give, try to understand them, and then fix them as fast as possible.Core issues with a product should be forwarded to product teams, common solutions added to website help sections, and clients reassured that their issues are being handled.Reply to all feedbackDifferent clients share different feedback based on their experiences. Whether the review is positive or negative, strive to respond to them.Customers value responses from the company on their feedback. They feel appreciated if you interact with them on a personal level. If the feedback is negative, this is essential.It’s best to apologize for any problems caused and assure the client that the issue will be investigated and resolved. On the other hand, for positive feedback, you can thank the customers for taking the time to give feedback.Replies to all feedback builds the relationship of a company with its customers. It also leaves the customers more satisfied.Share feedback with all relevant teamsOther teams need to be informed of feedback from customers that is relevant to their work.For instance, if the feedback is about the debugging process, the software testing and debugging teams need to know about it.This will help the whole company stay current on issues and what each client prefers. It will also help support teams provide fast and more accurate solutions straight from their in-house experts when needed.Cross-team cooperation on issues ensures the customer service and products offered are top-notch.Listen to and understand your customersIt is important to know your clients. The support team should know what the clients prefer, their goals, and their common demographics.Such information helps agents build rapport with clients and thus builds their relationships.Understanding clients makes them feel valued. This, in turn, builds their loyalty and trust in your brands.Offer fast response and resolutionThe time it takes for agents to respond to and resolve an issue will show how satisfied a client feels. Customers who receive fast responses to their inquiries or whose issues get resolved fast have a good experience.If an issue will take long to resolve, keep your clients updated so they know they’re not forgotten. This shows the clients that they are valued.Train your support team to be efficientSupport agents should know the products or services that the company offers in detail. Agents with the right skills and experience will be able to handle and respond to issues fast.They will also be more accurate with less need to escalate issues. Product and customer service training are vital for an efficient customer support team.Provide self-service optionsYou can empower your customers and support team by having self-service options. When you provide self-help tools on your website, like knowledge bases, clients can find solutions to issues without live help.Agents, on the other hand, can access relevant information in internal systems that help them resolve issues with ease.Knowledge bases in your help desk can offer articles, how-to videos, FAQs, and other documents. When clients are able to solve issues on their own, it saves your team time and effort and makes the customers happy, too.Personalize the experience of customersYou can personalize the experience of each client in many ways in order to improve client satisfaction.First, you can customize support responses by adding the names of clients. Second, you can recommend products, services, and solutions to fit the needs of each customer.When you customize their responses, it makes your agents seem more human and less robotic. Clients will also feel like they matter. This makes them feel satisfied with the support they got.Choose the right help desk for your customer serviceTo conclude, ensure you have the right help desk software for your customer service. This means you should ensure that your help desk has all the right features to make customer service smooth. As a result, it will enhance client satisfaction.Consider help desks with automation, such as SLA automation, to avoid human errors likely to occur from manual ticket processing.Features such as knowledge base software reduce the effort and time used by agents and clients to resolve issues.Agents can focus on more urgent issues. As a result, nothing falls through the cracks, and issues are solved very efficiently. Such organized customer service will leave customers satisfied with their experience and thus boost customer retention and loyalty.Customer satisfaction survey templatesCustomer satisfaction survey templates provide a structured framework for gathering customer feedback, saving you significant time and effort. You can customize the questions according to your needs.The following example is a template that poses the standard question, “How satisfied are you with our customer service?”Templates give you the option to customize the rating scale to provide your customers with a variety of response choices.Customer satisfaction survey examplesLet’s examine some customer satisfaction survey examples from popular brands to give you some ideas of how best to implement your own customer feedback surveys.SubWaySubway sells customized, made-to-order sandwiches through an enormous network of franchised outlets worldwide.Subway’s customer satisfaction survey uses a combination of questions with 10-point Likert scale responses and follow-up questions that appear after the customer responds to an initial question.The follow-up questions have predefined responses that customers can select from a dropdown list.Delta AirlinesDelta Air Lines provides air travel services to passengers and cargo.Some of the factors that affect the satisfaction of Delta Air Lines customers are the conduct of flight attendants, the comfort of seats, in-flight entertainment, and meals.Delta Air Lines uses short yet detailed customer feedback questions for its passengers to assess the satisfaction of passengers with the services provided by flight attendants.NamecheapNamecheap provides affordable domain name registration, hosting, and other web services.After concluding a customer support session, Namecheap sends feedback questions to determine the customer’s satisfaction score and net promoter score.The survey also has a comments box where users can elaborate on the rating they provided.AirbnbAirbnb allows users to book overnight stays in locations all over the world.Airbnb hosts rely on customer feedback to build the reputation of their units and boost their credibility.In the Airbnb customer satisfaction survey, a series of questions with predefined answers lets the customer narrow down the feedback they want to provide. After that, the customer is given a text box where they can expound on their feelings.NetflixNetflix is a streaming service that offers a wide variety of TV shows, movies, and more.Netflix studies customer behavior to recommend personalized entertainment content. It periodically collects customer feedback including ratings, likes, and dislikes, to improve its offerings.In this customer satisfaction survey, Netflix uses a few brief questions with responses based on a Likert scale. Each question is succinct to collect precise feedback on very specific categories of Netflix’s products.Encourage feedback collection with the most popular customer survey questionsIt is important for any business to create customer satisfaction questionnaires to obtain feedback from both pleased and irate consumers, which can guide you to offering a better product.With this in mind, we built customizable, user-friendly customer satisfaction survey features into LIKE.TGthat enable you to gather detailed feedback with ease to improve your offerings.Contact us to schedule alive demoto experience LIKE.TG’s feedback capabilities. Or, try out our free trial with instant access.Related articlesCustomer Service with Customer satisfaction – How CSAT can Help?Best ways to collect customer feedback surveys and how to use themBenefits of using LIKE.TG CSAT surveysCommon customer satisfaction survey mistakes to avoid

We’ve noticed that a lot of help desk software plans are priced per agent, and that a lot of companies find this pricing structure to be tiresome. Therefore, to overcome this, the LIKE.TG team is introducing the unlimited agents plans, which will undoubtedly let a company with a large or growing support team save money. We do still have plans where companies can pay by agent, though, if that suits their needs better. Let’s go through the details of the different plans available in our help desk software. Unlimited agents pricing detailsWe provide three simple unlimited agents plans for everyone. The plans under this category are standard, pro, and business. With the plan comparison table in the following image, you can easily check the available features and select a plan based on your requirement. The yearly payment structure for this set of plans ends up saving customers up to 20% over the monthly payment structure. You can get more details from the unlimited agents pricing page.Agent-based pricing detailsWe provide three different pricing plans: starter, growth, and enterprise. Using the plan comparison table in the following image, you can easily check the available features and select the plan you require. The table shows the details for the plans with a yearly payment structure.Benefits of choosing LIKE.TGProvides valuable features at a low cost.You can experience a free trial that gives you full access to all the features of your chosen subscription plan. Even after the trial period, your data will be retained for 7 days while you upgrade your plan.You can change your subscription plan at any time. For upgrades, the change will take effect immediately and will be charged proYou can cancel your subscription at any time. However, your subscription will remain valid until the end of your billing period.This help desk system offers free migration when you move from any other help desk software to BoldDesk.By using an unlimited plan, you can expand your support team as much as you need with no added cost.Comparison with LIKE.TG competitorsLIKE.TG is cloud-based, modern help desk software that is easy to use and budget-friendly. Compared with the other help desk competitors, it provides awesome pricing options. Additionally, it has a single flat fee for unlimited agents. Our customer support team also stands fully behind our products and is always ready to help. We work hard to give the finest possible support experience to every customer who needs it.Follow the steps provided in this article on how to: Buy and Pay for a LIKE.TG SubscriptionConclusionFrom this blog, I hope you’ve seen how fabulous the LIKE.TG pricing plans are. Save money, send timely support responses, and automate repetitive tasks to make your support team more productive. Try out LIKE.TG in a 15-day free trial on. For more information, contact LIKE.TG support.

Providing the best customer service is now a trend used by many companies for marketing. Customers prefer companies that offer efficient customer service over those that spend a lot of money to advertise.In addition, companies with skilled agents get new and keep more customers.In this blog, I will talk about some of the best customer service strategies to provide efficient customer support and the key traits of good agents. What is customer service?Customer service refers to the ways a company helps its customers to resolve issues or respond to them. The support comes before, during, and after the customer buys a product or service. Agents are the main way for a company to stay in touch with its customers. Because of that, support agents must uphold the goals and values of a company.Definition of customer service efficiencyCustomer service efficiency refers to how agents offer fast and accurate responses and resolutions to customer issues. The following determine the efficiency of agents:The response rates.The quality of service.The effort used by agents.Importance of efficient customer serviceThe following are some of the importance of having an efficient customer service:Customer loyalty and retentionCustomers see and value fast responses and resolution times. Efficient customer service increases customer satisfaction.As a result, the chances of customers changing to a competitor are reduced.This is because the customers know your company will take care of them if they have problems.Competitive advantageWith a faster response and resolution rate than its competitors, a company keeps its current customers. It also gets more customers from competitors through a good reputation.A company that offers efficient customer service increases its brand value.As a result, this improves the market reputation of the company and gives it an upper hand over competitors.8 Strategies to provide efficient customer serviceTo enhance your customer service efficiency, you have to follow certain tactics.Here are some of the customer service strategies that will help your support team to be more productive:1. Understand your customersAgents should relate well with customers. When agents make an effort to understand customers, it shows that the company cares about their interests.To improve the efficiency of your support, consider the needs, choices, feedback, and insight of customers.2. Prompt response timeCustomers value their time. In fact, responding within the first hour meets the expectations of 88% of consumers.So, most businesses try to offer fast responses and resolutions to customer issues.To provide quick responses is one of the ways to retain and attract customers.Having an automated workflow ensures a fast response time to customer issues.An automated acknowledgment of receipt of customers’ messages puts their minds at ease.Reminders can be set to keep updates and the time to resolution on the right track.3. Proactive supportWith proactive support, agents can predict issues and give solutions before they occur. Clients value the effort.For example, a company can send alerts to its customers to inform them of planned updates or maintenance. This helps them prepare for interruptions.When agents take initiative, it builds the loyalty of customers. They feel valued.It also improves the trust that customers have in the brand of a company.4. Omnichannel support optionsMost companies use multiple online channels of communication to provide efficient customer service.These channels, such as email and social media, allow them to communicate in a common space.Having many communication options ensures timely responses to customers.5. Pay attention to customer feedbackCustomers’ perspective on a company, or its products, shows their preferences. It also shows the areas that companies need to improve.Feedback can be in the form of surveys and interview questions. Feedback helps support leads analyze the performance of agents.Also, when customers give feedback, they feel heard.6. Personalize the customer service experienceCustomize your help desk for personalized customer service experiences. Agents collect and have access to all the information about customers.As a result, customers do not have to provide their information and issue details every time.Customers value solutions that agents make for their specific needs. It shows that the company values them.As a result, it improves their customer experience.7. Self-service optionsCustomers need access to information from the external knowledge base in a help desk.According to Higher Logic, 79% of customers expect organizations to provide self-service support tools to help customers find answers without having to contact support.It enables them to resolve common issues without help from agents.Besides this, agents need information at hand to resolve issues with less effort and time.Companies can include an internal knowledge base for this in their help desk. This ensures agents easily find clues to common issues. Because of this, the agents can focus on high priority and hard issues.8. Frequent communicationAgents should send updates to clients often. This shows the ongoing effort to resolve their issues.Thus, it calms the clients. Agents use canned responses to send such updates fast.Key skills of efficient customer service agentsAgents form the basis of the customer service of a company. The qualities of these agents determine the experience of customers.So, it is key to have the right people in a support team.The following are the main qualities and skills for efficient agents:a. Good communication skillsAgents should communicate in a clear and positive way.Any information sent to customers should be simple, brief, and direct.Customers should be able to listen (or read) and understand each detail that agents say.b. EmpathyCustomers feel at ease when they interact with agents who get them. Good agents relate with the emotions of clients.This empathy builds the bond between the customers and the agents.It makes customers feel like the agents, and the company, care.For this reason, customers discuss their issues with ease. This results in a better customer experience.c. PatienceSometimes, customers get frustrated due to issues with their products or services.They can direct their anger onto agents. Therefore, agents need to be patient as they listen and serve clients.They should talk to the customers in a calm way and try to understand their view.In addition, they should express sympathy and not take anger to heart.d. Ability to solve problemsThe main task of agents is to resolve customer issues. The ideal agent should be creative and able to solve issues well.A good agent knows which resources have answers.For instance, agents can use the internal knowledge base of a help desk or ask other agents. The support agents can opt for escalations if needed.e. Product knowledgeAgents should know about the company and its products or services. They should know how a company operates.Customers feel at ease talking to agents who know what they are doing. So, it is important for companies to offer resources and train their agents.This includes training them on how and where to find solutions and how to use tools such as the knowledge base.Refine your customer service strategies to delight your customersTo provide efficient customer service, improve the strategies you use. Make solutions easier with proper help desk software and skilled agents.Provide the best customer experience with LIKE.TG as the help desk companion for your agents. Try LIKE.TG’s free trial to see how it can improve your customer service. Feel free to contact the LIKE.TG support team with any inquiries.Related reads20 Best Customer Service Tips for Better Support in 2024How to Set Smart Customer Service Goals in 202410 Common Customer Service Mistakes to Avoid7 Effective Guidelines for Customer Service for Any Business

We are delighted to announce new and upgraded features for LIKE.TG in our latest release including one of our customers’ most highly anticipated features: knowledge base software! We’ve also got a few surprises in store. Let’s walk through some of the new highlights of BoldDesk. Knowledge base softwareKnowledge base software is a self-service tool and central source of information for your customers and support staff. With LIKE.TG knowledge base software, you can create unlimited informational articles for different brands and products.Using categories and sections, you can organize and group your articles. Also, you can apply tags to articles to better manage your content library. A powerful built-in search function allows your help center to get instant answers. Moreover, you can find solutions by searching the self-service tool for relevant articles based on keywords in tickets. Learn more about the software by perusing the knowledge base page.Two types of knowledge bases are supported. These are:Public knowledge baseThis is external data that all users can use. It includes documentation, user manuals, and a help center. A public knowledge base helps increase support agents’ productivity by reducing the number of tickets that customers create. Furthermore, this self-service portal improves customer satisfaction by providing them a quick solution.Internal Knowledge Base softwareThis is the private data for the employees within your organization. It helps improve internal knowledge sharing and collaboration, which leads to people throughout the organization being able to serve customers better. Some of the use cases of an internal knowledge base are providing a central repository for training materials to onboard new employees and how-to guides for advanced product features.Agent portal improvementsThe following are the new features we have developed for the agent portal:Merge ticketsMerge tickets allows you to combine two or more tickets, as well as their attachments and messages, into a single ticket.The following are the features available in this feature:Merge up to five tickets.Close secondary tickets as needed.Add a secondary ticket requester to the primary ticket cc if the original requesters are different.Add a secondary ticket cc to the primary ticket cc.Link tickets as related tickets for future use.Add additional notes for both primary and secondary tickets.Add secondary ticket comments to the primary ticket while merging the tickets.Lock or unlock ticketLocking a ticket limits the ability of users to edit ticket properties once the ticket’s life cycle has reached its end. After locking a ticket, no one can update its properties. Additionally, LIKE.TG includes specific permissions to lock a ticket.Only users with the right permission can unlock or edit the ticket. This feature is useful when you want to restrict the editing of ticket properties by other users.Autosuggest options as recommendationsBased on keywords in tickets, articles in the self-help tool that are relevant to the ticket are recommended to help users find a solution.Link related articles to ticketsUsing this option in the knowledge base software, you can link related articles to a ticket. This will enable end-users to easily get access to more information on the topic under discussion.Insert knowledge base article in ticket updateWhile replying to a ticket, you can insert an article for the customer’s reference. This will empower the clients to get a better understanding of the issue and refer whenever the same issue recurs.Advanced filter improvementsIn advanced filters, now you can use AND/OR condition-based filtering to filter tickets.Edit messageThe edit message option allows agents to correct any mistake in a message (i.e. reply or note) sent to the customer.Multiple files upload optionThis option allows agents to upload more than one file in the ticket field.Go through the knowledge base software and its features here!ConclusionWe are excited to provide new features that help you to empower the customer support team in your organization. We trust you will like these new features in BoldDesk. Please let us know in the comments what other features you would like to see in future updates.TryLIKE.TG to simplify your support agents’ work and make them more productive. You can start a15-day free trial on LIKE.TG. If you have any questions, please contact us through LIKE.TG support.

