Customer Service

Effective ways to Increase Customer Service Productivity

One can improve customer service productivity by several means. Some of them include training your employees, equipping them with excellent productivity software, taking feedback etc. As a result, productivity can boost your organisation's performance significantly and establish a loyal customer base.

Customer service productivity is one of the biggest challenges many companies face. Their customer service executives might be highly knowledgeable, but sifting through mounds of data can take time and irritate the customers. On the other hand, these executives cannot afford to be unproductive at all. Productivity is the key to any organisation's success. There are various ways one can improve their customer service productivity.

1. Train your employees

Training your employees about how to handle the workload and manage it alongside assisting customers efficiently. Once they know how to work with the products, tools and other internal work processes, they can help the customers seamlessly. Thus, ensuring that a large number of customers can be supported in a short amount of time.

Empower the employees so that they do not hesitate to ask for your help. Guide them upon joining, ensuring that they do not fall into a productivity slump while working.

2. Assure Productivity with Monitoring

Monitor the productivity amongst your employees. Do not approach head-on with the issue that might worsen the problem. Instead, deal with it tactfully that would leave an impression on the employee and motivate them to work on the productivity issues. The happy staff produces the best work. Unsatisfied employees are more likely to fall into a productivity slump.

3. Take Employee Feedback Seriously

Employee feedback is essential for any organisation. Employers should listen to their employees. Understand what they are trying to communicate and act on it for employee satisfaction. This will give you great insight into what your executives want. For example, in many cases of customer service, agents deal with rude customers. Upon complaining to managers and seeing no actions, they become disinterested in the ongoing and possibly change their jobs due to ignored complaints.

4. Provide them Productivity Softwares/ Tools

Several tools like CRM, customer satisfaction software, help desk software etc., can help your employees make their jobs easier. An omnichannel communication ensures that all the data is collated into a single dashboard. The employees do not need to switch between social media, email accounts, and even phones for information. Transferring and sharing data is even easier as the employees do not need to wait for long periods to transfer data.

With a cloud storage system, all the data will be saved into one platform. Other team members can access this data with ease without requiring any physical presence.

Productivity tools/ software help in creating a one-stop-shop for all customer services requirements.

5. Know the Software thoroughly

To keep your staff organised and productive, if you use productivity software, make sure that you and your employees know about the software very well. They will be able to use it efficiently only if they know how it works. Any issues with the software can be resolved by members of your team, and it will help you use its capabilities to their fullest potential.

6. Integrate Other Apps

With the help desk software, integrate third-party applications for added productivity. Once it is all integrated, your employees do not need to waste your time logging in to several accounts upon arrival. Instead, input data, queries, unsubscribed users can be sent an automated response from the dashboard itself. This saves a lot of time and ensures that your agents can assist as many customers as possible in a day. Businesses can integrate Optimiser with several third party everyday use applications such as G Suite and Outlook.

7. Expand Knowledge Base

If your agents know about all the how-to- guides, great!

But make sure that they learn more about things in their field of work. When your customers are empowered, they will be able to understand the scope of their work significantly. That way they can assist the customers more productively. Once your employees know about the job, they are less likely to approach you for guidance regarding service. They will be able to make mutually beneficial decisions. And you can tackle more work in your work weeks. With Optimiser, the customer service team can access all the client information and previous discussion to provide them instant solution.

8. Improve Internal Communication

Designated Internal communication tools can make a massive difference between your team members' dynamics. The agents can communicate seamlessly with each other and collaborate while helping customers. This speeds up the customer service process and improves productivity. Optimiser comes with several in-built features to enhance overall internal communication.

Plus, if your team members get along exceptionally well, it will nurture a healthy environment that will positively affect the employees' mental health. This will keep them motivated and happy.

9. Let them take breaks

Taking breaks while working. This helps the employees feel more relaxed and improve their morale. And no, this does not include lunch or bathroom breaks. Those are integral bodily functions that cannot be avoided. Apart from these, let them take a few minutes to themselves to stabilise their minds, which allows them to focus on customer service in a more relaxed manner.

10. Flexible Shifts

Provide them flexible shifts so that they can manage their work-life balance accordingly and have peace of mind. That way, their home life will not interfere during their office hours and allow them to dedicate as much time as they can to customer service.

Conclusion:

Customer Service productivity plays a crucial role in bolstering any organisation towards growth. A happy customer is more likely to recommend your business to their acquaintances than one that felt unsatisfied with the customer service. In addition, it can create a good brand image of the organisation and establish a positive image of the brand.