Tips for improving customer communication

Customer communication sets the tone for how customers feel about your business, which translates directly to the revenue you can make. According to research by Deloitte, customers who enjoy positive experiences are likely to spend 140% more than customers who report negative experiences. 

Additionally, research by Zendesk shows that more than half of consumers say they would switch to a competitor after only one bad experience. Given this, it’s essential to communicate in a way that always leaves customers feeling happy and satisfied with your service. This will ensure you retain their business and make as many sales as possible. 

Read on for tips on how to improve your customer communication.  

Use your team’s soft skills to show compassion 

Businesses can sometimes fall into the trap of investing a lot of time and money into new technology and increasing headcount without first getting the fundamentals right first.  

With customer service, it’s soft skills that make the biggest impact overall. Your people’s tone of voice and word choices go a long way toward making customers feel heard and valued.  

Plus, these skills are free and instant to implement if you hire the right people and train them well. It starts with ensuring your team understands the importance of showing care and empathy in each customer interaction.  

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Often, when a customer gets in touch, it’s because something has gone wrong, so it’s no surprise that Zendesk’s research showed over 50% of all consumers feel increasingly stressed and exhausted when dealing with customer support. Your team have a lot of power to improve this situation simply in the way they speak. 

Provide your team with these guidelines and implement them in your training sessions. 

Give your full attention

Whether it’s person, over the phone, or via live chat, demonstrate that you’re giving the customer your full, careful attention by using active listening techniques. This will show you’re fully present and you genuinely care about their experience.  

After the customer has explained their issue or query, paraphrase the main points back to them in your own words. For example, you could say, “Just to confirm, you’re experiencing delays with your delivery, and you need it by Friday, correct?”  

If you’re in person, maintain eye contact and nod, or if you’re answering the telephone, use verbal cues like “I see” or “that makes sense” to validate what they’re saying.   

Demonstrate empathy

Empathy means putting yourself in the customer’s shoes. Try to imagine their perspective—what might have led to their frustration, confusion, or disappointment? This mindset helps you respond in a way that prioritises customers’ emotional needs before you manage the practical issue at hand.  

Phrases like “I can see how that would be frustrating” or “I understand why that’s important to you” can make customers feel understood. For instance, if a customer’s order was delayed, acknowledge the inconvenience and show you understand how it may have impacted their plans before offering a solution. 

Remain calm

Always maintain a calm tone, even in difficult situations. Customers may be upset, but responding with patience and compassion can help de-escalate tension. 

Avoid being defensive or dismissive and, instead, focus on reassuring the customer that you’re there to help. Sometimes, it’s necessary to offer a goodwill gesture, such as a refund, a discount on a future purchase, or even compensation to improve a customer’s mood.  

Utilise technology to improve efficiency 

Once you’re confident your team is mastering their compassionate communication techniques, the next step to focus on is your team’s efficiency. 

Customers hate issues being drawn out, and 24% say that long wait times are their biggest frustration with customer service, according to research by Kayako. So, if your team can pick up and resolve issues as efficiently as possible, you’re likely to leave customers much more satisfied. 

To do this, be aware of your First Response Time (FRT), Average Resolution Time (ART) and your One Touch Resolution Rate (OTRR) and look out for bottlenecks and areas of improvement within your processes. Read our guide on the 7 customer service KPIs your business needs to measure to learn how to track and improve these metrics.  

Here are some tools that can help improve your team’s operational efficiency.  

Use a customer relationship management (CRM) system

A CRM system helps businesses store customer information and track customer interactions, preferences, and purchase history. Having all these details in one place can help your team deliver an efficient, consistent and personalised service, as they have all the necessary context easily accessible from the moment the customer reaches out.  

This means customers don’t get frustrated having to repeat their story if they contact your business more than once. 

Use live chat

The best way for customers to get quick answers to their questions is via a live chat widget on your business website. In fact, according to research by Software Advice, the main reason customers prefer live chat to other customer communication methods, like contact forms and email, is the fact they can get an instant response.  

With live chat, customers can receive answers, guidance, and follow-up assistance all in one session. Also, live chat staff can proactively reach out to customers and offer assistance before they encounter issues. For example, they could check in with a customer on a website for an extended period, offering help before frustration sets in. 

When businesses are quick to jump on an opportunity to interact with customers and give them the information they need, customers are more likely to feel satisfied with your service. This has the added benefit of increasing your online sales as, according to Software Advice, live chat can increase a company’s conversion rate by 3.84%.  

Use automated responses and chatbots

For even faster customer communication, you can install automated responses using chatbots. This technology interprets messages based on keywords and handles routine queries like frequently asked questions or shipping status updates. This helps customers get answers to simple enquiries without waiting for a customer service agent to become available. 

This also allows your business to run a 24/7 service, so customers can reach out and get answers as soon as an issue arises, at any time that suits them. Learn more about the benefits of an out of hours service here.  

By reducing manual effort, you will also free up time for your team to focus on addressing more urgent or complex issues, further enhancing operational efficiency.  

Engage on social media  

Social media is one of the first places customers go to express their opinions of a company’s customer service, both positive and negative. So, successfully managing these interactions and showing you’re paying attention to their experiences is crucial for maintaining a positive brand image. 

Make sure your team has capacity to respond to customer queries and address complaints as soon as they appear. Because these interactions are public, this doesn’t only benefit the customer, but also anyone who sees it, and it gives the impression that your brand is proactive and caring about addressing customer concerns. 

And don’t forget to interact with customers who tag your business in photos, videos, or social posts – they are giving you free marketing, after all, and they appreciate it when you’re grateful. By sharing this content on your platforms, your brand can demonstrate customers’ positive experiences with your service.  

How Bizik can improve your customer communication 

When you outsource to Bizik, you’ll get a dedicated team of expert agents with years of experience providing customer service excellence. Our customers trust our proven track record of consistent, compassionate, and efficient service to all customers. 

Working with Bizik will save you from the costly expense of hiring more staff, running training sessions, and investing in additional software. You’ll only pay for your receptionists’ time on the clock, giving you the best possible value for money. 

Interested in learning more? See how it works, or call 020 3917 7444 to hear more about how Bizik can handle your managed live chat and telephone answering needs.