In order to reach a goal, it should go without saying that a plan must first be set. However, in many cases, customer service departments need to have achievable goals in place. Here are a few suggestions on areas to look at when trying to set achievable goals for your customer service team:
Consider setting a "Tasks completed" goal
Every customer service department should have daily tasks to be completed, i.e., inbound calls, outbound calls, emails, industry-specific forms filled out, reports, and the list goes on. It's the accomplishment of these routine tasks that function as an oil on the machine of your productivity and efficiency. Setting this goal ensures the practical aspect of your customer service department is running well.
"Follow-up" goals can only help
So often, we think of Follow-up as a tool best for sales representatives rather than customer service representatives. However, the best thing to do is ensure your reps complete follow-up tasks. This is vital to the performance and reputation of your customer service department.
"Outreach" shows that your customer service department is proactive
If your product or service is being provided, you should contact your customers regarding additional needs, suggestions, and satisfaction levels. Generally speaking, if your customer has to call you after a purchase, you're trying to resolve a potential issue. Reaching out to your customer shows you care about the performance of your product or service and, more importantly, that you care about their experience with that product or service.
"Email" contact may be best
If your product or service is provided to people who are parenting, working people, or just people on the go, email may be the best communication channel. If this is so, make sure you've got email goals in place.
A "Phone call" could make all the difference in the world
Sometimes, after your customer has completed the purchase with you, they don't expect a phone call, especially if all went well. Yet, the simple gesture of a phone call could be a pivotal shift in your customer service quality. Set call goals.
Make use of Virtual Meetings
While not long ago, virtual meetings were more of a novelty for office workers and business execs, in the post-pandemic era, virtual meetings are commonplace for toddlers, grandmothers, and everything in between. Setting goals and trying to be in front of your client, even on a screen, is a plus.
Update notes; it's paramount.
Your CRM is a house for customer data, which includes what happened in any exchanges, including email, text, and conversations. Any quality assurance process for customer service must consist of reports that reflect note-taking per (day/week/month); you want to be sure you're listening to your customers and responding specifically to their needs.
Customer Profile updates are a benchmark for productivity
Aside from the traditional Name, Address, and Phone number, consider including birthdate, favorite sports team, or hobbies. These little tidbits of information help you to build rapport with your customers. Customizing your customer profile is worth the effort.
Each one of these tips has its own unique set of pros and cons; however, when looking to implement any of these strategies for setting up achievable customer service goals for your business, think in terms of empirical achievements, i.e., x amount of virtual meetings conducted, daily call count, number of customer profiles updated, etc... ultimately, with goals set in front of your customer service team progress will be evident.