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Customer Service Policy
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A strong customer service policy can make a huge difference in the success of a business. By implementing and maintaining policies and procedures that encourage strong ties with clients while still protecting the interests of the company, the process of keeping customer defection to a minimum while continuing to expand the client base is simplified. While the exact nature of a customer service policy will vary from one business to another, there are a few basic factors that should be considered in any setting.
Determine the goals for the customer service policy | Along with customer retention, the policy may also involve aims such as providing education to the customer on new products, obtaining feedback on product lines, and introducing incentives based on the sales volume generated by each customer. Identifying these goals serves as the foundation for the policy and makes it easier to develop strategies and procedures that aid in achieving each one.
Compare the customer service goals with the policies followed by major competitors | This will provide some background in terms of what is likely to be considered industry standards, making the process of creating a policy that not only meets those standards but ultimately offers something more that exceeds what the competition is offering.
Relate customer service goals to the mission of the company | Creating a direct correlation between the goals and the company mission helps to qualify each goal as being relevant to the success of the business.
Identify specific procedures that will aid in the accomplishment of each goal | For example, the goal of easy communication may lead to creating a step by step structure that includes the options of telephone contacts, email communications, and even online text messaging as ways for customers to interact with customer service and support personnel.
Draft specific standards and guidelines that apply to each procedure | Creating an escalation list that provides a logical chain or sequence of action to manage each aspect of the customer service policy is important in order to maximize use of available resources and avoid a duplication of effort.
Test-drive the policy with a select group of support personnel and customers | Doing so makes it possible to identify any flaws in the overall policy design before it is rolled out on a major scale. Make sure that all customers involved understand this is a beta test and their feedback on the policy will make an impact on the final set of procedures that will be inherent in the finished policy.
Train the customer service staff in the specifics of the new customer service policy | Equipping customer service personnel in this manner makes it easier to maintain a degree of unity in how customers are treated and increase the chances of making the best possible use of the procedures inherent in the policy.