In today’s competitive business environment, a customer stays with an organization that has a seamless customer follow up strategy. As a result, many businesses lose customers because they don’t stay in touch with them.Are you aware that while 60% of customers typically decline four times before they agree, 48% of sales representatives don’t bother to follow up even once?To retain your customers, you must keep in touch with them throughout the shopping process and even after they purchase your product or service, regardless of whether they are having issues with it.In this blog post, I’ll show you the best customer follow-up strategies to enhance rapport with your customers. What is customer follow up?Customer follow up is the process of contacting customers after they have purchased your product or service.The main goal following up is to find out the level of satisfaction among customers about what they purchased.Customer follow up lets a company understand how to improve its products and services.Further, following up allows you to better understand customer satisfaction regarding the purchasing process, too.How to follow up with your customersYou must have a targeted customer follow up strategy to thrive in today’s zero-sum business market.According to research by Invesp, 75% of consumers shopping online prefer to be contacted by phone 2 to 4 times before a company should cease attempts; meanwhile, a minority of 12 percent are open to a company making unlimited calls until they successfully reach them.The following are some of the best customer follow up strategies to help you improve your customer relations.1. Inquire whether customers need aidInstead of waiting for a problem to arise before contacting a company, customers like it when the company checks in with them first to determine whether there is a problem.Accordingly, you should email or call customers who have just bought your product and ask if they have any problems getting up and running with it.As a result, customer loyalty may increase due to this proactive approach to customer care.Moreover, this approach can aid you in resolving outstanding risks before they escalate into more significant problems.2. Gather feedbackAnother typical follow up action is asking customers to complete a feedback form to evaluate the sales transaction.The survey can be a straightforward form with a set of predefined answers, or an open-ended worksheet that allows customers to explain their feedback in depth.Either way, receiving customer comments can help you keep in touch with them.Moreover, gathering input can also provide you with recommendations for improving future transactions and products.3. Offer a special dealSpecial deals such as discounts, promotions, or other offers are also one of the key follow up strategies in improving customer relations.For instance, offering a discount to a new customer based on their earlier purchase increases the likelihood that the customer will purchase again, and sooner than later.Such offers also increase customer retention. As a result, your customers are more likely to tell friends and colleagues about your product or service, thus increasing your marketing reach.4. Express genuine enthusiasmOne of the most important strategies in client follow ups is expressing genuine enthusiasm to the client.A straightforward thank you email expressing gratitude for the customers’ purchase is essential.Furthermore, appreciating your customers encourages them to remain with your business, helping you increase their lifetime value.5. Send customers articles that are informative and relevantYour product’s usage is addressed in considerable detail in your company’s knowledge base.Certainly, understanding the product more makes it easier to adapt the product to whatever its deployment scenario is.Therefore, it is essential to send your customers articles or information that will help them use your product in ways they have expressed interest in.Delivering your customers knowledge base articles and tutorials will help them use your product, thus improving customer satisfaction.6. Plan follow ups effectivelyCustomers appreciate it when you go beyond what is needed to ensure that their issue is resolved. Most importantly, your follow up conversations with your customers must always have value for them.Do not keep in touch with your client without effective planning. A bantering one-liner may confuse your customer if it lacks clarity.Therefore, keep your messages personalized and have a purpose behind them, such as alerting customers about an upgrade or a recently resolved issue.Consequently, effective planning in your communications and good customer relationships help you protect your company’s reputation.Proactive ways to follow up with your customer after a saleFollowing up with customers proactively after a sale helps maintain customer satisfaction. It shows you care about their experience.Here are some proactive ways to follow up with customers after a sale:Send thank-you email or note Send a customized thank-you email or handwritten note expressing gratitude for their purchase. This simple gesture shows appreciation and leaves a positive impression on the customer.Provide post-purchase survey Send a post-purchase survey to gather feedback on the customer’s buying experience. Ask about their satisfaction with the product or service, any issues they encountered, and suggestions for improvement. Use this feedback to enhance the customer experience and address any concerns promptly.Make follow-up calls If appropriate for your business, make a follow-up call to check in with the customer shortly after the sale to confirm they’re satisfied with their purchase and address any concerns they may have. This allows you to resolve any issues before they cause frustration.Provide educational resources Provide customers with educational resources related to their purchase, such as user guides, tutorials, or tips for maximizing the product’s value. This helps customers get the most out of their purchase and fosters a positive relationship with your brand.Provide exclusive offers Offer customers exclusive discounts, promotions, or special offers as a token of appreciation for their purchase. This not only incentivizes repeat business but also makes customers feel valued and appreciated.Offer product updates or tips Keep customers informed about updates, upgrades, or new features related to their purchase. Sending regular product updates or tips on how to use the product effectively helps customers stay engaged and reinforces the value of their purchase.Personalized recommendations Based on the customer’s purchase history and preferences, offer personalized product recommendations that complement their previous purchase. This shows that you understand their requirements and can assist them to discover relevant products or services.Implement a customer loyalty program Invite clients to join your loyalty program or rewards program, where they can earn points, discounts, or other incentives for their purchases. This encourages repeat business and strengthens customer loyalty over time.Engage on social mediaEngage with clients on social media platforms by responding to their comments about their purchases, or featuring their success stories. This builds a sense of community and strengthens the relationship between the customer and your brand.Customer follow-up email templatesCrafting an effective customer follow-up email can help make sure that your message is received and responded to in a timely manner.Following are some customer follow-up email templates that can be adapted to various scenarios, along with explanations for their use.Thank-you email templateA thank-you email is a great way to acknowledge a customer’s business and establish a positive relationship.It should show appreciation and encourage them to reach out if they have any questions or need help getting started with their new product.Subject: Thank You for Your Recent PurchaseDear [Customer Name],Thank you for your recent purchase of [product name] from [Your Company]! We’re thrilled to have you as a customer and appreciate you choosing us.We hope you’re enjoying your new [product name]. If you have any questions or need help getting started, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer support team at [phone number] or [email address].We’ve also included some helpful resources below that you might find useful:[Link to product guide][Link to FAQ page][Link to video tutorials]Thank you again for your business!Sincerely,The [Your Company] TeamFeedback request email templateThis template is suitable for requesting feedback from customers shortly after they’ve made a purchase.It shows that you value their opinion and are committed to enhancing your products or services based on their feedback.Provide a clear and convenient way for customers to share their thoughts, such as a link to a survey or feedback form.Subject: Your Feedback Matters: Help Us ImproveDear [Customer Name],We’re always striving to enhance our products and services at [Your Company]. We’d love to hear your feedback about your recent purchase of [product name]. Your honest opinion helps us understand what we’re doing well and where we can improve.Would you mind taking a few minutes to complete this short survey? [link to survey]Thank you for your valuable time and feedback!Sincerely,The [Your Company] TeamFollow-up email template for upselling or cross-sellingThis template is suitable for reaching out to existing customers with an exclusive offer or promotion aimed at upselling or cross-selling additional products or services.It acknowledges the customer’s previous purchase and incentivizes them to make another purchase by offering them something exclusive.Be clear and concise about the offer and provide all necessary details for the customer to take advantage of it.Subject: Enhance your experience with [complementary product/service]Dear [Customer Name],We noticed you recently purchased our [original product name]. We hope you’re enjoying it!We wanted to let you know about our [product/service] that perfectly complements the [original product name] and can further enhance your experience.The [complementary product/service] offers [list of benefits relevant to the customer’s purchase].We believe this would be a valuable addition to your [original product name] and can help you achieve [desired outcome].If you’re interested in learning more, you can find more information here: [link to product/service page].Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.Sincerely,The [Your Company] TeamImportance of follow up in customer serviceCustomer follow up is important because it:Cultivates positive relationships and loyaltyKeeping in touch with your customers after they purchase your product gives them the impression that you are interested in them.Furthermore, it shows that you are invested in establishing a long-lasting relationship with them instead of merely making a quick transaction.In a nutshell, an enduring and rewarding business-customer relationship can be kept by holding a follow up call or sending an email from time to time.Moreover, this fosters rewarding customer relationships and loyalty to your company and encourages future purchases.Customers are more inclined to stick with a brand if they feel valued and attended to.Rectifies poor experiencesEven if a sale is closed, the customer may feel unsatisfied. Therefore, following up demonstrates to the client how much you care, and could change their perception of your company.Consumers naturally seek an authentic experience, and if necessary, they will seek it elsewhere.Supplies valuable insightMore interaction with a consumer may reveal what they are currently looking for from your business.By following up, you might find areas for improvement and what a consumer wants to see in your product before they make another purchase.If the customer has a poor experience with customer service after their purchase, following up gives you the chance to address the source of the issue to salvage your customer satisfaction rating.Increases customer retentionIf you treat your clients like a guarantee, your competitors might win them away.Consequently, this would have a severe impact on your customer retention rate. Such catastrophes can be prevented with regular follow ups.By following up through calls or emails, you can find out about your customers’ concerns and complaints and work towards addressing them.This will show your customers how devoted you are to offering top-notch customer service. Furthermore, it assures them that no problem will go unresolved, thus increasing your company’s customer retention.ConclusionIn summary, having a follow up strategy is one of the best tools to improve your company’s customer relationships.You can improve your customer service by planning an effective follow up routine after any purchase or interaction with a potential customer.Reviewing your products and features through customer follow-ups empowers you to enhance your products for both current and future customers.To manage your customer support activities effectively, try usingLIKE.TG. With it, optimizing your workflow is simple. For more information, contactLIKE.TG support or schedule a free trial to give it a try.If you would like a more comprehensive understanding of LIKE.TG’s capabilities and how it can be customized to meet the needs of your business, feel free to contact us to arrange a live demo.

