Dealing with Customer Service Issues over the Holidays
Whether your company is large or small, the holiday season means increased customer demands and expectations. During what should be the most festive time of the year, it’s easy to let small issues pile up and for phones to go unanswered. A little bit of strategizing and planning now can go a long way in helping to make your company’s holiday season as smooth and profitable as possible; the following are tips for dealing with customer service issues over the holidays!
Plan, Plan, Plan!
You know the saying Û_. an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? It’s true. Get ahead of the holiday season now by looking at your data. How busy was last year’s holiday season? Did you need extra support for answering phones and handling customer service issues? If you conducted customer service surveys, were your customers happy with your holiday service? If not, how can you change that this year?
Diagnose Customer Issues
When your phones are ringing off the hook with all different kind of customer service issues, it’s easy for your staff to get lost in a sea of concerns. Help your team get organized by teaching them how to diagnose customer service issues. If you have limited customer service resources, it’s helpful for your employees to sort customer calls into types: immediate, urgent and soon. Convey your expectations of customer service to your team and teach them which calls you want handled first.
Offer Self-Service Solutions
Self-service is the gift that keeps on giving for businesses today. Whether it’s establishing a FAQ section on your website or providing customers with a 1-800 information line, self-service initiatives can help take some of the work away from your busy staff while getting your customers’ questions answered faster! If your customers have certain questions related to the holidays, such as extended return policies or shipping times, it’s a great idea to establish a Frequently Asked Questions hotline or webpage that pertains exclusively to the holidays!
Keep Employee Morale High
Disgruntled customers and not enough hours in the day on top of holiday stress your employees may be dealing with at home can really take a toll on staff morale. When staff morale takes a hit, so too does customer service. Offer your team incentives, give them praise generously and celebrate their successes frequently; spread a little holiday cheer around the office!
The holidays aren’t all gift-giving and champagne-opening. For customers, employees and businesses, the holidays often mean additional stress and costs. If you need a more targeted approach to dealing with customer service issues this holiday season, consider contracting the services of a professional call centre.