Every company has a department that is considered a losing department, as in something that has to be there even though it doesn’t make any money. Most companies with a customer service department consider it a losing department, but the truth is, customer service is not just something that loses money anymore. In fact, it is probably more important to customers than marketing, as it falls into the same kind of category.

Customer service changes

It used to be that customer service was just there to help the angry customers who appeared from time to time. But now, customer service is more about being proactive than it is about reactive. According to Business 2 Community, the new generation of customers are using social media for customer service interactions, not marketing. And on top of that, increasing your productivity with customer service can significantly increase sales because you are reaching out to the customer other than the other way around. Before the internet, you were stuck with your local stores and what you could find by walking around or word of mouth. But with the internet, there are literally a million different places you could take your business. This means your company needs to be proactive in taking care of your customers to keep them from leaving. People would much rather just shop somewhere else than even give you a chance to fix a problem.

How to be proactive

Reaching out to your customers first and continuing to do so will increase your sales, but now you may be wondering how exactly you can go about doing that. If you’re a normal business, you are probably stuck in the rut of reactive customer service, so you need to think of creative ways to reach out. Here are a few recommendations:

• Social media: Set up your social media accounts to help manage your customer service. From here, you can send out marketing messages, but it also allows you to quickly address any complaints your customers may have and post to social media. On top of that, it is extremely effective to communicate with the younger generation in a form they are used to, and since they are used to communication through social media, it is smart to use it to your advantage.
• Texting: One of the most effective ways to be proactive with customers is through texting. Again, customers do better when you communicate with them through a form they are used to. As most of your younger customers are used to texting their friends and family on a regular basis, why not let them text you for customer support? It will allow you to reach out to them when you’d like to and is a fast and easy way for them to get automated answers to their questions while feeling like they are getting an individualized service.
• Website: Use your website as a tool to stay on top of customer service. It can be very helpful if your website has online chats available to help a customer out. Most people won’t be willing to call in and ask for help, but if a chat pops up and asks if you need help, they will use it. As another form of quick communication that your customers are used to, it will help you keep customers happy.

Source: business2community.com/customer-experience/amplify-brand-loyalty-give-customer-service-bigger-voice-0999124