Manually completing tasks in your support process is inefficient, costly, time-consuming, and error-prone.Automating a ticketing system workflow enables customer support teams to work on assigned tasks more efficiently and accurately. It increases overall agent productivity and reduces time spent on repetitive tasks.79% of businesses believe that automation is essential for their customer experience strategy.This article will walk you through different ways to automate your help desk workflow and the resulting benefits of automating your help desk workflow process. What is the help desk workflow?A help desk software workflow refers to all the defined stages, steps, and procedures that support agents must follow to resolve customer issues successfully. Performing the operations depends on specific, predefined rules.How to automate the help desk workflowCompanies that automate their help desk workflow empower their support teams to use less effort and time to perform tasks.There are various ways of automating a help desk workflow to streamline your support operations. The following are examples of processes to automate.1. Automating the ticket routing processManually assigning tickets to individual agents can become hectic. Tasks assignment is slow and the probability of assigning tickets to the wrong agents is high. Tasks can slip through the cracks.Automated ticket routing involves categorizing and assigning tickets to suitable agents with the right expertise and knowledge to deal with the issues.An automated routing process can use a round-robin logic method to automatically assign tickets evenly to the agents qualified to do them.You can set keywords for flagging so that you assign certain tickets to specific agents based on ticket attributes, too.For example, when a customer with an IT-related issue creates a ticket, an automated ticketing system will automatically assign it to one of the IT support agents.The expertise required for the issue determines which IT support agent to assign the task.2. Automating notifications and SLA remindersWith an automated help desk, agents and higher-level support managers get alerts, notifications, and reminders regarding overdue tickets and ticket escalations.The notifications and reminders will be sent to the relevant agents under certain conditions stipulated in the service level agreement (SLA).The appropriate agents receive automated SLA reminders before the set due date to respond or resolve the ticket.If tickets become overdue, an SLA breach occurs. The ticket overdue automatically prompts the SLA escalation reminders or notifications to be sent to the assigned agents and their managers.Subsequently, upon receiving an SLA escalation notification, the manager can check in with their agent to see what the delay is and re-assign the ticket to another agent if necessary.3. Automated customer satisfaction surveysGetting feedback regarding a company’s services or products is essential for its growth. Customers’ opinion is highly valuable, positive, or negative.It is important to automate the customer satisfaction survey feature in a help desk workflow. When the assigned agent changes the ticket status to closed, if the CSAT survey feature is enabled, a survey link can automatically be sent to the customer.Upon receiving the survey, the customers provide feedback regarding the customer service they received throughout the ticketing process.If the feedback is negative, the agents and managers automatically receive alerts. The managers can then make note of reasons for negative feedback and take necessary steps to train the agents and improve their performance.Importance of CSAT surveysUsing the customer satisfaction survey, support managers can generate customer satisfaction reports and analyze their data. The report has an important metric, the customer satisfaction score.The CSAT score gives the support managers an overview of how the customer support team operates and the customers’ perception of the company’s products and services.Therefore, support managers can more easily see areas that need improvement.4. Awareness of unassigned ticketsSometimes tickets may remain unassigned if they do not match any of the created rules and do not choose the round-robin distribution.With an automated help desk workflow, if a ticket remains unassigned for a certain period of time, the support manager gets an automated notification.The tickets are sorted based first onThe ticket categoriesBrandsPrioritiesRequester optionsThen the support managers can evaluate, tag, and route the unassigned tickets to suitable agents for fast and accurate resolution.5. Automated taggingDuring automated ticket creation, a create-ticket trigger can automatically add tags to new tickets.Adding tags to tickets automatically will depend on the specific keywords found in the subject or description of the email sent by customers. After identifying the keywords, the tickets will be tagged and categorized.For example, if an internal employee creates a ticket requesting admin access, the ticket will be categorized as an internal ticket by identifying the company name.Additionally, an approval tag can be added to tickets. For instance, sometimes, tickets might need management approval to be closed. An approval tag will be added automatically to such tickets.6. Automated ticket processingSometimes, agents forget to update the status of resolved tickets from pending to closed. In such cases, the long-pending tickets will automatically close, if they remain in a solved state for more than a specified period.Thus, solves the closure follow-up. Additionally, suppose a customer does not respond to an email for n number of hours, then the ticket will automatically close.The create-ticket trigger automation rule automatically adds agents as watchers and end users in the CC section during ticket creation.The added agents and customers will automatically receive email notifications for all updates on the ticket. Automating the ticket process helps streamline the help desk workflow and keeps everything organized.Read more onAutomated ticket processing here!7. Creating a knowledge baseA knowledge base consists of documents and articles that provide solutions to common problems and important insight into issues that might otherwise have received little attention.Automating the help desk workflow using a knowledge base means making all the necessary reference tools readily available to end-users and support teams.Knowledge bases contain:ArticlesFrequently asked questions (FAQs)How-to video contentDocumentationEnd-users benefit greatly from an up-to-date knowledge base for self-service purposes. It assists customers in resolving common problems on their own. Support agents can also refer to an internal knowledge base to clarify any information on products or projects.Automatic recommending of help articles to users based on their search history can improve this self-service experience.Benefits of automating the help desk workflowAccording to a report by Verint, 58% of consumers are comfortable with customer interactions that are facilitated by automation.Companies automate their help desk ticket workflow to achieve various goals. The following are the main benefits of an automated help desk workflow.Higher efficiencyAn automated help desk workflow significantly reduces time spent working on manual and repetitive tasks.The automation of different help desk features makes tasks such as response and resolution to be performed quickly and accurately.Consequently, when these repetitive tasks are automated, the company support agents get sufficient time to concentrate on fixing the urgent and difficult issues.Hence,increasing the efficiency of the support team.Increased agent productivityFirstly, agents get more organized task schedules when you automate your help desk workflow process. Thus, helping them resolve issues faster.Secondly, automating repetitive tasks enables agents to focus on resolving higher-priority issues that require their urgent attention.Lastly, it saves time and increases their general productivity rate.Time-saving and reduced operating costsManually completing tasks tends to be:Time-consumingProne to human errorConfusingAutomating the help desk workflow defines the processes and leaves less room for error, saving on time and costs.Moreover, setting repetitive tasks to complete automatically reduces the expenses of agents’ time spent doing those tasks over and over.Error-free outcomesCompanies opt to automate the help desk workflow to reduce procedural and resolution errors.Automated ticketing system workflows define procedures and the right ticket-routing and assignment process.Therefore, it streamlines the performance of tasks. Additionally, the automation reduces possible errors. Furthermore, it lets your agents work with more confidence that nothing is missing.Improved customer experienceCustomers have more confidence and trust in a product or company when they receive immediate responses acknowledging receipt of their tickets, as well as timely updates.Automating the ticketing system workflow makes this confidence easy to instill and encourages customer loyalty.Automate the dispatch of acknowledgement emails and set reminders to update customers in a timely fashion.Your customer satisfaction rate and customer experience will increase as they see your support team taking their issues seriously.ConclusionToday, companies automate their help desk workflow to improve their support process. Automating its customer support operations ultimately increases the quality of a company’s services and reputation.LIKE.TGoffers the ultimate automated ticketing system workflow. Try theLIKE.TG free trialto see how all the features listed in this blog can help your team.Please contact us to schedule a live demo and see how you can customize LIKE.TG to meet your business needs.Refer to thepricing plansto see which package would best suit your company. For any questions regardingLIKE.TG, feel free to contact theLIKE.TG supportteam. Thank you for reading!Related blogsHow will help desk software be helpful in growing your organizationStrategies for implementing help desk software successfullyWhy you should switch to help desk software from email-based supportHow to optimize a ticketing systems workflow for customer support

Employee satisfaction forms the cornerstone of any company. A happy employee translates to a happy customer. If an employee is satisfied with the work conditions in the company, you will easily tell.This is because they will offer the best customer service experience they can. For this reason, it should be every employer’s goal to ensure employee satisfaction is at its optimum level at all times in order to grow.This blog guides you through different ways to improve employee satisfaction. In addition, you will learn what employee satisfaction means and why it is important to keep your employees happy. What is employee satisfaction?Employee satisfaction can be described as the level of fulfillment that employees feel while working at their organization, or how happy are they with their jobs.When defining employee satisfaction, it is important to consider whether employees are happy and content.A business’s success depends significantly on its ability to maintain a happy workforce, as contented workers are more likely to be innovative, dedicated, and productive. Additionally, they are less likely to quit, lowering turnover rates and the expense of recruiting and onboarding new hires.Why is employee satisfaction important?Having employees who are happy or content working at your company is vital to ensuring its continued growth.The following are reasons why it is important to strive to satisfy your employees:Employee retentionTo establish a good workplace culture, make sure all employees are well treated, taken care of, and that there are good relationships among your employees.This creates a safe space for employees where they can work calmly and efficiently. The possibility of employees leaving for other companies is reduce.Most people prefer to work in companies where they feel comfortable and happy, compared to places where they are paid well but unhappy.After all, what is the use of getting good pay if you are depressed at the workplace?Increased productivityProviding your employees with all the resources they need to carry out their tasks improves their productivity.In addition, when companies motivate their employees, they give their best performance at work.Efforts like cultivating a positive and transparent work culture help boost teamwork. This eventually improves productivity.Improved customer satisfactionWhen employees are satisfied, their happiness and contentment translate to attending to their clients with the same sentiment.They will provide service to clients well and interact with them in a friendly manner. They will deliver work that is high quality.As a result, clients will be satisfied too due to the care they receive from these employees.Improved morale at the workplacePraising or recognizing employees when they perform well or achieve a milestone improves their morale and motivates them to keep doing great work.This, in turn, increases the company’s profits and ensures continued growth.How to improve employee satisfaction (11 tips) Besides having compensation and benefits plans for your employees, there are other non-financial ways that can make boost employee satisfaction.The following are some best practices to improve employee satisfaction:1. Allow employees to take part in decision-making and feedbackEmpower your employees by involving them in the process of making decisions on company policies that directly impact their work.Get their opinion through regular meetings, discussions, and feedback. Listen to employees’ suggestions on ways to resolve problems affecting certain areas.It shows the employees that the company cares about them and values their opinions.This boosts their confidence in what they do and makes them feel more in charge of their work. It makes them more productive in the long run.2. Acknowledge and celebrate employee achievementsShow appreciation to your employees when they reach certain milestones or accomplish big things at work. This can be done by:Admit the employee during work meetings.Offering small gifts like gift cards and holiday destination tickets.Giving them days off to take a break from the hard work.In addition, celebrate their personal achievements such as their work anniversaries and birthdays.To acknowledge and celebrate your employees is a good gesture to show them that you appreciate and value their efforts.It boosts their morale, makes them loyal to the company, and encourages them to keep being passionate at work.It also encourages other employees to follow suit and improve their own work in order to get the same appreciation.As a result, their job satisfaction will increase, as well as their overall productivity, and ultimately the company’s profits.3. Offer a flexible work scheduleA PWC survey reveals that 62% of respondents favor a hybrid work model that integrates on-site and remote work.The onset of the global pandemic, COVID-19, saw a major revolution in the workplace. Working from home became the most ideal option.It led to an increase in hybrid and remote work, which has now become a new norm. Most companies prefer flexible work schedules that can accommodate employees’ specific working hours, regardless of their location.Employees from different parts of the world in different time zones must work together to achieve the same company goal.For this reason, companies should provide powerful communication tools for seamless interaction among all employees. Employees should feel like they are interacting in person and in the same physical office.Flexibility helps improve the productivity of employees since they each have working hours that suit them.4. Ensure a work-life balance for employeesCiphr reports that a significant majority of remote workers, about 79%, prioritize work-life balance above all other job components. This is in notable contrast to those employees who engage in remote work on a part-time basis or not at all, of whom only 66% consider work-life balance to be of utmost importance.It is employers’ responsibility to ensure their employees have a good balance between their work life and personal life. With well-defined working hours, employees can know when to stop working and focus on their personal life.This balance helps employees to separate their personal time from working hours. As a result, employees are less stressed from overworking, which leads to higher job satisfaction.The company can close the office when working hours elapse in order to encourage employees to leave and go do anything else.5. Encourage and provide learning and development opportunitiesDefining a skills road map is the first step to enhance the abilities of an employee.With one in place, you then need to provide the learning and development resources they need to help them fulfill their positions to their maximum potential.There are many resources you can rely on to help your employees develop in their careers.For instance, you can offer short training sessions for employees to learn some new skills. You can also provide an online learning hub for your employees to access and learn from.In the learning hub, include all the necessary learning tools and content that you can afford and access.You can also offer short online courses in the learning hub. In addition, you can offer flexible work schedules for employees who are pursuing further studies as a gesture of encouragement.6. Have a clear path for career growth for each employeeIt is important to give your employees the opportunity to grow professionally.Provide individual employees with a well-defined road map on the new skills they need to learn to advance in their careers.Outline the abilities they should develop to perform better in their current positions and in potential future positions they may qualify for.Supporting your employees’ career journey goes a long way to ensure higher productivity on their end. In addition, employees appreciate the effort and stay loyal to the company.Knowing that you care about their future advancement gives them a sense of satisfaction.7. Build a positive and transparent work cultureWith a company that fosters a positive and transparent work culture, employees communicate, speak their mind, and share their ideas with confidence.Every employee is listened to and encouraged to give their opinions on any aspect that affects them at work.They are free to discuss new ideas that are likely to play some part in running the company.On the other hand, the company should be transparent with its employees and communicate any updates.For instance, you can hold regular company meetings to provide updates on the progress of each department and the company as a whole.Share the company’s vision and goals with employees. Let them know the policies they need to uphold as well.Such an open environment in the workplace motivates employees to be more productive because they are comfortable at work.Being heard gives them a sense of satisfaction and keeps them loyal to the company. It becomes a place they enjoy being at.8. Do not micromanage your employeesEmployees thrive when they are given the chance to grow and achieve their goals under minimal interference from their leads or managers.Giving employees clear guidelines that define their roles and responsibilities should be enough.If you nag your employees over every minor task, they are likely to become stressed, frustrated, and unhappy. Allow them to work with less supervision in order to boost employee satisfaction.Companies have to avoid asserting aggressive authority over employees. If team leads or managers tell employees how to do their jobs, employees are likely to feel demotivated, untrusted, and may opt to leave the company.When employees are micromanaged, they tend to lose morale and become less productive. It also leaves them burned out from too much pressure, and thus dissatisfied with their work.9. Encourage social interaction among employeesMost employees feel more comfortable in a workplace with friendly people. It is advisable for companies to encourage their employees to socialize with each other.To encourage interaction, a company can organize social events like annual company dinners or quarterly gatherings. They can also have team-building events such as sports competitions.An interactive workplace fosters good communication and makes employees familiar with each other.Good relationships at work make employees more productive as they join forces to achieve the common company goal.It also becomes easy for employees to sort out any conflicts among themselves that may hinder important achievements.For remote workers, good communication tools should be provided so that they can be an integral part of the company. These practices promote employee engagement as well as employee satisfaction.10. Provide ergonomic office toolsA great way to make employees more efficient is by providing them with tools and resources that will ease their efforts and reduce manual work.These tools can be in the form of software or hardware.For instance, a company can provide its employees with good quality communication software and hardware so they can interact seamlessly.The company can also offer technical software to automate tasks that are hard and time-consuming.Ergonomic tools promote efficiency. They reduce the effort and time spent by employees to perform tasks, thus improving their productivity.They also increase employee satisfaction since they make employees feel that their employer cares about their well-being.Ultimately, this boosts employee retention since they are comfortable at their workplace.11. Create an internal help centerAn internal help center is a centralized location where employees can access company information and instructions on how to troubleshoot common issues.Establish an internal help center, such as a comprehensive knowledge base to:Empower employees to find solutions independently.Save time.Improve employee productivity.Create a more positive work experience.Additionally, internal help resources can serve as a platform for continuous learning and development.By including training materials, best practices, and troubleshooting guides, companies can allow their employees to expand their skills and knowledge at their own pace.This investment in their professional growth demonstrates that the organization values their development, which can boost morale and job satisfaction.How to measure employee satisfaction in the work environmentUnderstand morale, identify areas for improvement, and foster a positive workplace culture by measuring and analyzing employee satisfaction in the work environment.SurveysConduct regular employee satisfaction surveys using both quantitative and qualitative questions. Include topics such as job satisfaction, work-life balance, career growth opportunities, compensation, benefits, and satisfaction with leadership.Employee net promoter score (eNPS)This metric measures employee loyalty and willingness to recommend the company as a workplace to others. A simple survey asks employees how likely they are (on a scale of 0–10) to recommend the company to a friend or colleague. Based on their response, employees are categorized as promoters (9-10, satisfied and loyal), passives (7-8, neutral), or detractors (0–6, dissatisfied).The eNPS is determined by subtracting the percent of detractors from the percent of promoters. The resulting score can range from -100 to 100, with higher scores indicating higher levels of employee satisfaction. A positive eNPS indicates that the majority of employees are satisfied and likely to recommend the company, while a negative score suggests that there may be underlying issues affecting employee morale.One-on-one meetingsSchedule regular one-on-one meetings between employees and their managers to discuss their experiences, concerns, career goals, and overall satisfaction. These confidential conversations allow for open dialogue and personalized support.Focus groups Organize focus groups comprising small groups of employees from different departments or levels within the organization. Facilitate discussions on various aspects of the work environment to gain deeper insights and diverse perspectives.Exit interviews Conduct exit interviews with departing employees to gauge and understand their reasons for leaving, gather feedback on their experiences, and identify areas for improvement. Analyze trends in exit interview data to address underlying issues and reduce turnover.Performance self-reviews Evaluate whether employees feel valued, recognized, and adequately supported in their roles. Performance self-reviews can provide insight into employee morale and engagement. Look for signs of discouragement, lack of motivation, or declining performance that might be linked to dissatisfaction.Challenges in measuring employee satisfaction metricsThe process of measuring employee satisfaction comes with its own set of challenges. Understanding these challenges can help organizations refine their approach and gather more accurate data.Selecting the right tools and methodsOrganizations must choose appropriate tools and methods for measuring satisfaction. Surveys are common, but the questions must be carefully crafted to obtain clear, actionable feedback. Other methods might include interviews, focus groups, and observation, each with its own limitations.Ensuring anonymity and confidentialityEmployees may not provide honest feedback if they fear consequences. Ensuring anonymity and confidentiality on surveys is essential to gather genuine responses, but it can be difficult to maintain, especially in smaller organizations.Response biasResponse bias can occur when employees feel pressured to provide positive feedback or when they respond based on what they think the organization wants to hear. This can twist results and provide an inaccurate picture of satisfaction.Cultural differencesIn global organizations, cultural differences can affect how satisfaction is expressed and measured. What indicates satisfaction in one culture may not in another, making it difficult to create a one-size-fits-all approach.Frequency and timingDeciding on how often to measure employee satisfaction is a challenge. Too frequent, and it can lead to survey fatigue; too infrequent, and the organization might miss important shifts in employee sentiment.ConclusionEmployee satisfaction is the key to any company’s growth. With best practices in place to improve employee satisfaction, they become more productive.They also have higher morale, and remain loyal to the company. This then translates to satisfied customers in the long run.With LIKE.TG, give your employees the best help desk experience and satisfaction. Try the LIKE.TG free trial for your employees to thrive. Contact the LIKE.TG support team if you have any questions.You are welcome to schedule a 30-minute live demo to experience the system firsthand.

