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“Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the customer gets out of it.”
– Peter Drucker, Late Austrian-born American management consultant, educator, and author
With the world-changing in a rapid manner, businesses are changing and need to change too. Change is the only constant and for the betterment most of the time, I would say. As our reason for existence is our customers who we call our “source of bread and butter”, it’s imperative that the customer service time is the A-team which ensures that customers remain delighted. In today’s blog, we shall look at some tips on improving a customer service team, whether in a physical office space or working remotely as most of us are in the era of Covid-19.
Communication – Transparent and easy communication between all members of the team(and stakeholders if necessary)is a must,. Project management tools are at hand to improve communication and ensure everyone is working in tandem. There are no more silos as everyone is connected and sharing data & information like never before. Everyone is able to give feedback and be accountable for their duties.
Focus – Working remotely, any person let alone from the customer service department can get distracted. In such cases, site blockers to keep away social media from devices, soundproof ear sets, dedicated work stations, etc all come together to keep team members focussed.
Team culture- Bring team members together and interact, whether virtually through video calls on a regular basis or off-sited where members can socialize and indulge in team-building exercises. The bonding plays a big role in looking at the office and colleagues as family extensions and motivates individuals to perform better.
Training sessions – Regular in-house training sessions by professionals is a great way to improve efficiency and performance. Live, interactive and fun sessions bring out the shortcomings, solutions, and allow people to voice their grievances. You could hire outside professionals who major in such training to conduct these programs.
Customer service software – Choose a great software custom-built for your company to take care of its customer service department. Every complaint/request is recorded, routed, actioned, and solved. Getting a help desk with remote-friendly features will assist the customer service team to run smoothly at all times.
Set KPIs – Motivate members of the team by laying our clearly defined KPIs (key performance indicators) against which their performances will be measured and their promotions/bonuses/salary increments will be measured. It is the duty of the head of the team to keep an eye on the performance of each team member against these KPIs and to give feedback over time.
We hope that the Tips To Manage/improve a Customer Service Team are of use to businesses with customer service departments who are the front line soldiers in the battle to win the hearts & minds of the customers and the world at large. Keep these people happy, motivated, and prepared, and the world is your oyster with a pearl in it.
Also read: How To Improve Team Collaboration Skills
About the Author
RS Maan
Maan joined Salesforce Ecosystem in 2008 with entry of Salesforce in APAC region. He worked on many of the underlying Salesforce Products & it’s functionality, including Heroku, Chatbots, and Einstein before leading Codleo Consulting - Leading Partner of Salesforce.com & Salesforce.org. In his spare time, he immerses himself in travel, books and spirituality.
