If you're like most business owners, you're always looking for ways to improve customer satisfaction (CSAT). After all, happy customers are more likely to return, and they may even refer their friends and family. In previous articles, we've already explained CSAT and why it is so important to your business. In this blog post, we'll discuss 13 actionable ways that you can improve CSAT. Some of these tips may be familiar to you, while others may be new. But we promise that all of them will help you create a better customer experience and increase satisfaction levels!
What is CSAT, and how to calculate it?
The CSAT, or customer satisfaction score, is a metric that measures how satisfied your customers are with your product or service. It is usually calculated using the rating system of 1 to 5, where 1 is very dissatisfied, and 5 is very satisfied.
To calculate your CSAT score, simply add up all of the 4 and 5 responses you received on your survey. Next, add the total number of responses across all scores and divide that number by the total number of 4 and 5 responses. From there, multiply by 100 to receive your CSAT score.
13 actionable ways to improve your CSAT
The only way to know how to improve your CSAT score is to benchmark it against your industry average and continually make improvements to your customer service strategy. If you're wondering how to improve CSAT scores across the board, here are 13 tips:
Understand your customers
The first step to providing excellent customer service is understanding who your customers are and what they need. Take the time to segment your customer base and create buyer personas. This will help you better understand how to communicate with them and what solutions they're looking for. For example, if you're selling software, your buyer persona might be a small business owner who is time-poor and needs an easy-to-use solution.
Once you know who your customer is, you can start thinking about how to meet their needs. Do they need 24/seven support? A detailed knowledge base? Live chat? Personalized service? By understanding your customers, you'll be able to give them the best possible experience.
Meet customers where they already hang out
In order to provide excellent customer service, you need to meet your customers where they are. By meeting your customers where they are, whether that's by e-mail, in-person, social media, Skype, Slack, or any other platform, you're making it easy for your customers to get in touch and get the help they need. And that's what excellent customer service is all about.
Avoid using excessive automation
While automation can be helpful in some customer service situations, too much of it can actually hurt your CSAT score. If customers feel like they're talking to a robot, they're going to get frustrated and may even give up on trying to resolve their issue. So, if you're using automation, make sure that it's not excessive and that customers can still get the human interaction they need.
Utilize live chat to be available 24/7
Did you know that 89% of consumers report that having their issues solved quickly is what led to a great customer service experience? However, it's not always realistic to have a customer service representative available 24/7. This is where live chat comes in. Live chat allows you to be there for your customers even when you're not physically available, guiding them through the sales process or providing support.
Provide a thorough knowledge base
A knowledge base is a great way to provide self-service support for your customers. By having a comprehensive and easy-to-use knowledge base, you're giving your customers the ability to find answers to their questions on their own without having to wait for someone to get back to them. Not only does this save you time, but it also provides a great experience for your customers.
Create standards for customer communication
59% of customers won't return after a bad customer service experience, which is why it's so important to create standards for how your team communicates with customers. By having standards in place, you can ensure that every customer receives the same level of service, no matter who they talk to.
Use negative feedback to improve your service
It's not always easy to hear negative feedback, but it's important to use it as an opportunity to improve your customer service. After all, if you're not making mistakes, then you're not trying new things. So, when you receive negative feedback, take it as an opportunity to learn and make changes to your customer service strategy.
Use visual tools to make customer service more engaging
Customer service can sometimes be dull, but it doesn't have to be. By using visual tools, such as video or screen sharing, you can make customer service more engaging and fun. Not only will this make the experience better for your customers, but it'll also make it more enjoyable for you and your team.
Continually measure customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction should be measured on a regular basis, preferably after every interaction. This will help you identify areas where you need to improve and make changes to your customer service strategy. Additionally, it'll also help you see how your team is performing and how customers feel about your service.
Create solutions from customer feedback
Customer feedback is a great way to identify problems with your customer service. But it's not enough to just listen to what customers are saying. You also need to take action and create solutions. By taking the time to listen to customer feedback and then creating solutions, you're showing that you're committed to providing the best possible customer service.
Allow your team to go above and beyond
It's important to encourage your team to go above and beyond for customers. After all, it's the little things that often make the biggest difference. By allowing your team to go above and beyond, you're giving them the opportunity to create amazing customer service experiences that will keep customers coming back.
Build online communities and support
One of the best ways to improve customer service is to build online communities and support. By giving customers a place to interact with each other, you're not only providing them with support, but you're also building a community of loyal customers.
Use proactive support and technology
One of the best ways to provide proactive support is to use technology such as session replays, cobrowsing, and console logs to provide solutions before users even have a chance to ask for help. This not only speeds up ticket resolution times but also offers top-notch customer service.
Conclusion
If you're struggling with how to improve CSAT scores for your business, we hope that this blog post has given you some ideas. Remember, the key is understanding your customers and meeting them where they already are. By utilizing live chat, providing a thorough knowledge base, and using proactive support technologies, you can create a better customer experience and improve satisfaction levels!