We are excited to announce the rollout of new features and improvements in LIKE.TG! Let’s take a look at some of them. List of latest featuresLet’s take a look over the added features:1. Article templatesArticle templates store common article structures to be used later to create new articles. This improves the efficiency of article creation and provides a consistent structure for knowledge base articles.2. Rest APIs for knowledge baseWith REST APIs in the knowledge base, you can create, edit, and read categories, sections, and articles.3. Email delivery failure audit logsIn the admin audit logs page, an email failure logs section has been added. Using this feature, admins can find the numbers of bounce and complaint emails. Also, they can find the reasons emails failed to deliver.4. Merge contact option in contact managementThis feature allows users to merge duplicate contacts. Using this feature, you can select and merge a maximum of three contacts with another contact. It is useful when a customer uses different email IDs or when the user from a customer company is no longer the support contact. In these scenarios, you can transfer all tickets and merge them to another account. After merging, the secondary contacts can be deleted automatically.5. Bulk ticket delete optionMultiple tickets can be selected and deleted forever from the spam tickets or deleted tickets page. This feature saves the support team time so that it can focus on more important tasks, like answering tickets from customers.6. Contact group field in ticket grid viewIn the column chooser, you can now include the contact group field in the ticket grid view.7. Email delivery status for each messageThis option allows you to view the email delivery status of each message in the ticket.8. Delete brandThe delete brand option in the admin module lets you delete a brand permanently. You can’t recover a deleted brand. If you need to temporarily disable a brand, then you can use the deactivate brand option instead of the delete brand option.9. Hide system default ticket viewsIn the admin module, you can manage ticket views by deactivating the views that you do not need. Using this option, you can also hide the system views if you don’t want them on your site.ConclusionWe hope you enjoy the latest features added to BoldDesk. We’ve made a lot of improvements in this update, and we look forward to continuing to do so on a regular basis. These new features allow customer support agents to better manage their tickets, communicate with their customers, and meet customer needs. Use LIKE.TG to simplify your support agents’ work and make them more productive. You can also start a 15-day free trial to experience the benefits for yourself. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us. We’re always eager to hear from you!

Black Friday is a wonderful chance for you to draw in new clients. You worked extremely hard to get them; you don’t want them to leave your establishment feeling disappointed by their experience. Due to the high number of rival establishments, both online and offline, the Black Friday customer experience is more crucial than any other day. I have five easy suggestions to help your brand have a successful sales day. What and when is Black Friday?Black Friday is the day after thanksgiving. It starts the holiday shopping season. To attract customers, most stores offer doorbuster sales with early-bird specials on this day. People stand in line for hours before stores open to get the offers of the year.Decades ago, most Black Friday deals began on Thanksgiving Day or earlier and continued through the Black Friday weekend. In 2022, Black Friday comes on November 25, which is the fourth Friday of the month.Preparing your support team for Black FridayYour customer service team is the bridge to your customers. Your approach to customer-to-agent interactions can either leave a positive or negative impression. You can achieve a more positive impression and higher customer satisfaction only when you deliver the best customer service ahead of all other services.However, having negative impressions makes buyers never come back to your shop. Moreover, they will even share their negative experience with others, like potential customers.Therefore, you need to prepare your agents for Black Friday matters because it:Promotes excellent customer service.Helps you come up with the most effective Black Friday marketing strategies.Guides your agents on how to deliver excellent support, which can improve customer retention.Lures customers, thus growing their loyalty to your brand, and expanding your business.Certainly, peak times like Black Friday require not only enhanced customer service skills but also open-mindedness and energy to deal with different situations. Therefore, you need to prepare your agents for this.In today’s world, it is easier than ever to search for alternatives and jump between different sellers, and a small mistake can result in the loss of a sale.5 ways to be ready for Black Friday 2022During those intense days, you will experience instances that can intensify the future of your business. Here are some customer service tips to follow to minimize the possibility of chaos this Black Friday.1. Apply software to deal with clients’ queriesIt can be difficult to deal with queries and interactions from many individuals on a regular basis, not to mention high peak days like Black Friday. Without the proper tools, even the most resolute teams can underperform.In this case, you need to have help desk software where you can find solutions that can take you through bettering your workflow and saving time. Practically, no customer support team is complete without a help-desk ticketing system.Help-desk software can centralize all your communications, so you do not have to jump between different channels. It typically comes with many other internal tools, like tags, canned responses, and automation rules to organize your tasks and tickets better and to be in control. With help desk software, you can deliver faster and more thorough support.2. Offer productself-serviceoptionsNot all customers need help always. Therefore, these customers prefer when they get already available instructions or pages just to serve themselves. Certainly, self-service gives clients a better experience.Moreover, the self-service option creates awareness to customers of what they need to correct and the root of the problem. Additionally, by offering self-service to your customers, they can use it to satisfy their needs. This saves time without having to jump through hoops, thus customers’ mindsets and well-being significantly improve.3. Prepare canned responses for quick repliesIn hot pursuit time like Black Friday time really matters. Therefore, personally writing a response to every customer from scratch is tiresome. Coincidentally, most of the emails that reach your inbox are hitting the same issues but in different tone or format.Therefore, to manage all these, you need to prepare canned responses. Take note that, during the preparation process, you need to manage and edit the already drafted canned responses in advance to avoid miscommunication.Additionally, you need to update the canned responses in a manner that the agents can easily adjust to specific situations like adding names and relevant details. This will ease your agents’ work thus taking them less time than starting from scratch.4. Keep calm and prioritize your customers’ inquiriesEvery customer has a different way of approaching support agents. Some may be cool, and some may be frustrated about their issues. Regardless of how smooth or rough a customer is, your agents should treat all the customers equally. Similarly, they must keep patience when facing furious customers. Remember, when you fix customers’ issues perfectly and send replies on time, even angry customers get calm and become loyal to your service.Note that,All issues are not urgent, but all must be solved.Managing all customers’ queries is not possible at the same time.Therefore, you need to prioritize each issue according to its urgency. As a result, prioritizing queries will aid you in solving all customers’ complaints effectively.5. Be transparent and communicate wellTrusting is a process but can be broken in no time. To keep your trust with customers, you must be transparent and honest with them in your service delivery. For example, if you have not solved a customer’s issue in time you can inform them and explain the reasons vividly. This can change their perspectives thus sustaining their trust and loyalty in your service.Similarly, through communication, you can build a business environment that will lead to eminent growth. For instance, telling your customers that you need more time to do research on the problem might also keep them patient. This can build a strong business foundation thus increasing your customer retention.How LIKE.TG improves 2022’s Black Friday customer serviceLIKE.TG has introduced unlimited agents plans, which lets your company grow and save money. Additionally, it supplies three simple unlimited agents plans for every company. The plans under this category are Standard, Pro, and Business. You can get more details from the unlimited agents pricing page.LIKE.TG provides valuable features at a low cost.You can try a free trial that enables you to fully access all the features of your LIKE.TG plan. Even after the trial period, your data will be retained for seven days while you upgrade your plan.LIKE.TG enables you to change your subscription plan without restricting time. To upgrade, the changes take place immediately and are therefore charged as a Pro plan.You can do away with your subscription at any time. However, your subscription remains valid until the end of your billing period.LIKE.TG offers free migration when you move from any other help desk software to BoldDesk.By using an unlimited agent’s plan, you can expand your support team as much as you need without added cost.ConclusionThe possibility of Black Friday burdening your customer support staff is immense. Therefore, to succeed it’s crucial to divide your attention between offering fantastic deals and giving customers a first-rate experience. It’s not too late to consider these Black Friday customer service tips and prepare the necessary materials for a big day to take advantage of every chance that will present itself.To unburden your work processes, you need a help desk service. Therefore, LIKE.TG offers you advanced help desk features that can enable you to provide the best service ever. To know more about LIKE.TG features, you can contact our help system.

Getting genuine feedback from clients, whether positive or negative, has a major impact on the growth of a business. Companies should make an effort to offer the best customer service experience and satisfy their customers to the best of their ability.Customer satisfaction can be described as a metric used to gauge the happiness level of customers with a company’s offerings and abilities.Data on customer satisfaction, such as surveys and ratings, can assist a company in identifying the most effective ways to enhance or modify its products and services.Providing your customers with CSAT customer satisfaction surveys is the best way to know how they view your company and the products or services you offer.In this blog, you will learn about:Scenarios under which you can use them.The benefits of using the LIKE.TG CSAT survey to get feedback from your customers. When should you send a CSAT survey?Customers should receive survey questions after support agents complete certain processes for them, such as resolving their issues or after they interact with them.Here are some of the common events that can prompt sending CSAT customer satisfaction surveys to clients to gauge their view on the customer service they experience:After a client completes certain key proceduresFor instance, you can send new clients CSAT survey questions about how their on-boarding process was. Their responses will help the support team know its level of efficiency and identify areas to improve on.Before customers renew their subscriptionIt is ideal to send CSAT surveys to customers before they renew their subscription. It helps to identify areas in the product or service that need improvements.Actions can then be taken to ensure customers will not experience the same issues after renewal.Once agents resolve or respond to ticket issuesAfter tickets are resolved or responded to, the tickets are closed. Upon closing, a CSAT customer satisfaction survey question can be automatically sent to the customer to rate the service provided, the response rate of the agent, or both.After interactions with the customer support teamAfter interacting with customers, such as getting information about customers and their issues in detail, support agents should send CSAT surveys. These allow clients to give their feedback based on how well the agent interacts and collects information from them.Advantages of using LIKE.TG customer satisfaction surveysLIKE.TG has aCSAT survey featurethat any support team can use to improve the customer service they provide to their clients in many ways, such as:1. Obtaining client feedback using a simple numerical rating scaleLIKE.TG uses a numerical rating scale method to collect feedback from clients. This method allows the clients to rate their experiences under three satisfaction levels: positive, neutral, and negative.According to a Microsoft study, 77% of consumers have a more positive perception of brands that actively seek and welcome customer feedback.LIKE.TG allows agents to customize survey questions to send to their clients. They can also customize the rating text that will display, based on their needs.In LIKE.TG CSAT surveys, there are three types of rating scales. You can customize the rating scale content based on your unique survey case. The rating scales are:2-point rating scale3-point rating scale5-point rating scaleThis rating method is very simple, easy to use, and easy to understand. It saves time and reduces the chances of survey bias and failure of clients to complete the survey questions.2. Providing customers a chance to give detailed opinions about your servicesCustomers are free to give their feedback and explain their experiences in detail in the comments section, which is under the rating scale. The comment section is optional.The feedback provided in the comment section helps a company in the following ways:Enables agents to understand and address precise concerns and needs of customers better.Provides insight on products or services that need to improve to satisfy the customer.3. Drawing insightful conclusions from survey data (survey reports)The LIKE.TG CSAT survey reports feature in LIKE.TG allows the support team to collect and measure the feedback from customers in real time. Support team leads can then promptly analyze the feedback and determine the experiences of clients.This helps identify areas the support team or others in the company need to improve on and helps identify steps that can be taken to enhance their product, services, or support.4. Controlling when to include surveys in emailsThe LIKE.TG CSAT survey feature gives agents an option to send survey links to clients via email. Agents can choose to send survey emails after every email reply or after a specific change in status.For instance, once an agent resolves a ticket issue and the ticket is closed, a client will receive a survey email where they can provide feedback. Often, follow-up survey questions help a company make improvements on products or services.5. Giving anonymous users a chance to share their opinionWith LIKE.TG CSAT surveys, any potential client that visits the website or comes across its rating link online can rate the product. The user can rate their customer service experience without the need to log in to your support portal first.This is a strategy to show potential clients just how customer-focused the company is. As a result, it increases their trust in the brand of the company and encourages them to purchase your product or service.6. Sending automated alerts and notifications based on feedbackLIKE.TG CSAT surveys are automated to send alerts and notifications to the right groups or support leads regarding negative or positive feedback.An alert on negative feedback helps leads work on resolving their problematic areas to avoid future complaints. On the other hand, notifications on positive feedback motivates agents to keep up the good work.7. Categorizing data based on CSAT reportsAdvanced filter options are available to CSAT customer satisfaction reports to categorize data based on satisfaction ratings by clients. The various filters that are listed in the category field will determine the data to be displayed.These advanced filter options make it easy for agents and support leads to identify and separate issues by the type of feedback they provide.This helps support agents focus their efforts on required areas and helps them know the next steps to take to improve customer experiences in the future.Types and common examples of CSAT survey questionsThere are some common survey queries that most businesses use. Asking the right questions helps clients provide the best feedback in detail.Companies can utilize a range of customer experience surveys to gather customer feedback. Each type of survey offers distinct customer insights and should be applied at a particular stage in the customer experience lifecycle.Visit ourCSAT types and examples blog to explore the types of surveys and a list of common CSAT survey questions that support agents often send to their clients.ConclusionCompanies that collect, measure, and analyze feedback from customers using customer satisfaction surveys in LIKE.TG gain great insights.These insights contribute in many ways to their main goal, which is to improve the customer service experience for their clients. Agents also need to consider when to send survey questions to maintain the trust and loyalty of customers.LIKE.TGoffers the best customer satisfaction survey tool to ensure any support team gets feedback from its clients with ease. Try ourLIKE.TG free trialfor first-hand experience with the best help desk survey tool.If you have any questions, feel free to contactLIKE.TG supportfor assistance. To explore how LIKE.TG can be tailored to meet your business needs, please contact us to schedule a live demo.Related blogsBenefits of tracking customer satisfaction with helpdeskHow to collect and use a customer feedback survey10 Popular Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions in Customer Service10 Essential Ways to Improve Customer Satisfaction

