We are all aware of the economic changes happening rapidly. From an increase in fuel prices to rentals going up, these are tough times for almost everyone. Moreover, even big and established businesses need help to stay afloat.
What has this taught us? It has made us more aware of the economic climate and to always be prepared for the worst or at least, a change. In fact, professionals suffer just as much as we do when there is a receding economy.
A lot of them are also being laid off during these trying times. This has greatly impacted the available jobs in customer service industry as well. There have been so many layoffs to reduce a company’s operations costs. Xfinity, for instance, is a standalone provider that introduced a Spanish-speaking helpline – atención al cliente de Xfinity – for its customers.
Top 3 Customer Service Agents Tips in a Receding Economy
In other words, with there being more and more layoffs, businesses hired IT staff augmentation companies to outsource their in-house operations in order to stay agile. It is a win-win situation for bright customers, agents, and the provider itself. If you are in the customer service line, you must be aware of the sensitivity of your job security at such times. Therefore, to make it easier for you to retain your job, we will be sharing what practices you should do in today’s receding economy.
1. Remain Calm and Composed
There is a very good reason why we put remaining calm and composed right at the top of our list. Firstly, it is important for you to know that each customer who calls in, is facing some form of problem with your product or services that they believe you can help them with.
You must also take it with a pinch of salt because although these customers might have problems that need urgent attention, they can also sound rude. But, as a customer service agent, you must ensure that you remain calm as only you can help them resolve their problem.
In addition, these customers might have called more than once, and the issue had not been resolved. You are not only representing yourself as a customer service agent but as a representative of the company you are working for as well.
Keep your town polite at all times, and keep assuring the customer that you are doing your very best to help resolve their issues in a timely manner.
2. Study Your Company and Its Products/Services
As a customer service agent, it is your responsibility to know about your company and what it offers. For instance, there are two things that usually happen when a customer calls in.
When a customer calls to resolve an issue, you might just have all the information they need. But, if you don’t, you will need to forward the customer to another customer service line. So, what does this mean?
Basically, if you are a professional and expert customer service agent, you will have all the information at the back of your hands, or at least know which link you should refer to while you have the customer on hold.
If that is not the case, then it is high time that you start studying your company and all the products or services it offers. This will also result in your customer feeling satisfied with the service you provided, and you won’t be wasting another agent’s time, when it could be spent on another customer.
3. Learn From Other Customer Service Agents
The best way you can gain expertise in the customer service line is to learn from and observe the very best customer service agents in your company. Observe how these agents deal with angry, rude, and frustrated customers.
Some customers might have complex problems and demand that it be resolved at once. But, in all honesty, no problem can be resolved instantaneously. Before you go and blurry this out to the customer, ask the bets against how they would respond in such circumstances.
Make note of all the dos and don’ts. You don’t want to tarnish the reputation of your company because of your inability to deal with a defunct customer. You must know how you should handle such situations, and what you can do to calm the customer down.
In addition, you should also ask these agents what incentives you can offer as an apology or appreciation to disgruntled customers. Learning is always the best way to make your way forward.
All in All
Well, there you go!
Now, while these are just some of the practices customer service agents should do in a receding economy, it will bring in more customers to the business itself. When a customer service agent is calm and composed, knows everything about the company and its offers, and is keen on learning from the very best agents, your business will prosper.
