A few ways support departments can improve their image and contribute to customer satisfaction.
I imagine that minutes after the first computer program was created the first support team was born. Over the years the association between support departments and troubleshooting customer issues has become so strong that many (even some in support) believe this is the only responsibility of the support team. As a result, support teams at many technology companies have scored poorly on customer satisfaction surveys. Why? Because they end up only interacting with customers when they are having a problem and are angry.
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Don’t let the IT guy be the single point of failure
Here are some ways support departments can improve their image and contribute to customer satisfaction.
Focus on education first
I hate to say it, but a lot of times the issues our customers have are not because our products didn’t work correctly. It is because they were not properly trained on how to set up, configure or maintain the products. This is the support team’s responsibility just as much as it is the sales team’s or the customer’s. Support teams that create ways for customers to educate themselves have a better chance of having customers that rate the support team favorably.
Communication is key
Of course, part of education is communication. Support teams should communicate any issues the company’s product is having, along with the solution, quickly and accurately. Additionally, when product upgrades or enhancements are made, the vendor should create alert systems for the customers along with links to information about the new features.
Empower your customers
Another way to improve support services is by empowering them. Make your customers feel as if they have the power to solve their own issues without support, and can solve the problems of others. User forums where customers, partners and employees can discuss issues, talk about unique product applications or answer the questions of others create strong communities and help customers solve their smaller support issues quickly.
Why is this important? It makes your customers feel heard and respected. It also gives them an opportunity to share the knowledge they already have.
Keeping these concepts in mind will help organizations understand that if they use their support team for more than just speaking with customers in need, the entire organization will be better off.
