“Do you need a package?” – Well, what package ?! The client has an eco-bag in his hands

Build your service according to the formula

Over the past few years, competition and competition for the consumer has forced businesses to shift their focus towards service.

What a high-quality client service is based on – we figured out together with the ex-Head of CRM at METRO Cash & Carry Marina Berezyuk . She has been managing customer service for over 17 years, has developed and implemented service standards, a customer service quality monitoring system for life :), Alfa-Bank Ukraine and other companies.

At Laba, Marina teaches the course “Building a Customer Service Department”.

Processes are algorithms for interaction between the company (employees) and customers. And for consumers, such rules are especially important in the period of business digitalization. For example, if you create an application and draw a customer journey, you need to make it intuitive, convenient, and fast.

In the restaurants of the La Famiglia group, the Customer Journey has been built in such a way that a person’s contact with the brand does not end even after leaving the establishment. The visitor is always given a compliment with him, and when he comes home with this sweetness, he stretches the positive impression of visiting the restaurant. This is very valuable. I call this “take a piece of the service with you”.

Another example is the Dog city pet hotel, where I left my dog. Upon my return, I was presented with a gift box with a toy for Lolita, sweets and a postcard. It depicts a scene where the hostess hugs her dog, and the inscription: “We are very glad that after separation you finally see each other again.” From a commercial point of view, there was nothing in boxing (promotional codes for a discount, etc.), but the client gets an emotional surge at the right time.

Monitoring will show how your expectations coincide with the realities of customer service. First, choose tools that will quickly handle customer feedback. Then – define how the staff work, how the processes work and what needs to be improved.

People (customers and employees) are the most important building blocks of a business. For the staff, you need to assign the role of a magician who works wonders and WOW-service. But for the team to want to do this, high motivation is needed. It’s not enough just to analyze their satisfaction – focus on the level of happiness.

# 2. Attract Mystery Shoppers

My all-time favorite marketing research tool. For employees, it should not be a factor of fear and punishment, but, on the contrary, a method of feedback and reward. Therefore, organize a prize pool for those who showed the best results, and work on the mistakes of those who were worse.

There is a golden rule here: the fewer people involved in the research, the better. I had a case when only two people knew about the mystery shopper: I, as a project manager, and one of the bank’s top managers.

Pros:

• Staff focuses on customer contact. When employees are aware of a research opportunity, they see everyone as a mystery shopper and try their best.
• Reverse look. Opportunity to look at the service through the eyes of the client.

Cons:

• Organizational – sometimes it is difficult to convey to the performers the main goal of the study, so you need to write detailed scripts.
• Duration.

# 3. Develop business profiles on social networks and implement bots

It is difficult to imagine a modern successful business without them. Social media dominates in terms of online activity. According to official figures, more than 1.8 billion people use Facebook every day, and Instagram – 500 million. With such numbers, brands can reach an unlimited number of customers.

I recommend regularly improving the client service, and not just closing comments on social networks. If a company has millions of customers and they write reviews, it is necessary to react to each of them. You will have to attract additional resources – there is nothing without it.

Plus:

• Accessibility is the shortest way to get in touch with the company.

Minus:

• Resource-intensive – the organization’s page contains the entire history of negative customer experience, which needs to be processed correctly and very quickly.

Bots are already an integral part of the client service. For example, METRO Cash & Carry has a Viber bot for registering individuals. A customer card is also pulled up there and you can find out the current prices for the necessary products using a scanner.

Plus:

• Speed ​​ is the best solution for simple operations with a few clicks.

Minus:

• Monofunctionality – not suitable for complex tasks.

# 4. Allow employees to improvise

Team members must make their own decisions based on the situation and improve the client experience. Give them the authority and ability to respond to consumer requests on their own.

I have a great example of legal improvisation that gives me goosebumps even after many years. Even before the pandemic, I got to the Tivoli amusement park in Copenhagen. The weather was bad and it was raining. The Dane from whom we bought tickets for the attraction let us through for free. He added: “Copenhagen is already upset with its weather. And this is such a little that I can do for you – to skip the ride for free. ” It was a very nice gesture!

I am an opponent of reinforced concrete scripts. I had a case when there was not enough 10 hryvnia in the order to receive a gift, and the consultant did not say about it. Then I had to call and ask to re-issue the order.

Scripts and algorithms are needed, but they must correspond to the situation. It is as strange as possible when a customer at the checkout of a store unfolds an eco-bag, and they ask him: “Do you need a package?” Well, what package? The client has an eco-bag in his hands.

Focus on the buyer and provide the services he needs. SOCAR gas stations are a good example. In addition to the standard set for gas stations – coffee, hot dogs, snacks – there are additional benefits: ATMs, currency exchange and even flowers.

# 5. Invest in staff emotional intelligence

Step 1. Make sure your employees don’t burn out. Interacting with people is the most stressful job. And those team members who work directly with clients are most susceptible to burnout. For staff to be able to adequately assess the situation and respond to it, it is important to understand their emotional state and create the appropriate conditions. This is the only way to build a Wow service.

Step 2. Learn more about the Well-Being concept. Its foundation is in the formula:

 

How to implement this approach in the company? Create rest areas for employees, add health insurance and family days. Be like Google.

# 6. Robotics and VR are the future – embrace it

With the rise in popularity of virtual assistants like Siri, customers are becoming more and more accustomed to interacting with machines. And companies are innovating in the service process. This not only increases customer satisfaction but also reduces costs. The Silpo supermarket chain made a splash when it tested the artificial intelligence Kissa AI. Customers at the checkout with cooking were served by a robot without human assistance.

This trend is irreversible – AI can provide some services of no less quality. But it’s worth remembering that consumers don’t want the service to lose its human face. Strike a balance when moving to new service channels. For example, the Eva robot from Nova Poshta interacts well with clients by phone, answering their questions. Some people still don’t know that they are talking to a bot.

# 7. Protect your customers’ personal data

In 2018, a new EU privacy regulation came into force. It places strict demands on businesses when it comes to personal data: how it is collected, stored and managed.

Analysts say it will become even stricter further. Get ready for this. Bring in the right experts and think ahead about protecting your privacy. Leaking customer information can lead to irreversible business consequences.