Providing a quality customer experience is a key goal of every business. Customer experience metrics make it easy for you to track and assess the experience of clients.In addition, these metrics help to identify effective strategies to provide a positive experience.In this blog, I will take you through the best metrics to apply in your business to improve customer experience. What are customer experience metrics?Customer experience metrics are quantitative measurements taken from clients that provide insight into their experiences with the business.Measuring customer experience is essential for businesses to understand how well they meet their customers’ needs and expectations.It involves collecting and analyzing data from various touchpoints to gain insights into the customer’s journey and their overall satisfaction with the brand.These numbers may change over time and at each stage of the operations in business.Key metrics for measuring customer experienceYou can track different aspects of the customer experience by use of different metrics. Here are some of the best customer experience indexes you can use in your business.1. Customer satisfaction (CSAT)Customer satisfaction (CSAT) is an aggregate measure of how satisfied customers are with a product or service.Most CSAT responses are based on a rating scale of 1 to 5. 1 indicates a very dissatisfied client, and 5 indicates a very satisfied client.Here is a typical example of a formula that you can use to calculate a CSAT score as a percentage.In this sample formula, 4s and 5s are positive responses.2. Net promoter score (NPS)The net promoter score (NPS) gauges whether or not your clients will recommend your products and services to others.In addition, NPS measures client happiness, loyalty, and trust. You can determine it by asking customers if they would recommend your company to others.Use the following formulas to know your NPS. They are based on a scale of 1 to 10, in which 10 is very likely to recommend the company, and 1 is unlikely to recommend it.3. Customer effort score (CES)The CES metric tracks the effort users put into using your product or service.CES reveals whether clients find it easy, average, or very hard to engage with your business to solve problems, get answers to questions, and more.A standard scale for CES measurement is 1 to 7. 1 indicates that the end user considers working with the company very hard.In contrast, 7 indicates that the customer finds working with the company to be easy. Take advantage of the following formula to determine your CES:4. Average resolution rateThis customer experience index tracks the accountable time it takes for a ticket to be resolved. With it, you can see how long customers are waiting for their issues to be resolved.Similarly, it helps you gauge how good your support team is at solving customer issues.By examining this metric over time, you can see whether your average resolution time is trending longer or shorter.Ideally, it should be about the same or shorter, because customers greatly value quick answers. When resolution of issues is fast, it improves customer experience improves.5. Average first response timeThis metric tracks the average time elapsed between ticket creation and the first response from the support team.Customers don’t like it when they are left unattended. This leaves them unsure of whether anyone noticed their issue or not.Maybe it disappeared into an electronic abyss, never to be seen again?Therefore, you need to check on your customers’ tickets and should send the first response as soon as possible. This relaxes clients because they feel noticed and taken care of. By monitoring this metric and keeping it low, you can ensure the clients’ experiences are good from the start.6. Customer churn rateCustomer churn rate is a significant metric for businesses, particularly those in subscription-based models or those with other recurring revenue streams. It’s the percentage of customers who discontinue using a business’s products or services over a specified time period.Understanding and managing customer churn is essential for maintaining and growing a customer base, ensuring sustainable revenue, and enhancing overall business health.The churn rate is calculated by dividing the number of customers lost in a timeframe by the total number of customers at the beginning of the timeframe, then multiplying by 100 to express it as a percentage.7. Customer retention rateThe customer retention rate is a customer experience metric that measures the ability of a business to keep its customers over time.High retention rates indicate customer satisfaction, loyalty, and the effectiveness of a company’s customer service and engagement strategies.Retaining existing customers or users is often more cost-effective than acquiring new ones, making a good rate vital for sustainable business growth and long-term success.8. Customer lifetime value (CLV)Customer lifetime value is a customer experience metric that estimates the total revenue a company can expect from a single client account throughout the duration of their relationship.It considers not just the immediate value of a transaction, but the entirety of potential future purchases, subscriptions, or recurring revenue generated by that customer.Understanding CLV helps companies make informed decisions about customer acquisition, retention strategies, and resource allocation to maximize profitability. Following is the formula to determine CLV.9. Trial-to-paid conversation rateThe trial-to-paid conversion rate measures the percentage of users who convert from a free trial to a paid subscription or purchase.This customer experience metric is for businesses that offer free trials as part of their sales strategy, such as software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies.A high conversion rate indicates that the trial experience is effectively demonstrating the value of the product, leading to successful sales.10. First contact resolution (FCR)First contact resolution is a customer experience metric that measures the percentage of customer tickets resolved with just one interaction with a customer service representative.These are customers that do not require a follow up or escalation on the issue presented. High FCR rates are a sign of efficient and effective customer service, which boosts customer satisfaction.The FCR rate can be calculated using the following formula.Importance of tracking customer experience metricsTracking customer experience metrics are essential because it:Increases your productivityCustomer experience metrics mutually benefit you and your customers. By tracking customer experience using metrics such as CSAT, you can synthesize the advice you get from customers and use that to improve your help desk.In turn, your customers get a quality product and service, while you earn more business from their satisfaction and recommendations.Encourages open-mindedness in solving customer issuesTracking your customers’ experience gives you a reason to think outside of the box.For instance, when you track an overdue task, you will have thoughts beyond the standard support process on how to resolve the issue faster so that you can retain the customer.Innovative approaches used for one task may be applicable to others. This encourages you to stay open-minded about the best ways to deliver an excellent customer experience.Helps develop essential customer service skillsInsights from customer experience metrics help your support agents develop customer service skills since they deal with all kinds of customers.Polishing customer service skills for both enraged and happy customers makes your help desk a well-rounded one.This, therefore, increases your chances of expanding your business and recruiting new customers.Enables you to set customer experience goalsNot all customers are the same. Each client has a unique perspective on their problem and your product.Understanding these viewpoints gives you a better insight of how your intended customer experience may change in practice.Therefore, tracking their experiences with your service lets you know which ones were never satisfied.You can reach out to these cases to find out what was wrong and correct it for other customers.From such personal experiences, you can set goals for delivering satisfying customer experiences equally.Tracking customer experience metrics for business growthIn summary, customer experience metrics play a large part in improving your business.Tracking them and working to improve them to optimal levels makes your customers’ experience eminent.To improve your client’s experience, consider using a help desk platform like LIKE.TG to give your support team a powerful, seamless tool for addressing customer concerns.Arrange for a live demo to discover how LIKE.TG can enhance your company’s performance and monitor key customer experience metrics. Begin a free trial to delve into its numerous functionalities.Contact theLIKE.TG supportteam if you have any questions.Related blogs Important metrics in help desk softwareBest techniques for reducing customer service response timeEffective metrics to measure customer loyaltyEssential knowledge base metrics for enhancing self-service

Offering the best customer experience is the goal of most companies looking to grow. The key to your success lies in your customers. However, even if customers adore your brand, a single negative experience could cause 30% of them to stop buying from you.It is, therefore, very important to ensure you identify and come up with the best practices to overcome your customer pain points. Learn different ways to identify the problems of customers and find all viable solutions that will help overcome them.This blog discusses and defines customer pain points, their different types, ways to identify them, and ways to overcome them. What is a pain point?A customer pain point refers to a problem that a client experiences with a company or its brand.When customers experience pain points, their level of satisfaction often decreases, and a solution is always urgently needed to save the day.Types of customer journey pain points and their examplesThere are different categories of customer pain points based on the areas they affect.These include:a) Financial pain pointsCustomers always want the best value for their money. Whenever they spend more on products or services than they feel they should, it becomes a pain point for them.Financial pain points examplesAn expensive price of a subscription or productUnclear breakdown of the total cost of a productExtra purchases or subscriptions inside an app (in-app purchases)Financial pain points can be avoided if you compare the price of your brand with the market value of similar products by competitors.Besides, give detailed descriptions of the quality of the products you offer. This will convince them your brand is worth it.b) Customer experience pain pointsCustomer experience pain points refer to the frustrations or obstacles that customers encounter throughout their journey with a product or service.These pain points can arise at any stage, from initial awareness and research to purchasing, using, and seeking support for a product or service.Customer experience pain points examplesWhen a client uses more time than expected to navigate or use products or websiteWhen a customer cannot find information easilyUnfavorable company policies, such as strict procedures for returning goodsTo avoid this, companies should improve and streamline the customer experience.c) Support pain pointsWhen customers face issues with a brand, they reach out to the support team for assistance. They usually expect prompt, satisfactory responses- but that’s not always the case.Customer support pain points may arise whenever:Customers find it hard to contact the support teamCustomers receive delayed responses from the support teamSupport agents lack adequate knowledge about the productsCustomers have to repeat themselves to different support agentsd) Process pain pointsThese refer to the operational challenges customers encounter while using a product from a given company. These are mainly about issues with the bugs.Process pain points examples may include:Customers having a hard time using certain methods or getting errors.Processes that take too long to execute.Poor workflowsCustomers encounter an error when connecting to the right support team or agent.How to identify customer pain pointsThe following are the main ways to identify pain points:Conduct qualitative and quantitative research and surveyThe customer support team can carry out research and surveys on clients to learn what their customer service pain points are. With qualitative surveys, clients are asked open-ended questions. Agents obtain detailed answers that are relevant and well-described.Practice social listening to get customers’ feedback and identify pain pointsOne sure way to know what your clients think of your products is by regularly checking online reviews and comments.Many customers leave feedback on public social media sites instead of contacting your company. They give their reviews with brutal honesty and zero reservations.This can be a great opportunity for the support team to identify their customer pain points in detail for further action.Gather insight from your sales and customer service teamsThe sales and support teams are the contact points between the customers and the company. They interact with clients most.For this reason, they are the most ideal people to ask for insight into common pain points.Carry out market research and analyze your competitorsUnderstanding broader market trends is crucial for businesses aiming to stay competitive and responsive to consumer needs.Market trends may include:Shifts in consumer preferencesTechnological advancementsRegulatory changesBroader economic factorsBy paying close attention to these trends, you can anticipate customers’ expectations and adjust strategies accordingly.In addition, analyzing competitor reviews can highlight what is working well for them and where they fail to meet customer expectations.These analyses can help identify small features missing in your product or aspects missing from your service.You can find common issues that customers face across the industry, which may not be evident from looking at just your own customer feedback.Conduct usability and beta testingUsability testing is an essential step in the design process that focuses on how real users interact with and experience a product, website, or mobile application.Conducting usability testing can help uncover areas where users encounter confusion, frustration, or barriers to their goals.Beta testing, on the other hand, involves releasing a product or feature to a select group of users before it is made publicly available.Beta testing can help reveal bugs, performance issues, and other problems that may not have been evident during earlier stages of developing a product.Understanding the user’s perspective can guide you in refining your offerings, simplifying purchasing processes, and eliminating obstacles that could otherwise hinder the user experience.How do you overcome customer pain points?Every business should strive to overcome these customer pain points in order to improve their customer experience. This will, in turn, ensure the continued growth of the business.The following are a few tips on what to do to avoid and overcome customer pain points:1. Personalize solutions based on each customer’s needsIt is important to ask your customers with issues about their individual needs. This will let you know the specific solutions to offer for each customer if they contact support.By asking them for feedback, you can gather useful information about what your clients prefer. In addition, you can understand their experience and how else to improve it.2. Fix customer issues that are easy firstConsider resolving or responding to issues that are easy to address first. Some issues are not complicated and do not take long to fully resolve.Such issues need to be addressed first to reduce the backlog. This leaves enough time to sort out complex issues that need more attention and time to resolve.Quick resolutions make a client with an easy issue feel valued and that their problem matters to the company. This boosts their satisfaction and confidence in the company.3. Follow up with customers during the entire processCustomers value updates from the support team on how far the issue is in the resolution process. It is, therefore, important to consistently inform them of your progress.In addition, once you resolve an issue, utilize customer follow-up strategies to confirm that the issue was addressed to their expectations.This will help you understand the customer’s experience. It will also make clients feel you care about their satisfaction and want to keep them happy.4. Provide clear, detailed, and transparent informationWhen making changes to a product, ensure you inform your customers of them. Being transparent with your clients on the changes helps them to stay current on how the products work in real-time.This prevents errors or issues that come with being uninformed and the subsequent ire of customers.In addition, when the information about products is clear, and the instructions on their uses are well-defined, it makes it easier for clients to use those products.Clarity and transparency are sure ways to satisfy your customers and ensure you retain them.5. Talk to customers using terms and language they understandEngage with customers using simple language to guarantee comprehension, irrespective of their literacy level.This helps to:Reduce the customer pain points that arise from unclear communication.Create and build a good rapport between the clients and the company.Build customers’ trust in the company and its brands.6. Offer 24/7 support options to customersReliable support is a powerful strategy to improve your customers’ experience. This is possible using self-service tools, such as a knowledge base, that stores documentation that clients can access at any time.If they can’t find the answers, make it clear exactly how to contact live support and the timelines within which they should expect a response.7. Automate internal processes and systemsYour support team should use automated internal process tools to overcome customer pain points that arise from slow and error-prone manual processes.For example, automated ticketing gets client issues routed to the right support agents for fast and accurate resolution. This helps to reduce the time and effort used to solve customer problems.In addition, automating the knowledge base makes it easy for clients to navigate and find what they need quickly.8. Provide good quality products or servicesSome customer pain points arise because the product or service quality does not meet clients’ expectations.Improving your products instead of sending workarounds to complaining customers will go a long way. These good quality products and services encourage customer retention and trust in your brand.9. Regularly train your support teamSome customer pain points, especially support pain points, arise because the support team lacks adequate training in interacting with clients.They might respond rudely, arrogantly, or even fail to respond altogether. They might also lack enough knowledge to help resolve customer issues.For this reason, it is key to train customer support agents on how to deal with clients. The company should also provide enough resources about company products to respond appropriately to client issues.Courteous, patient, and respectful support agents always make clients feel valued. This ensures clients have the best experience when they interact with agents.10. Make the navigation and purchasing process simpleCustomers should be able to go through the sign-up, sign-in, and checkout processes with ease. Some clients end up leaving when the checkout process is either too long, complicated, or confusing.Offer simple processes that are easy to navigate and quick to finish to prevent customer frustration.Dealing with customer pain points the right wayIdentifying and overcoming customer pain points improves their experience and satisfaction. It is important to look for solutions to either avoid or address these problems in order to retain clients.LIKE.TG software will empower you to give your customers the best experience and gain their loyalty. Get in touch to set up alive demoto realize how the help desk solution can be customized to address your customer’s pain points.Sign up for a15-day free trialtoday. If you have any queries, contact thesupportteam.Related articles10 Essential Ways to Improve Customer SatisfactionWhat Is Customer Happiness and Ways to Improve ItWhat Does Customer First Truly Mean? 9 Strategic Tips

