Customers anticipate prompt replies when reaching out to customer support. A recent study reported that 71% of consumers agreed that customer experience can be drastically improved by quick customer support and customer service responses.
Therefore, it is important that your customer support team is well-structured to ensure that issues are resolved swiftly to boost customer satisfaction.
Here are some tips on how to build and organize a support team that will help your business thrive.
What is a customer support team?
A customer support team is a collection of representatives who provide assistance and help resolve issues for customers.
Customer support agents are responsible for the following:
- Answering questions
- Troubleshooting problems
- Providing technical support
They often execute clerical activities, make suggestions to enhance customer service, and uphold a professional attitude.
Steps to build and organize a customer support team
To build and organize a customer support team, you must be deliberate in everything you do. The following are the best steps to take for an efficient customer service team.
1. Define the role of your customer support team
The first step in creating your customer support team is to define what each member’s role will be. Will they be responsible for answering customer questions, resolving issues, or both?
Will they be responsible for handling complaints, or will they direct customers to a more appropriate department?
Clearly defining the roles of your customer support team members will help you craft accurate job postings and ensure that you know what skills and qualifications to look for in candidates.
2. Hire the right people
Once you have defined the roles of your customer support team, you can begin to hire the right people. Look for individuals:
- Having strong communication skills
- With problem-solving abilities
- With a positive attitude
- Who can work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment
- With different backgrounds and experiences
3. Organize your team
Once you have hired the right people, it’s time to organize your team. One effective way to do this is to create small teams responsible for specific areas. For example, one team could answer customer questions while another would resolve issues.
This will help ensure that customers are directed to the people with the most knowledge on their query and that problems are resolved quickly and efficiently.
4. Leverage the right tools and technology
Choosing the right tools and technology can help communication, workflow management, knowledge sharing, and performance tracking. Start by investing in robust customer service software to enable efficient management of customer inquiries from multiple channels and allow you to track the performance of your agents.
Employing an appropriate contact management system can also help maintain a unified view of all customer interactions, leading to improved service quality. Implement collaborative tools that promote effective communication and cross-functional knowledge sharing.
5. Provide ongoing training and support
Your support team will need thorough initial training as well as ongoing training and support to be effective. The latter can include training on new products and services, as well as training on how to handle different types of customer complaints and issues.
Additionally, provide your team with the necessary tools and resources they need to do their job effectively. This can include customer service software, access to customer data, and contacts for other departments within the company.
6. Offer self-service options
By empowering customers with the tools and resources to solve their own problems, such as a knowledge base, FAQs, and an interactive chatbot, a company can reduce the volume of incoming support requests.
This allows the support team to concentrate on more complex issues that require human intervention, thus reducing their workload and improving the quality of their solutions.
This strategy can lead to a more scalable support structure, as resources allocated to self-service can handle a larger volume of inquiries without a proportional increase in support staff.
Additionally, team leads can leverage insights from self-service interactions to identify common issues and trends, leading to continuous improvement and a more proactive customer support system.
7. Regularly evaluate and improve your customer support team
Once your customer support team is up and running, it’s important to evaluate and improve it regularly. This can include conducting regular performance evaluations and setting goals for the team.
After everyone is accustomed to the technology and flow of the team, look for ways to improve the team’s processes and procedures, as well as ways to improve the overall customer experience.
By regularly evaluating and improving your customer support team, you can ensure that your customers are always satisfied and that problems are resolved quickly and efficiently.
Key qualities of a great customer support team
Hiring the right people is the first step to building a stellar customer service team. You should look for the following customer service skills.
Strong communication skills
Good communication forms the foundation for clear, effective interactions in which agents understand and fulfill customer needs. These skills involve not only the ability to convey information clearly but also the ability to actively listen, empathize, and respond appropriately to both verbal and nonverbal cues.
Through strong communication, service representatives can build rapport, trust, and positive customer relations, which help in accurately diagnosing issues and ensuring customers feel valued and understood.
Moreover, the skills enable a service agent to manage customer expectations and handle complaints or feedback in a professional manner, which can turn a potentially negative experience into a positive one.
Customer empathy
Customer empathy is the skill of understanding the feelings of others. By actively practicing empathy, customer service professionals can better comprehend customers’ emotions and perspectives and address their concerns effectively and with genuine care.
