Good customer service involves being available to answer customer queries. This could include questions from existing customers about a product or service, or questions from potential customers.
Some business owners love answering customer queries, however for others it can get time-consuming. You may even find that you’re constantly being interrupted and that this is reducing the quality of other tasks. When this happens, you need to find a more efficient way of managing your customers – or indeed a way of reducing customer enquiries altogether. Here are just a few possible solutions.
Outsource a call answering service
If you have to answer a lot of customer enquiries via phone call, consider whether it could be time to hire a phone receptionist – or, better still, outsource your phone call answering. There are companies that you can outsource your general enquiries phone number to. A third-party professional who has been given detailed information on your company can then answer enquiries on your behalf. This could free up a lot of time spent on the phone.
Set up a FAQs page
If you find yourself answering the same questions over and over again, consider dedicating a page on your website to frequently asked questions (FAQs). Many customers who make these enquiries are likely to look for information on your website first – by answering their questions on your website, you could prevent the need for them to contact you. Some people will still ignore this page, but so long as the page isn’t too hidden on your website, you should notice a significant drop in customer enquiries.
Use an automated chatbot
Chatbots are a more modern way of dealing with general enquiries on your website. These are AI-powered instant chat services – a customer asks a question, and AI instantly answers it while adopting the tone of an employee. You can read more here about implementing customer experience automation. A high quality chatbot can be programmed to answer many different questions and even help generate extra sales by following up questions with links to products or forms.
Provide thorough instructions
It’s important to make sure that products or services come with thorough instructions. These can tell customers exactly how to use a product or service without needing to ask you for assistance. Such instructions could come in the form of a printed booklet or a digital instruction package. Know when to pay a copywriter to provide clear instructions, or pay an illustrator to create diagrams. Translators may also be necessary to hire when creating instructions for customers from other countries.
Invest in video walkthroughs
Many companies are now providing video walkthroughs to help answer various customers’ queries. This could include a walkthrough on how to use software or even a video walkthrough on how to assemble a tent. When creating a video, make sure to hire a professional video production company to help. The better quality your video, the easier it will be to follow – and the less potential enquiries you will get. Informational marketing videos can also be used to reduce general enquiries from potential customers.