Building a good relationship between clients and the support team is a strategic imperative for the success of any business. According to research from Microsoft, 96% of consumers say customer service is important in their choice of loyalty to a brand.The initial stage in establishing a good rapport with clients involves drafting a contract that clearly outlines the requirements and standards that both parties are expected to comply with.In customer service, a service level agreement (SLA) is key to ensuring:The best customer experience.Improved productivityThe growth of the company.This blog walks you through the following topics:What an SLA is.The key components of a customer service SLA.Importance of service-based agreements.SLA best practices. What is a Service-Level Agreement (SLA)?A service level agreement is a documented agreement between a company and its clients. This agreement defines the services that the company will provide its customers as well as the service standards to expect from it.In customer service, it is referred to as an agreement between the support team and the clients about the response and resolution times to expect.It clearly defines the set target time within which a company is expected to respond to or resolve different customer issues.Types of customer service SLAsService-level agreements (SLA) vary depending on the nature of the services and the provider-client relationship. Each type of agreement requires specific terms and conditions to which both parties involved must agree.These terms often include details about services, priorities, responsibilities, guarantees, and warranties. Here are the main types:Customer-based SLA: This is an agreement with an individual customer or group covering all the services they use. It contains details regarding the type and quality of service that has been agreed upon.For example, a company may have a service-based agreement with its IT provider covering all its digital services.Service-based SLA: This type is an agreement that pledges a specific service standard to all customers using the services provided.For example, a telecommunication company may guarantee a specific internet bandwidth to all its customers.Multilevel SLA: This type is broken down into levels, each addressing different sets of customers for the same services in the same SLA. A multilevel agreement may include a component at the corporate level that is applicable to all users, along with a distinct agreement specifically designed for a particular customer group.For example, the telecom company might offer basic services and support to all its customers, but it could also present varying price tiers that determine different levels of service.The Key Components of a Customer Service SLAThe components of this type of agreement vary based on the needs and expectations of customers. However, there are some features that are common for any customer SLA.These include:Goals and expectations of both partiesThis service-based agreement clearly states the expected goals and targets of each party. It explains the level of service that the customers should expect from the support team of the company.Service performanceThis agreement defines the specific quality of services or level of performance expected by the client.Summary of the agreementsA summary of the agreement includes all the specific terms and conditions of the service offered. It defines the time span to resolve or respond to issues.Services offeredThis component includes details about the services or products that the company offers to clients.For instance, you can include all the primary services provided by the company as well as other services like analytics and reporting services that the company offers as bonuses.SLA breach conditions and measuresThis component clearly states the conditions under which the contract is breached and states the repercussions that will follow an SLA breach.If tickets are not updated within the set target time, support leads can follow up with the assigned agents to prioritize the issues.Importance of SLA in customer serviceSLAs play a crucial role in software for ticketing system. They set the expectations for a company’s performance and establish the remedies or penalties for their performance failures.A help desk service-based agreement clearly states and defines different aspects of a company’s customer service.These aspects, such as goals and the terms and conditions defined for both parties, can benefit the company and the clients in many ways:Improves communication between parties.Enhances the productivity of the support team.Creates and builds strong relationships with clients.Fosters loyalty and retention.Read more on how an SLA in customer service improves productivity in our blog.Best practices of using a service level agreementCompanies should implement specific key practices in their service-based agreements to improve client-company relations and enhance the experiences of their clients.The following are the best practices of using an SLA in customer service that you should consider:1. Create and maintain separate agreements for each brandCompanies should draft different agreements for each brand they own. Since they have different kinds of issues, different brands can require different resolutions or response times.This depends on issue’s complexity, type, and volume. For this reason, it is ideal to have separate customer service contracts for each brand.2. Track the performance of the right SLA metricsFirstly, select the right automated help desk software for your customer service needs.With it, you can choose useful metrics that best represent the quality of your support. You can also highlight areas of concern.Use metrics from past customer issues and aim to implement agreements that best fit the time requirements of both your customers and team. Consider the following metrics:First response time.Next Response.ResolutionSLA achieved and breached.With such metrics, using an SLA reports dashboard, support leads can have access to useful information that will help them to:Monitor how each support agentGain insights from informative reports.Adjust future service-based agreements to ensure they are always achievable.Read this article to get an overview of SLA dashboards.3. Set realistic targetsWhen you draft a help desk agreement, make sure all the standards of service and the expectations that you set up are realistic. Confirm whether you have included the right ticket requirements and the help desk tools needed in your content.The resolution and response times agents will have to perform the required tasks should be achievable.Customers prefer service providers that deliver as promised. So, companies should ensure fast and accurate delivery of high-quality services as defined by the agreements.Achieving clearly set expectations will satisfy clients.4. Involve your customer support team in creating the agreementsAgents are the first point of contact between the clients and the company. They are more aware of what the clients need and expect from the company.Support agents also know which goals can be achieved and which are unrealistic. They will be of great help to management as they draft the expectations for the end users and company.5. Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of both partiesFor any SLA to be useful, the roles and responsibilities of support agents and teams should be clear and well-defined.This makes it easy to identify the right agents to perform specific tasks and know if they meet the expectations of the clients.In addition, clients should know their responsibilities to make the agreements they made work best.6. Review and set SLAs that align with customer goals on a regular basisAlways strive to review and update the help desk SLA documents based on the current needs or expectations of your clients.A recent study revealed that 70% of customers will do business with a company again if it resolves their complaints. This shows the importance of tailoring your service level agreement to accommodate diverse client needs.This should be done on a regular basis to keep up with any changes in the needs of clients. Remove or add new customer service agreements to help your end users achieve their goals.You should use service-based agreement metrics to determine the real goals of clients.7. Make simple and clear agreementsWhen drafting this agreement, make sure the language used is simple and explains all the terms and conditions in the agreement in a clear manner.Clients should be able to read through and understand the agreement easily. It should clear up any concerns and answer any questions they might have about the company and its services.It is advisable to avoid jargon since it complicates the customer service SLA and not all clients can understand it.ConclusionA good service-based agreement should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely (SMART). The needs of clients should be well addressed.A good service-based agreement ensures the service providers and their clients maintain a good relationship, the productivity of agents increases, and customer satisfaction improves.WithLIKE.TG, your customer-facing teams will enjoy state-of-the-art SLA metrics and integration. Try the LIKE.TG free trialpackage for your customer support. Contact us to schedule a 30-minute live demo to experience the best help desk SLA in customer service.Related articles6 Reasons You Need an SLA for Customer ServiceWhat is an SLA? How does an SLA improve productivity?

To provide the best customer service, provide good help desk workflow and automation ideas. Your team will be more organized and get more done, while more of your customers will receive solutions to their issues fast.In this article, we will review some good help desk automation ideas. We will also discuss the qualities of good help desk workflow automation.We will cover the following topics:What is help desk automation?Advantages of service desk automation ideasHelp desk automation ideas that boost productivityFeatures of automated help desksChallenges in implementing help desk automation5 Best automated help desk solutions for your business What is help desk automation?Help desk automation refers to the use of digital tools to perform customer support operations that were manual before. It streamlines the help desk workflow by automating its functions and features.Its main purpose is to provide customers with the best experience and reduce the effort of the support team. As a result, the support team will be more productive.Advantages of service desk automation ideasHelp desk workflow automation has many benefits for the customer service team of any company. Automating your service desk ensures customers receive the best experience with the least effort put in by your support agents.In addition, help desk automation significantly reduces operational costs. A study by BMC revealed that the expense of manually managing a service desk ticket is $22. However, using automation, users can resolve 22% of total service desk tickets at practically no cost.Other benefits that service desk automation yields include:Fast response and resolution timesReduced human errorsReduced operation costsImproved customer satisfactionImproved client loyaltyFind morebenefits of automated help desk workflows in this blog.Help desk automation ideas that boost productivityHaving the right features in your service desk ensures that all client issues get responses and are resolved in a timely fashion. The following are 10 IT support automation ideas to use in your help desk.1. The ticket routing processAutomated ticket routing refers to the process in which automated service desk software will categorize and tag new incoming tickets and then assign them to agents using a round-robin method.For instance, all the new support emails automatically convert into tickets in the ticket creation process.Theticketing system examplesin ticket-processingmake use of automation ideas such as to:Organize and tag new tickets.Assign tickets in a round-robin method.Route tickets.Prioritize tickets.Based on the ticket priority or tags, agents can pick and focus on more urgent customer issues or tasks first. This improves their productivity.2. Closing expired and long-pending ticketsSometimes, agents can ask their clients to provide more information that can help them resolve their tickets faster. When the client fails to respond within a set target time and the ticket remains in a pending status for too long, the ticket can be set to auto-close.This auto-closure happens based on time-trigger rules. If the client responds after the ticket is closed, the ticket will automatically reopen.In addition, if an agent resolves an issue and the ticket remains in a solved status for more than a set time period, it will be auto-closed.This auto-closure reduces the task list clutter and saves agents time used in manually reviewing and closing the tasks.3. Sending CSAT surveys to ask for feedbackCollecting data for key customer experience metrics like customer satisfaction score and net promoter score will help your customer service team improve and grow its impact.A significant 77% of customers tend to view brands that actively seek and accept their feedback more positively. Thus, ideally, after an issue is resolved and the ticket is closed, an automated customer satisfaction survey should be sent to the client.This CSAT survey aims to collect the view of the client on the quality of either their interaction with the support team or the products or services they purchased.CSAT surveys can be set to send automatically as survey links via email after every response or after the ticket is resolved.This feedback from clients will help you:Determine how your agents perform.Gauge the overall customer experienceIdentify areas that you need to improve.Discover other benefits of tracking customer satisfaction with a help desk in our blog.4. Evaluating the team productivity levelsSupport leads need to monitor and evaluate how agents perform. The manual collection of the data sets can be tedious.With the right help desk platform, they can automate some processes to make the reports faster.Support leads can automate the collection of data and have reports created from it every month or week. For example, they can analyze metrics like:The number of tickets logged by agentsBillable and nonbillable timeFeedback scores5. Self-service optionsOffering self-help options is a good strategy for companies to retain and satisfy clients. To enhance user experience, consider automating your self-help tools.For instance, you can automate a knowledge base and use it as a self-service tool in your service desk. An interactive knowledge base serves as a central source of information for both agents and clients.It can use help desk automation tools such as auto-search and auto-suggest features. In an instant, they provide all search results and options relevant to the specific keywords the users typed.Some ideas to improve your knowledge base automation are:Optimize keywords to help instant search and auto-suggest functionsAdd tags to articles6. Automated alerts and notificationsAutomated alerts and notifications for agents and clients ensure prompt responses and resolution of issues.With IT help desk automation, agents receive alerts when clients respond to their requests for more information.These alerts and notifications enable agents to resolve or respond to clients quickly and in real-time.Support leads can also receive alerts on negative feedback from clients. They can then take the necessary steps to improve the areas of concern.For instance, they can train their agents to perform better or alert product teams to fix features that receive complaints.7. Escalate late ticketsIf an agent fails to respond to a ticket within the set response or resolution target time, the SLA will be breached.As a result, an automated escalation alert can be triggered and sent instantly after the due date passes.The support lead can choose to reassign the task to another agent or ask the originally assigned agent to prioritize the late issue.These escalation alerts ensure no tickets are left unsolved and no client is left to become irate at the wait time.8. Automate the customer follow-upsCustomers can get automated, regular updates on the progress of their tickets after a set period of time. These automated updates are sent based on specified time-trigger automation rules. Any changes made to the status of tickets can also trigger an update to be sent to the client to notify them of it, too.These regular updates boost the confidence of the clients in the company and its brand. They enhance customer satisfaction and increase the chances they will leave positive feedback.9. Enhance the help desk through integrationsCompanies can integrate their service desk with other favorite tools and third-party apps, after which, the IT service desk automation features should work seamlessly.When companies integrate external tools, it makes their work more efficient. For instance, apps like Jira, Microsoft Teams, Zapier, and Salesforce can be integrated.All these added tools help agents do key tasks in a central place. As a result, they help to make the workflow simpler and reduce data clutter.10. Automated service level agreement (SLA) remindersIn addition to support leads being notified when a ticket passes its SLA-mandated due date, agents can receive automated, SLA-based reminders before the ticket’s due date.These SLA reminders can be sent for the following SLA metric targets:First responseNext responseResolutionThese automated reminders aim to:Speed up the customer support processKeep clients in the loop and calmKeep agents on trackEnsure tickets with lower priority are not pushed to the back of a queue for too long.Features of automated help desksAn automated service desk workflow requires key qualities in order to be effective and ensure the clients are satisfied.Simple and easy-to-use interfaceThe help desk automation tools used in a ticketing system workflowneed to be user-friendly. For instance, new support emails from clients should automatically convert to tickets with no effort.Clients and support agents should also be able to track ticket statuses using automated alerts set up with just a couple of clicks.Agents should be able to resolve repetitive ticket issues with ease. With automated self-service tools like the knowledge base, relevant information becomes easy to access, copy, and paste.Reliable and secure service desk automation featuresAutomated help desk platform features should always have a high level of security. For instance, suspended and spam emails should not convert into tickets during ticket processing.The IT ticketing software should automatically block the emails suspected to be harmful. Agents will have to evaluate them first and decide whether to create a ticket or not.This security feature helps to protect the information of clients and the systems of a company.Customizable featuresYou should have the option to customize your help desk’s automation. One example of IT automation ideas is customizing ticket processing.Even though ticket distribution is through a round-robin ticket assignment process, you can set your system up to tag tickets from priority customers or with certain keywords.Tickets with certain tags will be assigned only to certain agents. This allows ticket assignment to the right agents for fast resolution.Challenges in implementing help desk automationService desk automation provides considerable benefits, but organizations must tackle certain obstacles to guarantee successful implementation.One essential aspect is striking the right balance between automated processes and human engagement. Although automation enhances productivity, personalized and empathetic customer support remains vital.In addition, it is crucial to engage experts in implementing help desk automation, considering that 88% of automation initiatives report technical complications.Harmoniously incorporating automation into current systems, safeguarding data security, and managing customer expectations are significant challenges that demand careful planning.5 Best automated help desk solutions for your businessLet’s delve into the top five help desk solutions renowned for their outstanding automation capabilities.1. LIKE.TGLIKE.TG is cloud-based help desk software with features that empower businesses of all sizes to automate recurrent manual tasks to improve their support team’s productivity and enhance their efficiency. Team leads can set up automatic SLA-related notifications and escalations, as well as the sending of feedback surveys when agents close support tickets. The ticketing system automatically prioritizes tickets, assigning them round-robin style unless specified keywords are triggered. The system routes those tickets to agents with specific authority and training.Features AI-powered help desk.Robust knowledge base software.Automated workflows and time triggers.Seamless integrations.Multilingual help desk.Intelligent ticket auto-assignment.Automated sitemap generation.Insightful analytics and reporting.Unlimited customization and brandingAutomated SLA reminders and escalation rules.Pricing LIKE.TG has two pricing styles—agent-based and unlimited agents. Enjoy a 20% discount when you opt for the yearly payment plan, allowing you to access more features for less. What’s better, you can get a 40% discount on the regular price when you take advantage of the Black Friday Sale that begins on November 1.Agent-based plans:Starter: $12 per agent/monthGrowth: $20 per agent/monthEnterprise: $40 per agent/monthUnlimited agents plans:Standard: $199/monthPro: $499/monthBusiness: $999/monthFree trial: 15-day free trial with instant access, no credit card required.2. Salesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service Cloud is a customer service tool that provides AI-powered workflows and automation throughout the customer journey. It allows users to gather all interactions into one place and get real-time updates from across multiple data sources.FeaturesOmni-channel routingCase managementReporting and analyticsEmail integrationAI-powered customer servicePricingStarter: $25 per user/monthProfessional: $75 per user/monthEnterprise: $150 per user/monthUnlimited: $300 per user/monthUnlimited plus: $500 per user/monthFree trial: 30 days3. ZendeskZendesk is a customer service platform that provides businesses with tools for ticketing, issue tracking, and customer service support. It features automation tools that can manage customer interactions, ticket routing, and responses based on certain triggers and conditions.FeaturesAI-powered automated answersTicket routingReporting and analyticsCustomizable ticket layoutsRobust APIsAI-powered knowledge managementMultilingual support and contentPricingFoundational support Team: $19 per agent/monthProfessional: $55 per agent/monthEnterprise: $115 per agent/monthZendesk SuiteTeam: $55 per agent/monthGrowth: $89 per agent/monthProfessional: $115 per agent/monthFree trial: 14 days4. FreshdeskFreshdesk is a cloud-based automated customer support platform that offers a range of features aimed at helping businesses manage their customer service processes more effectively.Freshdesk is known for its user-friendly customer portal, intelligent agent routing, multi-channel ticketing system, and contextual reports.FeaturesTicket routingRound-robin routingCollision detectionCustom reports and dashboardsKnowledge base approval workflowPricing Free: Up to 10 agentsGrowth: $15 per agent/monthPro: $49 per agent/monthEnterprise: $79 per agent/monthFree trial: 21 daysHappyFoxHappyFox is customer service software that offers multiple automation features that help businesses reduce support costs and enhance team productivity. It offers integration options and automated notifications and alerts, so everyone stays informed about the tickets created, customer responses, and other key actions.FeaturesAutomatic ticket escalationAutomatic ticket assignmentTemplatesSatisfaction surveysKnowledge base softwarePricing Mighty: $29 per agent/monthFantastic: $49 per agent/monthEnterprise: $69 per agent/monthEnterprise Plus: $89 per agent/monthFree trial: 14 days.5. HelpDeskHelpDesk is a ticketing system that allows users to develop personalized automated workflows depending on specific conditions and actions. The platform also automatically distributes tickets to agents based on their department, specialized skills, or area of interest.FeaturesAutomated workflows.Ability to perform bulk actions on tickets.Reporting and analytics.Automatic ticket prioritization.Canned responses.Customizable email templates.Pricing Team: $29 per agent/monthEnterprise: Contact sales teamFree trial: 14 daysUnlock productivity gains with help desk automationUsing these IT help desk automation ideas in a service desk can improve your customer service. Clients will have a good experience, and agents will be more productive. It is key to use help desk automation with the right qualities for the best customer service.Check outLIKE.TG, which uses workflow automation that enhances the customer experience. Get in touch with us to set up a30-minute live demoto see how it can revolutionize your customer service. Or, sign up for a 15-day free trial today.Related articlesAutomated Customer Service: The Complete Details7 Best Help Desk Workflow Automation Ideas5 Important Reasons Why Automated Ticketing System is Good for Customer Service

