They say a happy customer tells a friend, but an unhappy customer tells the world. That statement has never been more accurate than in today’s social media age.
That’s why over 89% of businesses are competing to provide the best customer experience. Because let’s be real – your product may be the star of the show, but it still needs a supporting cast to handle the heavy lifting of customer expectations.
Now, the big question that arises is how to cast that supporting team. Grab your pen and get ready to take notes because we’ve got the ultimate guide on how to hire reliable customer service support.
When do you need to hire customer support service?
The small business juggle
As a small business owner, you’re wearing multiple hats and juggling various tasks. Outsourcing customer service can give you the time and space to focus on core business activities while ensuring that your customers still receive top-notch support.
Scaling up and saving costs
If your business is growing faster than you can hire and train employees, outsourcing can be your knight in shining armor. It allows you to scale up quickly and efficiently, without sacrificing the quality of your customer service.
Customer expectations don’t sleep
Customers expect immediate responses and support, even at odd hours. Outsourcing customer service can provide 24/7 coverage and ensure that no customer concern goes unanswered. You can hop on the trend of live chat support for immediate and 24/7 customer support by taking the help of chat call center vendors.
In-house support needs big pockets
In-house customer service can be expensive, with costs like salaries, benefits, and training. Offshore call center outsourcing is a cost-effective alternative, especially for small and mid-sized businesses.
The language barrier
If your business has a global reach, you may need multilingual support to cater to diverse customers. Outsourcing customer service can provide access to a pool of skilled agents who are proficient in various languages.
Beating the competition
In today’s fast-paced business environment, staying ahead of the competition is crucial. Outsourcing customer service can help you stay ahead of the curve, by providing the latest technology, tools, and practices for exceptional customer service.
Step-by-step guide for hiring customer service support
Avoid guessing games, determine your requirements
It’s critical to align your requirements with what your customers expect from you. Start with creating a roadmap through a comprehensive checklist.
Determine your customers’ preferred mode of communication and whether you need an extra hand managing your calls, emails, chats, or social media.
Next, think if you need 24/7 support or only during certain hours. Appoint resources depending on the channel and how much traffic you get there.
Also, if you cater to a multilingual customer base, think of how you can make their experience better. Do you need to hire customer support staff that can speak in their language to build a better rapport and resolve their queries faster?
Once you have answers to these non-negotiable questions, prepare a job description to float around for apt applications. It will save not just your time but the applicants too.
Don’t settle for less, look for foolproof customer support
Before onboarding any customer support executive, see if they have experience in your industry. It will allow a better understanding of your customer’s needs and provide tailored support.
Understand what kind of tools and technology they are familiar with. The right technology can streamline customer support processes and improve the customer experience.
Then comes the most critical aspect of serving customers- emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a key ingredient for delivering exceptional customer support. After all, it’s called customer “service” for a reason, not customer “processing”!
Let’s take a look at the conversation of a support executive from Frozenbyte with a customer.
It would have been easy for the customer support representative to simply apologize and move on. But he went a step further and helped the customer without asking a thousand questions. Emotional intelligence is the only thing that can help you win trust and loyalty when responding to customer complaints.
Don’t take their word for it, evaluate your applicants
When you hire customer support service team, don’t just throw words in the air. Sit and evaluate the applicants based on metrics.
See what kind of tools and processes they use to provide high-quality customer services. Do they offer omnichannel support, including phone, email, chat, and social media? Are they familiar with your industry-specific tools and systems? And most importantly how do they manage customer service?
If your business serves customers globally, it’s important to ensure that the outsourcing company offers multilingual support. Check their proficiency in the languages you need and their ability to handle cultural nuances.
Understand how the outsourcing company offers training programs to ensure their agents are knowledgeable about your products and services. Do they have a quality assurance program in place to monitor agent performance and provide feedback?
Finally, evaluate the cost of outsourcing customer support. Look for any hidden charges or fees that are not informed in advance.
Take baby steps, warm up the team for action
Once you’ve hired customer support service, it’s time to implement and test their usefulness.
Start with a pilot program to ensure that everything is running smoothly before expanding to a larger level. This pilot can be for one month or three depending on the agreement signed by the parties.
Monitor their performance with proper metrics so that you have a quantitative system in place to take the required action. Also, provide feedback to ensure that they’re meeting your expectations.
The whole purpose of a pilot is to bring the involved customer support representatives at par with the customer demands.
Think of the long run, continuously evaluate and improve
The job doesn’t end with hiring the right customer support team. The real work starts after that, which is serving your customers right.
Communication is key to a successful partnership. Make sure you have regular check-ins and open communication channels to discuss any concerns or issues that may arise.
Set clear expectations from the beginning. This includes service level agreements, response times, and other key performance indicators that will help you evaluate the partnership.
Provide feedback regularly. This can help identify areas for improvement and provide positive reinforcement for things that are going well.
Monitor the quality of customer support provided by the outsourced team. This includes regularly reviewing transcripts and recordings of customer interactions, as well as conducting customer satisfaction surveys.
Invest in the professional development of your outsourced customer support team. This includes training, coaching, and mentorship opportunities to help them grow and develop their skills.
Outsource it, don’t out-stress it
As your business grows, your customers deserve the best support, but your team can only handle so much. Don’t let the stress of providing top-notch customer service wear you out.
Outsourcing your customer support needs can provide you with the much-needed flexibility, scalability, and cost savings that can be difficult to achieve in-house. Plus, with the latest technology, it’s easy to maintain seamless communication and control over your customer support operations.
Outsourcing the right customer support partner can be a game-changer for your business. It can provide you with the support you need to elevate your business while freeing up your team to focus on what they do best. And when it comes to finding the right partner, AM2PM is the answer. With a dedicated pool of top talent, AM2PM Support can streamline your chat processes, optimize data entry, and ensure exceptional customer service. Don’t believe us? Give them a try and see the difference for yourself!
