6 Customer Support Sins that Can Erode Brand Reputation

Strong customer support is one of the key foundational elements of many B2B and B2C organizations. Having an effective support system for clients that are having issues is an important way to keep relationships with your customers strong and relevant.

1. Don’t listen. When customers call you looking for support, what they really want is for you to listen to what they’re going through, show your understanding and help them solve their problems. One of the biggest frustrations that clients have when they call for help is when they feel like they’re not being heard and this can turn a support situation ugly, very quickly. When tensions are already high the best thing a support specialist can do is to get a conversation off on the right foot by listening carefully to what the customer is saying.
2. Hoard your knowledge. There’s something to be sad for making yourself an invaluable resource to your customers, but, keeping them in the dark so they’re forced to come to you whenever they have an issue isn’t the right answer for any of the parties involved. Allowing your customers to be more self-sufficient in the way that they deal with their problems doesn’t mean they won’t need you anymore, it just means that they feel more capable of taking care of themselves. 
3. Blame the client. There is always the temptation when dealing with customers who know less than you about your product or services to blame them for every issue that arises, but, guess what? Customers know when you’re patronizing them or treating them like they're idiots, and they don't like it. So take a step back, remember that it doesn’t matter whose fault the issue is, and just help them come up with a solution. 
4. Forget what it’s like to be confused. At some point in time you were knew to your product or service and you were in the same situation that many of your customers are now. Empathizing with them can go a long way towards having a successful support interaction. 
5. Throw equality out the window. Most organizations have different levels of “client importance,” and, when there are some customers labeled, “high priority,” it’s easy to treat those ones better than the little guys. The problem with this is that those “minor” clients still most likely make up a big portion of your customer base, and, in the age of social media where word of mouth spreads at an alarming rate, you can’t afford to treat any client as a less valuable commodity than another one. 
6. Watch the clock. When it comes to support your customers, there shouldn’t be a time limit. There are always going to be customers that require more  support than others and there’s certainly a time when it’s important to say  enough is enough, but rushing your customers because you’re busy makes them feel like you’re not respecting their problems or concerns and it creates negative feelings and emotions towards your company in general.

Posted by Amberlie Denny at February 21, 2011 8:45 AM

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