We are glad to announce the introduction of new features update and enhancements in BoldDesk. Keep reading to learn more about everything the upgraded version of LIKE.TG has to offer! Drive integrationThe integration of file drives is provided for Google Driveand Dropbox. Users can search for and attach large files from drives. Agents can use this option only when the marketplace module is enabled for integration.Agent or group performance dashboardThe performance dashboard assists you in analyzing the performance of a support agent or a group. This dashboard is one of the new features of LIKE.TG which helps you to gauge the performance of your team.Bulk ticket updateThis feature allows you to select up to 50 tickets and update their ticket fields. It helps to add mass replies or notes.Previous versions restore option of KB articlesIn the knowledge base module, you can restore the previous versions of knowledge base articles.View original email message for messages updated via emailWhen a ticket is updated via email, only the most recent update from the email is parsed and displayed in the ticket. This new option lets you view the entire original email content.Indication of email delivery failureA failed delivery icon will indicate when an email was not delivered to one or more of the recipients in a specific message.Let’s discover more about LIKE.TG’s newest features!Convert a ticket message into a knowledge base articleThis option helps you quickly convert any ticket message to a knowledge base article.Ticket export with time-log fieldsIn ticket export, you can find two new fields: total hours logged and total billable hours logged.Filter ticket viewsNow, you can filter the list of ticket views in the ticketing system.Default message filter preferenceYou can customize the default message filter preference. There are options for configuring this at the organization or personal settings levels. You can notice the reflection of configured settings in the message section of the ticket details page.Worklog report export option in Excel formatIn the worklog report, you can export data to Excel format. You can export a total of 1,000 records.User search dropdownThe option to search specifically for agent and customer helps to improve search productivity in the user dropdown. When you include the prefix @, you search on the agent list, whereas when you include the prefix #, you search only for customers. When you don’t use prefix, the search will look for both agents and customers.Automatically adding a tag to a ticket created with embeddable widget or formsIn the contact us and help widget, you have an option for automatically tagging tickets created with the embeddable widget or forms. You have to add a tag to the widget settings. When a ticket is created using the widget, a specific tag is added to it. Using this option, you can configure automations and auto assignments.ConclusionWe’re constantly striving to bring you the best possible experience with LIKE.TG. Keep an eye out for more great new features and updates in the future! In the meantime, you can try the free trial to experience how LIKE.TG can help you deliver excellent customer support. If you have any suggestions for how we can improve, or if you need help using any of the features, please contact us.

For an incline in your business, you have to deal with unhappy customers. Despite how fantastic your goods or services are, some clients will inevitably experience issues. That is an inescapable fact of doing business. However, you can still work with unhappy customers by handling them properly.Certainly, angry clients’ expectations and reactions will vary depending on how they interact with your support staff.If they have a bad experience, they might never use your company again. However, if they have a good experience, they might become a lifelong client.In this post, we’ll examine how your customer support staff can foster joyful interactions that stop unhappy customers from leaving. What makes customers unhappy?88% of clients believe that the customer experience provided by a company is as significant as its product or service. Therefore, in order for you to provide the best customer experience that keeps your consumers happy, you must first be aware of potential sources of annoyance and irritation.Below are some typical causes of irritation for clients:Negative or poor experiencesUntimely responses or being put on holdPoor-quality products or defectsIssues with bugs and technologyUnexceptional client serviceInaccessibility of a servicePoor communicationLimited payment optionsSlow deliveryCustomers’ opinions and recommendations are being ignoredAny of the above issues can frustrate and upset customers. They can even be a major cause for customers to leave your business.Therefore, you need to eradicate these issues to maintain your customers and win new ones.How to deal with unhappy customersAccording to a recent study by Zippia, 91% of customers won’t willingly do business again with a company that left them unhappy. When handled correctly, unhappy customers can turn out to be the most loyal. How can you make this transformation happen?Let’s take a look at the best steps to take when dealing with unhappy customers.1. Recognize the cause of customers’ unhappinessThe first thing to do when you realize a customer is upset is to identify the source of their problem. This will help you understand what you are about to deal with, thus allowing you to prepare.2. Communicate clearlyThe best course of action to deal with customer dissatisfaction is to communicate and obtain further information.Unsatisfied consumers who receive a prompt response are more likely to continue working with you. Therefore, you need to communicate clearly to unhappy customers that you will review their complaints fairly and without bias.Additionally, describe the procedure you are going to use to address their problem, tell them the follow-up time period, and provide a resolution to correct their situation.3. Listen to your customersPrioritizing listening is the best course of action when dealing with unhappy customers. Never forget that every customer is a benefit to your business.Therefore, when a customer is dissatisfied, you need to show them that you care by listening closely before you start resolving their issue.Let them share their problem while you take notes about the issue and mark further questions you can ask to fully understand what the problem is.Showing the customer that you care will reassure them while they may be having second thoughts about continuing to use your product or service.4. Consider yourself in their positionCustomer dissatisfaction is a result of a variety of reasons, but for businesses, understanding objections is essential to creating the ideal experience for the right clients.Before talking to unhappy customers, put yourself in their position. How upset would you be if you were facing the same problem? How would you want a support team to address the issue?With empathy in mind, use the customer feedback to suggest a solution that is both appropriate and assuages the customer’s worry.Similarly, give the customer the agency to drive the support process while resolving their issue (use their suggestions).5. Thank them for their feedbackRegardless of how negative the customers’ feedback is, the best way of dealing with unhappy customers is to listen to their concerns and thank them for their comments.Additionally, provide them with a level of customer service that not only meets but also surpasses their expectations.An initially dissatisfied consumer can become a devoted and satisfied one when you go beyond their expectations.6. Collaborate with your team and ask for helpDon’t be reluctant to ask for help in difficult circumstances, including when a customer is using abusive language or engaging in other improper conduct.If you’re unsure whether you need to end a customer relationship, ask a manager to step in and perform a qualitative assessment.They can examine the problem and find the best course of action for both you and the consumer.7. Be kind and respectfulNevertheless, dealing with unhappy customers is a part of working in customer service.Certainly, if you can’t handle that, you need to find a different line of work. Even when someone behaves horribly and rudely, you must always be respectful and kind.Remember that you are representing your firm. You are a brand ambassador, and what you do reflects on the business.8. Record every service and purchase procedureCustomers are often upset because of miscommunication. The best way to deal with this is to record all of a customer’s service and purchase processes from start to end.This will help you identify the problem’s root cause, if any, and begin to take corrective action in a methodical manner.Additionally, it provides clear information to both your customer service team and your clients on what went wrong thus avoiding future misunderstandings.9. Find and correct the main issue causing the unhappinessTo win back unhappy customers, find and capitalize on the largest issue that is making them unhappy about the current circumstance.Is it a major problem in the product or service, or is it a problem in the customer’s personal experience?Additionally, you must find what is profoundly important to the customer, and keep in mind that it may be something that your company is not capable of.Regardless, this helps unhappy customers escape their despair by helping them toward the resolution of the issue.10. Express regret for their troubleThe best way to deal with customer dissatisfaction is by apologizing for the trouble. Expressing your regrets will build a positive relationship. Additionally, it shows customers that you are willing to address inconveniences and wrongs.It changes the client’s mindset, thus improving their level of satisfaction.How can you prevent customers from becoming unhappy?Poor customer service can have significant financial repercussions for companies. Research indicates that it might require as many as 12 positive customer service interactions to make up for a single negative experience.Preventing customer unhappiness is, therefore, critical for running any business.Here are steps to take to prevent your customers from getting irritated.Offer the best quality productAll customers prefer a quality product over a high quantity of products. Therefore, you need to be proactive while designing your product and deciding what features to include in it.When you offer a quality product, your customers will use it for a long time. They will be loyal to your product and will be likely to recommend it to their friends, colleagues, and others.Provide lenient customer serviceRegardless of how simple your product is to use, not all customers have the same level of understanding. Therefore, you need to supply customer service that is generous to all customers.As a result, customers who reach out to you for support will be satisfied, thus increasing your company’s level of customer satisfaction.Additionally, a higher customer satisfaction score gives you the opportunity to promote your customer support, which will help you expand your business.Gather feedbackThe first step to making your customers happier is to understand what they enjoy and dislike about your product or service.Therefore, you need to gather information on:What your customers struggle with in your product.What features do they find enticing?Which areas do they want to see improvements in?By gathering information directly from unhappy customers, you can improve your product to increase their happiness.Reward your most devoted clientsCustomers who return to you repeatedly are your most devoted supporters. They are the ones that adore your brand and tell others about your product.You could reward them by providing them with something extra, like a bonus month of support, or even discounts.After all, this will benefit you since the customer will continue being happy with your business.Master the art of dealing with unhappy customersOne of the key elements that will determine whether your business is successful is whether your support team can handle upset customers. Even if your customers are satisfied with the value they get from your products and services, their relationship with your company can sour if you are not able to deal with them when things are going wrong.Ease their concerns with empathy and patience, and put their satisfaction first. Doing so will help lift your company to new heights!To advance your customer service capabilities, try using LIKE.TG.Contact usto schedule alive demo to experience firsthand how LIKE.TG’s capabilities can complement your efforts in dealing with unhappy customers. Or, start a free trialto get instant access today.

