Creating a customer service policy may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! By following a few simple steps, you can create a customer service policy that will delight your customers and improve your business.
A customer service policy is a set of guidelines that businesses use to ensure that their customer service meets customer expectations.
By outlining what is and is not acceptable customer service, businesses can avoid customer complaints and create a positive customer experience. When customers are happy with the service they receive, they are more likely to continue doing business with the company.
In contrast, customers are likely to take their business elsewhere if customer service is poor. As a result, businesses need to have a customer service policy.
Creating a customer service policy is an important first step in providing excellent customer service. By taking the time to develop a policy, businesses can ensure that their customer service meets customer expectations and creates a positive customer experience.
1. Define your customer service goals
The starting place for any customer service policy is to define your customer service goal. What do you want your customers to experience when they interact with your business?
Do you want to reduce customer churn? Increase customer satisfaction? Improve first call resolution rates?
You may have one or several goals but you can’t prioritize all of them. I suggest that you focus on major goals that will have the biggest positive impact on your business.
And how do you decide what they are? Here are a few ideas:
- Collect and analyze your customer feedback and complaints. Look for recurring themes and issues.
- Conduct customer surveys and focus groups.
- Identify what your best customers say they like about your customer service.
- Talk to employees to find out areas where they’re struggling and what complaints they hear the most.
Developing your goals based on real data will make it easier to create a customer service policy that meets customer needs.
2. Draft your policy.
Once you know what you want to achieve with your customer service policy, it’s time to start drafting it.
Begin by clearly outlining what your company will do (and not do) in order to meet the needs of its customers.
Be sure to include specific procedures for handling common customer service issues such as returns, refunds, and cancellations.
Several components should be included in a customer service policy. First, businesses should outline what their customer service standards are. For example, if your customer service operatives need to respond to a live chat within one minute of getting a message.
Or, if you’re a physical store, customers should be greeted within 30 seconds of entering the store.
You should identify who is responsible for providing customer service. In many cases, it is the employees who will be interacting with customers daily. But be clear about who is in charge, what issues they work with, and who they should reach out to if they encounter difficulties.
Also, you should establish procedures for handling customer complaints. By outlining how complaints will be addressed, you can ensure that they are resolved promptly and satisfactorily.
These are just a few of the key components that should be included in your customer service policy. But they’re a great place to start. You can always add to or revise your policy as needed.
3. Get feedback from employees and customers.
After you’ve drafted your policy, you must get feedback from employees and customers alike. Employees can tell you whether or not the policy is realistic and achievable.
At the same time, customers will be able to give you insights into what they’re looking for in a customer service experience. Use this feedback to make changes to your policy before finalizing it.
4. Document and distribute your policy
Once you’re happy with your policy, it’s time to document it. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as a company memo, an intranet post, or a PDF.
Be sure to include the date of the policy, the date it will go into effect, and the name and contact information of the person responsible for customer service.
After you’ve documented your policy, be sure to share it too. It is critical that you upload your documentation to a place that all employees have access to.
If you have a remote workforce, be sure to send the policy via email or another method that all employees can easily access.
My remote company has a special ‘hub’ that employees can access with their work email. This hub includes the key details of our customer service policy.
We also rely on helpdesk platforms as a single place to store and share important company information.
5. Create metrics to measure your success
To ensure that your policy is actually having the desired effect, you need to create metrics and measure your success. Start by determining what you want to achieve with your customer service policy.
Then, create metrics that will help you track whether or not you’re meeting your goals. For example, if your goal is to increase customer satisfaction, you might track the number of complaints you receive or the Net Promoter Score (NPS).
Also, track the Happiness Score using your helpdesk tool to see how customers are responding to your employees’ work.
This will help you determine whether or not your policy is having the desired effect. If it’s not, you can make changes as needed.
6. Train your employees
Once you’ve finalized your policy, it’s time to train your employees. Be sure to go over the key points of the policy and ensure that everyone understands what is expected of them.
You might consider holding a company-wide meeting to announce the policy change. Or, if you have a large workforce, you might opt for an email or an online training course.
No matter what method you choose, be sure to give your employees the tools they need to be successful. This might include customer service scripts, templates, or even access to customer service software.
By investing in your employees, you can ensure that they’re able to provide the best possible customer service.
7. Implement your policy.
Once you’ve finalized your policy, it’s time to implement it.
You’ve trained your employees, and they’re ready to provide excellent customer service. What’s next is allowing them to put their new skills into practice.
Be sure to give them the opportunity to do so. This might mean making some changes to your processes or giving them more autonomy.
But, ultimately, it will be worth it when you see the positive impact it has on your business.
8. Monitor and adjust your policy as needed.
Customer service is an ever-evolving process. As such, your policy should be as well.
Be sure to monitor your policy and make changes as needed. This might mean making minor tweaks or completely overhauling your policy.
Remember to bring up your new customer policy during team meetings. And take the time to have a feedback session with your employees. You can learn a lot from a few interactions with the people who are enacting your customer service policy for you.
You’re continuously improving as you develop and implement your new policy. And not to worry, in a short space of time, you’ll provide the best possible customer service.
Celebrate your successes!
The above steps are a guide on how to create a customer service policy. But don’t forget to celebrate your successes along the way.
A new customer service policy is a big accomplishment. So, take the time to celebrate it. This will help you stay motivated as you continue to improve your customer service.
Customer service is a vital part of any business. By creating a customer service policy, you can ensure that your employees are providing the best possible service to your customers.
Follow these steps, you’ll be on your way to creating a customer service policy that works for your business.