Empathy in customer service not only leads to a more personalized and satisfying customer experience but also builds trust, as customers feel heard and valued.
Problem-solving
Problem-solving directly impacts the capacity to resolve the more complex issues that customers face efficiently and effectively. When a customer submits a unique ticket, the ability to assess the situation, understand the underlying issues, and devise a practical solution provides immediate relief and restores customer trust.
Time management
Support agents often receive a high volume of inquiries. Efficient time management skills enable them to prioritize tasks and accurately estimate the time required to complete them, reducing customer wait times and ensuring urgent problems are resolved promptly.
A customer support agent with excellent time management skills is better equipped to navigate among support channels, providing consistent responses across platforms. This ability is essential for meeting service level agreements and maintaining high customer service standards.
By valuing time management in the hiring process, companies are more likely to build a team of support agents to manage their workload effectively and contribute to a positive customer experience.
Teamwork
Customer support agents often work as part of a larger team to provide comprehensive assistance to clients. The ability to effectively communicate, share information, and coordinate with peers ensures that customers receive accurate, consistent, and timely help.
Team players can leverage the collective knowledge and skills of the team to solve complex issues, leading to more efficient problem resolution and higher customer satisfaction. Moreover, support agents who are good team players contribute positively to the work environment and foster a culture of cross-functional team collaboration that improves productivity and team morale.
Adaptability and continuous learning
Consumer trends, product details, and company policies are constantly evolving, meaning agents must be able to adjust their approach swiftly and effectively. An adaptable agent can handle unexpected situations, such as difficult customer interactions or technical issues, with composure and flexibility. This quality ensures they can provide high-quality service even under pressure or when faced with unfamiliar circumstances.
With continuously changing products, services, and customer service tools, agents must also be committed to learning and self-improvement. They should be eager to adopt best practices and maintain expertise in their roles.
The importance of organizing your team
A well-built and organized support team is essential for providing excellent customer service, giving you the following:
- Improved efficiency: An organized team can handle customer inquiries quicker and more effectively.
- Better customer experience: An organized team can provide more consistent and accurate support, leading to a better customer experience overall.
- Reduced errors: An organized team is less likely to make mistakes or overlook important details, reducing the risk of errors and misunderstandings.
- Increased productivity: An organized team can prioritize and manage tasks more effectively, leading to increased productivity.
- Better team collaboration: An organized customer service team can share information and collaborate on projects more efficiently, since they know who to contact for different situations.
How to select the appropriate tools for your customer support teams
Selecting the right tools for support teams can be challenging, but it is essential for delivering quality customer service.
Let’s discuss what to consider when selecting the best software for your support team.
1. Identify your team’s needs
Determine your support team’s specific needs, such as ticket management, chat support, or knowledge base management.
2. Assess the market
Research various support tools available and compare their features, pricing, and customer reviews.
3. Evaluate the integrations
Consider the compatibility of the software with other systems and software you are currently using.
4. Test the tool
Try out a demo version or free trial of the software to assess its usability and functionality.
5. Consider scalability
Choose software that can accommodate the potential growth of your team and business.
6. Seek feedback from your team
Get feedback from your support team members on their experiences and preferences.
7. Make a decision
Based on your research and feedback, select the software that best meets your team’s needs and fits your budget. By following these steps, you can select the support tools that will help your team provide effective customer service.
Most companies are currently reviewing their support team management strategy in order to adapt to the new hybrid work environment.
Help desk software is, therefore, one of the fastest growing markets as companies come to realize their value in these environments.
Syncfusion’s BoldDesk is a help desk software with seamless integration that improves the effectiveness of customer care. BoldDesk software will empower you to:
- Automate repetitive operations.
- Facilitate cross-department collaboration.
- Collect actionable data about your service quality.
- Evaluate team performance with unmatched precision.
Read our blog for more tips to help you choose the right help desk software.
Conclusion
In conclusion, carefully creating your support team is an essential step for business improvement. By following the tips we’ve shared, you will create a well-structured and skilled team to provide excellent customer service.
BoldDesk can help you organize and run a great support team. Contact us to set up a 30-minute live demo to get a clearer idea of how BoldDesk features and may be tailored to your company’s needs. Sign up for a 15-day free trial today.
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