Customers anticipate prompt replies when reaching out to customer support. A recent study reported that 71% of consumers agreed that customer experience can be drastically improved by quick customer support and customer service responses.Therefore, it is important that your customer support team is well-structured to ensure that issues are resolved swiftly to boost customer satisfaction.Here are some tips on how to build and organize a support team that will help your business thrive. What is a customer support team?A customer support team is a collection of representatives who provide assistance and help resolve issues for customers.Customer support agents are responsible for the following:Answering questionsTroubleshooting problemsProviding technical supportThey often execute clerical activities, make suggestions to enhance customer service, and uphold a professional attitude.Steps to build and organize a customer support teamTo build and organize a customer support team, you must be deliberate in everything you do. The following are the best steps to take for an efficient customer service team.1. Define the role of your customer support teamThe first step in creating your customer support team is to define what each member’s role will be. Will they be responsible for answering customer questions, resolving issues, or both?Will they be responsible for handling complaints, or will they direct customers to a more appropriate department?Clearly defining the roles of your customer support team members will help you craft accurate job postings and ensure that you know what skills and qualifications to look for in candidates.2. Hire the right peopleOnce you have defined the roles of your customer support team, you can begin to hire the right people. Look for individuals:Having strong communication skillsWith problem-solving abilitiesWith a positive attitudeWho can work well under pressure in a fast-paced environmentWith different backgrounds and experiences3. Organize your teamOnce you have hired the right people, it’s time to organize your team. One effective way to do this is to create small teams responsible for specific areas. For example, one team could answer customer questions while another would resolve issues.This will help ensure that customers are directed to the people with the most knowledge on their query and that problems are resolved quickly and efficiently.4. Leverage the right tools and technologyChoosing the right tools and technology can help communication, workflow management, knowledge sharing, and performance tracking. Start by investing in robust customer service software to enable efficient management of customer inquiries from multiple channels and allow you to track the performance of your agents.Employing an appropriate contact management system can also help maintain a unified view of all customer interactions, leading to improved service quality. Implement collaborative tools that promote effective communication and cross-functional knowledge sharing.5. Provide ongoing training and supportYour support team will need thorough initial training as well as ongoing training and support to be effective. The latter can include training on new products and services, as well as training on how to handle different types of customer complaints and issues.Additionally, provide your team with the necessary tools and resources they need to do their job effectively. This can include customer service software, access to customer data, and contacts for other departments within the company.6. Offer self-service optionsBy empowering customers with the tools and resources to solve their own problems, such as a knowledge base, FAQs, and an interactive chatbot, a company can reduce the volume of incoming support requests.This allows the support team to concentrate on more complex issues that require human intervention, thus reducing their workload and improving the quality of their solutions.This strategy can lead to a more scalable support structure, as resources allocated to self-service can handle a larger volume of inquiries without a proportional increase in support staff.Additionally, team leads can leverage insights from self-service interactions to identify common issues and trends, leading to continuous improvement and a more proactive customer support system.7. Regularly evaluate and improve your customer support teamOnce your customer support team is up and running, it’s important to evaluate and improve it regularly. This can include conducting regular performance evaluations and setting goals for the team.After everyone is accustomed to the technology and flow of the team, look for ways to improve the team’s processes and procedures, as well as ways to improve the overall customer experience.By regularly evaluating and improving your customer support team, you can ensure that your customers are always satisfied and that problems are resolved quickly and efficiently.Key qualities of a great customer support teamHiring the right people is the first step to building a stellar customer service team. You should look for the following customer service skills.Strong communication skillsGood communication forms the foundation for clear, effective interactions in which agents understand and fulfill customer needs. These skills involve not only the ability to convey information clearly but also the ability to actively listen, empathize, and respond appropriately to both verbal and nonverbal cues.Through strong communication, service representatives can build rapport, trust, and positive customer relations, which help in accurately diagnosing issues and ensuring customers feel valued and understood.Moreover, the skills enable a service agent to manage customer expectations and handle complaints or feedback in a professional manner, which can turn a potentially negative experience into a positive one.Customer empathyCustomer empathy is the skill of understanding the feelings of others. By actively practicing empathy, customer service professionals can better comprehend customers’ emotions and perspectives and address their concerns effectively and with genuine care.Empathy in customer service not only leads to a more personalized and satisfying customer experience but also builds trust, as customers feel heard and valued.Problem-solvingProblem-solving directly impacts the capacity to resolve the more complex issues that customers face efficiently and effectively. When a customer submits a unique ticket, the ability to assess the situation, understand the underlying issues, and devise a practical solution provides immediate relief and restores customer trust.Time managementSupport agents often receive a high volume of inquiries. Efficient time management skills enable them to prioritize tasks and accurately estimate the time required to complete them, reducing customer wait times and ensuring urgent problems are resolved promptly.A customer support agent with excellent time management skills is better equipped to navigate among support channels, providing consistent responses across platforms. This ability is essential for meeting service level agreements and maintaining high customer service standards.By valuing time management in the hiring process, companies are more likely to build a team of support agents to manage their workload effectively and contribute to a positive customer experience.TeamworkCustomer support agents often work as part of a larger team to provide comprehensive assistance to clients. The ability to effectively communicate, share information, and coordinate with peers ensures that customers receive accurate, consistent, and timely help.Team players can leverage the collective knowledge and skills of the team to solve complex issues, leading to more efficient problem resolution and higher customer satisfaction. Moreover, support agents who are good team players contribute positively to the work environment and foster a culture of cross-functional team collaboration that improves productivity and team morale.Adaptability and continuous learningConsumer trends, product details, and company policies are constantly evolving, meaning agents must be able to adjust their approach swiftly and effectively. An adaptable agent can handle unexpected situations, such as difficult customer interactions or technical issues, with composure and flexibility. This quality ensures they can provide high-quality service even under pressure or when faced with unfamiliar circumstances.With continuously changing products, services, and customer service tools, agents must also be committed to learning and self-improvement. They should be eager to adopt best practices and maintain expertise in their roles.The importance of organizing your teamA well-built and organized support team is essential for providing excellent customer service, giving you the following:Improved efficiency: An organized team can handle customer inquiries quicker and more effectively.Better customer experience: An organized team can provide more consistent and accurate support, leading to a better customer experience overall.Reduced errors: An organized team is less likely to make mistakes or overlook important details, reducing the risk of errors and misunderstandings.Increased productivity: An organized team can prioritize and manage tasks more effectively, leading to increased productivity.Better team collaboration: An organized customer service team can share information and collaborate on projects more efficiently, since they know who to contact for different situations.How to select the appropriate tools for your customer support teamsSelecting the right tools for support teams can be challenging, but it is essential for delivering quality customer service.Let’s discuss what to consider when selecting the best software for your support team.1. Identify your team’s needsDetermine your support team’s specific needs, such as ticket management, chat support, or knowledge base management.2. Assess the marketResearch various support tools available and compare their features, pricing, and customer reviews.3. Evaluate the integrationsConsider the compatibility of the software with other systems and software you are currently using.4. Test the toolTry out a demo version or free trial of the software to assess its usability and functionality.5. Consider scalabilityChoose software that can accommodate the potential growth of your team and business.6. Seek feedback from your teamGet feedback from your support team members on their experiences and preferences.7. Make a decisionBased on your research and feedback, select the software that best meets your team’s needs and fits your budget. By following these steps, you can select the support tools that will help your team provide effective customer service.Most companies are currently reviewing their support team management strategy in order to adapt to the new hybrid work environment.Help desk software is, therefore, one of the fastest growing markets as companies come to realize their value in these environments.Syncfusion’s LIKE.TG is a help desk software with seamless integration that improves the effectiveness of customer care. LIKE.TG software will empower you to:Automate repetitive operations.Facilitate cross-department collaboration.Collect actionable data about your service quality.Evaluate team performance with unmatched precision.Read our blog for more tips to help you choose the right help desk software.ConclusionIn conclusion, carefully creating your support team is an essential step for business improvement. By following the tips we’ve shared, you will create a well-structured and skilled team to provide excellent customer service.LIKE.TGcan help you organize and run a great support team. Contact us to set up a30-minute live demoto get a clearer idea of how LIKE.TG features and may be tailored to your company’s needs.Sign up for a 15-dayfree trialtoday.Related articles10 Most Popular Essential Customer Service Skills7 Best Help Desk Software Features for Boosting Your Customer Support

Providing the best customer service has become a key target for most businesses. When clients have a great experience with the customer service of any company, they tend to stay loyal to its brand.The standards of customer service that your business offers determine your customers’ satisfaction.Any slight customer service mistakes can make clients switch to your competitors’ brands. Clients always opt to do business with companies that value and service them best.For this reason, it is vital to know the mistakes in customer service you’re making and strive to fix them.This article discusses the most common customer service mistakes for any business and the solutions to curb or do away with them. Reasons for correcting customer service mistakesClients are inclined more toward companies that provide the best customer service experiences.When the level of customer service decreases, they often opt for competitors that offer better experiences. This leads to a decrease in the growth rate since profits will decrease.The following reasons are the driving force for always correcting customer service mistakes.a. Increase customer satisfaction levelWhen clients have a smooth experience with your customer service team, with fewer or no mistakes, they become more satisfied with the services you offer.b. Increase customer retention rateCustomers love quality customer service. The better the quality of the service, the higher the chances of these clients sticking to the brands of the same company. Customers will always choose the company that offers value.c. Increase in overall performance of a companyAn increase in customer satisfaction leads to client loyalty to a company. This translates to an assured increase in the way the business performs as profits increase.d. Improve business reputation on online platformsClients are the best free marketers of any business since they have actual experience with the company.When their customer service experience is good, they will recommend it to others.Equally, if the level of customer service is poor, they will discourage others from doing business with the company.Common customer service mistakesCompanies strive to provide exemplary customer service to their clients. However, mistakes are bound to happen that will make clients not have the best experience.These customer service mistakes include:1. Not actively listening to customersA Microsoft study reveals that brands that actively solicit and appreciate customer feedback are viewed more positively by 77% of consumers.Having great active listening skills is key in customer service. Support agents should listen to and consider their clients:OpinionsComplaintsSuggestionsFeedbackThis will help them to get insight into what these clients prefer or need.For this reason, the support team should listen and take the right and necessary actions.In addition, support agents should also listen keenly in order to provide the right answers or responses to clients’ questions or concerns.This will ensure continued customer satisfaction.2. Not training your customer support team often leading to customer service mistakesOne common customer experience mistake is a lack of proper, adequate, and regular training for agents.When the support team has limited resources to which they can refer, it renders them somewhat incompetent.They often fail to get the right solutions for client issues and might respond with wrong information.Agents need regular training on how to interact and handle customers and their issues in a proper way.Companies need to teach and empower their agents with the right knowledge on all processes. This will ensure they serve the clients while being informed. This will leave clients more satisfied with the customer experience.In addition, agents can be taught how to interact with clients in a courteous, friendly, and professional manner, which will increase their confidence in the business.3. Failing to deliver what you promisedIt is said, “A promise made is a promise kept.” The customer service mistake made by most businesses is that they fail to deliver as per their promises.When you make a commitment with a client to deliver within a given period, make sure to follow through. If your product description cites that it performs certain functions, ensure that is exactly what it does.If you say that you offer a given service, ensure the quality is as good as you have mentioned, if not better.Failure to deliver what you promised reduces the level of trust that a client has in a business. It also disappoints and leaves the client less satisfied with the customer service.4. Passing clients around from one agent to another many timesTossing clients from one support agent to the next can be very upsetting and frustrating to them. Unfortunately, this is a common practice among most businesses.Clients often get reassigned to different agents in an effort to resolve their issue. This can go on till the agent with the abilities to provide the right solution is identified.Clients get frustrated since the issue takes more time to resolve or get a response. Thus, customer satisfaction is reduced.In addition, passing clients around makes them assume that the agents are not skilled enough. This might make them opt for competitors.For this reason, it is vital to have a workflow that is well defined to avoid this customer service mistake.One solution can be to have anautomated workflow, which helps to define the roles and duties of each support agent and the right agents for each issue.5. Lack of proactive customer support solutionsGood customer service entails being preemptive in how you offer solutions to problems. Agents should reach out to clients first and take all the necessary measures to avoid future mishaps before they happen.However, one customer service mistake is that some support agents are usually unable to predict and resolve customer issues on time.Agents need to know what the clients need even before they reach out or inquire about anything. This helps to keep clients in the loop on the current events of a business. As a result, it increases customer satisfaction.6. Unavailable for customers at the time they need assistanceOne of the customer service mistakes made by the agents is not being present at all times to provide clients with the support they need.Customers prefer fast responses and resolutions. Most companies have clients located in different time zones.For companies that have a defined work schedule this becomes anissuefor their clients in other time zones.This is because their chances of reaching the support team before they leave will be low and limited.As a result, their issues go unresolved longer than expected and urgent issues become pain points.They might then shift to competitors that have a customer service team that is always present.This calls for a 24/7 support in order to assist all clients wherever they are, at any time.This will result in increased customer satisfaction and experience due to availability and fast response time.7. Not offering personalized customer service experiencesEvery customer service experience should be unique and customized to address each specific customer issue. Clients prefer businesses that offer personalized customer service.One customer experience mistake is to not consider what each client needs and prefers. Failure to offer apersonalexperience reduces customer satisfaction levels. In addition, clients do not feel valued.Each interaction between a client and a support agent should have an added personal touch to it.8. Delays in providing support to customersAccording to 96% of customers, rapid customer service is essential in their decision to stay loyal to a brand.When clients contact a support team for whatever reason, they always expect a quick response. This is not always the case.At times, the support team makes the customer service mistake of not answering the clientsfastenough.These delays can either be:Putting the clients on hold for too longIgnoring the clients completelyWhen the support agents fail to or delay to provide updates on the progress of an issue’s resolution, that counts as a mistake too.This is a wrong gesture, as it portrays that you don’t care about the clients and their pain points. This greatly reduces yourclients’satisfaction. As a result, they end up shifting to competitors who care more about them.9. Choosing and using the wrong communication channelsCustomers reach out to the support team using different channels based onwhat they prefer.With the evolving digital communication channels, most companies need to adapt and use different ones to interact with theirclients.If the options for contacting support agents for assistance are limited, clients are bound to be frustrated.Companies can choose several communication channels that most of their clients use in order to make their services easily accessible.These can include options such as:EmailsSocial media platformsThese will improve the customer experience because customers can have easy access to the company’s support team.10. Not storing and reviewing customer data historyWhen dealing with many customers, it is important to store and review the data history from any interaction.However, this has been a major issue since most companies fail to keep records of previous interactions with customers.As a result, clients are forced to repeat all the information that had previously been mentioned. This proves to be very hectic for clients and time consuming. This reduces their level of satisfaction.What can cause customer service mistakes?Customer service mistakes can stem from various factors, ranging from human error to systemic issues within an organization. Some common causes of customer service mistakes include:Lack of training: Inadequate training can lead to insufficient knowledge about products, services, or company policies. Without proper training, agents may struggle to address customer inquiries effectively, resulting in misinformation or misunderstandings.Understaffing or inadequate resources: Insufficient staffing or resources can lead to overworked employees and longer wait times. Overloaded agents may struggle to provide adequate attention and support to each customer, leading to dissatisfaction.Inconsistent processes: Lack of standardized processes or inconsistent procedures for handling customer inquiries can result in errors and inconsistencies in service delivery. Without clear guidelines in place, agents may struggle to address customer issues efficiently.System or technology failures: Technical issues with customer service systems, such as CRMs or databases, can lead to delays or inaccurate information being provided to clients.Poor communication skills: Communication breakdowns, misunderstandings, or language barriers between customers and support agents can lead to errors in conveying information or resolving issues. Ineffective communication skills, such as unclear explanations or failure to actively listen to customers, can worsen the problem.How do I avoid mistakes in customer service?Avoiding customer service mistakes is key for maintaining a positive relationship with clients and ensuring their satisfaction. Here are several strategies to help you prevent common customer service errors:Provide comprehensive training: Offer in-depth training to customer service representatives on product knowledge, company policies, communication skills, problem-solving techniques, and the use of customer service tools and systems.Employ standardized processes: Implement standardized processes and workflows for handling customer inquiries, escalations, and issue resolution. Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths to ensure efficiency.Use robust systems and tools: Invest in modern, user-friendly customer service systems, tools, and software that enable agents to manage customer interactions, track inquiries, and collaborate with team members.Provide adequate resources: Allocate sufficient staffing, technology, and other resources to support customer service operations. Ensure that agents have the necessary resources and support to handle peak volumes and complex inquiries effectively.Avoid customer service mistakes to create flawless customer service experiencesProvide the best customer experience and increase your customers’ loyalty, trust, and level of satisfaction by avoiding common customer service mistakes.Identify the mistakes your support team makes and look for possible solutions to counter them for the best customer service.WithLIKE.TG, offer your customers the best customer service. Try theLIKE.TG free trialpackage and counter all possible customer service mistakes.If you have any questions, contact theLIKE.TG supportteam. Please contact us to arrange a live demo and see how LIKE.TG can be tailored to meet your business needs.