The Basics of Online Customer Service

Sam Jackson
by Sam Jackson 13 Jan, 2014

Customer service is a fundamental aspect of doing business. Brands offer it to customers before, during and after a business deal. It is a service to meet and exceed customers' expectations to bring them back to a company or its offerings and to stay bonded forever.

A good customer service experience puts businesses on the road to building long-lasting relationships with a customer, but is not easily achieved, especially online. Through experience, time and some investment, businesses can establish its brand and its consistent standards. Here are the basics of online customer service, from meeting customers' needs to business operations to improvement suggestions. 


Meeting Customers' Expectations

1. Besides being equipped with technology and innovation to answer questions however a customer demands, your company's customers support team needs experience and training. 

2. Personalized communication has become a compulsory component of customer service. 

3. Through accurate and effective communication you can win your customers' trust.

4. Considering basic needs of a customer like fairness, friendliness options, offers, in-depth information and details you surely will form a bond with your client even if it's online.

5. Fulfill promises that you have made during the conversation. The chat operator should stay up to date with company policies and offers so that he can't make fake promises.

6. Be a good listener by listening attentively to the needs of your clients, stay calm and be patient so that you can understand a customer better. This will also help you to deal with confused or puzzled customers. 

7. Be confident and well informed about your specialized product, promotional offers and solutions so that you can make a convincing case to the customer.

8. Being positive while working under pressure will help you to resolve the complicated issues. With a poised attitude you can think ahead in order to find a solution. 

9. By using a deep understanding with the tone of the customer's voice and digital body language you can make conversation with customer accordingly. By understanding the psychology of the customers it would be easier to handle them.

10. The customer always hooked to focused, determined and goal oriented operators to discuss the deal.

Customer service stands alone as a way to stay ahead of the competitors in the market. Besides communications and conversations with customers it involves other important aspects of business operation like: 

- Accepting customers' orders 

- Product, solutions and services information

- Telephonic services

- Face to face or direct communication

- Follow up with documentation

- Repairing or exchanging the product

- Billing and payment management

- Handling complaints and resolving them

- Updating the shipment process

Customer service improvement measures

1. Improve your customer service staff's awareness and presentation skills

2. A strong understanding of customer expectations, perceptions and requirements

3. Improve the confidence and customer service skills

4. Build strong relationships with the new customers and retain the trust of existing customers

5. Learn new techniques and upgraded options to deliver information to exceptional customers

6. Get a working knowledge of human behavior and psychology to be able to improve conversations with impulsive customers

7. Reach out to your competitors as a customer so your staff can learn various techniques and ways to develop their skills

8. Give individual reviews of an employee's performance to strengthen their skills

9. Offer incentives to sharpen employee skils to meet their incenvite target

10. Understand advanced customer service strategies to make more sales 

11. Ask for customer feedback to overcome your weakness 

12. Measure service standards regularly

About the Author

The author is currently working as a Chief Content Editor with Live2Support. He handles all the contents, including blogs, articles and press releases for the company. Live2Support is a technology driven live chat Software Company established in 2003 and is well known for its live chat software solution.