CX, customer experience, is the sum total of everything your customers experience from your business. It’s everything from the first phone call to the final bill. It’s every conversation you have, everything you do, and the value you bring to your customers’ businesses.

 In this blog, we’ll look at some of how a computer service company can improve their customer experience and win over new customers with referrals and outstanding performance.

Answer the phone 

Most times,  the first interaction someone has with you is a phone call. They might call to inquire about your services or they may have a crisis with their computer or network and are looking for you to help.

Answer the phone. If you can’t answer the phone, have someone answer the phone. Voicemail is not good enough. While it’s easy for you to let everyone go to voicemail, it’s also easy for them to call the next business until someone picks up.

If you need to hire an answering service, it can be worth the money. When a customer speaks to someone, they feel more like they’ve been heard and will be more willing to wait. 

A virtual assistant can help with this too. Even if you hire a homebound family member to answer the phone, say you’re out of the office and take a message, it can go a long way to starting the relationship right.

Get back soon

No one wants to wait for days to find out about what something is going to cost or even the person they called can do the work. 

Get back to everyone who calls as soon as you can. This might mean setting aside 20 minutes between jobs to call everyone who called you. Get their information and email them when you get back to the office, but call them back as soon as you can. 

Listen, even if…

Listen to what the person is saying, even if you think you’ve got it figured out as soon as they speak.

Many people want to be heard. If they’re cut off, even if you’re right, it can feel rude and annoying. If it goes on too long, stop them gently, but give them some time to speak.

If they have a crisis or they’ve had an unpleasant experience, they might just need to vent a bit before telling you what they need. You didn’t sign up to be a therapist, but you might need to listen a little. 

Do they care?

Many business owners simply don’t need to fill their heads with everything you’re about to do. They may tell you they don’t care.

Ask them, “Would you like me to explain what I’m going to do?” If they say no, smile and tell them you’re going to go get it done!

Avoid jargon

Unless you’re speaking to someone you know understands the tech jargon of your industry, don’t use a lot of jargon. If you must use jargon, explain what you’re talking about.

When you use jargon, especially tech jargon, it can sound like you’re trying to be smarter than your listener, even if you’re just rating it plainly. It’s a lot like a doctor discussing medical issues. 

Make it easy for the other person to understand you so they can feel included in what you’re saying.

Get beyond today

Think of every customer as a life customer, even if this is their first contact. If you’re thinking long term, it will change what you do and how you treat them. You’ll see your interactions as long-term investments, not quick grabs for cash.

Every customer can be a customer for life if they feel appreciated and valued.

Own mistakes

Own all the mistakes and fix them. There’s nothing worse than having a service company act like it’s someone else’s fault. Everything is your fault, even if it’s not your fault.

If your supplier did not deliver, it’s your fault. If a subcontractor screwed up, it’s your fault. It is your fault if the customer ordered the wrong thing.

You don’t have to pay out a lot of money for things you didn’t do wrong, but apologize, then fix whatever it is.

Understand your customers

If you’re branching into an unknown part of the industry, take the time to understand your new customers. Once you understand the new industry, take the time to learn about each new customer. 

The About Us page on their website is a gift. It will tell you the history of the business. The leadership’s LinkedIn pages will tell you about what are the priorities of the company and the leaders.

The more you know about the customer in front of you, the more you can hit the mark on their needs and keep them happy.

Be in their context

This follows on the earlier idea of knowing your customer; understand what they need and deliver it in their context, not yours. 

While every small business might need your services, no two small businesses are the same. Look, listen, and ask to understand what they need and deliver that.

This goes back to the idea of listening. You might‌ anticipate some of their needs, but the need you must acknowledge most is their need to be treated as individuals.

Be innovative

Look for ways to communicate with your audience that will differ from the ways your competitors do. Everyone uses email, but what if you mail a note or letter about something? You might be able to use social media, SMS, or telegram to contact your customers.

Ask them what’s the best way to get a hold of them and use that.

Invest in people and technology 

Make sure your people understand what the CX goals are. It’s also vital to have a service business management system. This will give you a CRM, scheduling, and more to make your service seamless.

It’s about the CX 

 Everything you do should be geared to make the customers’ experience better.

Start with the simple things, like answering the phone, then deliver on every promise.