Customer service consulting is an effective way to enhance the overall service level of your brand. With customer service mattering more than ever, it’s no longer enough to create an average experience. You have to go above and beyond to winner customer loyalty, and this can take an outside perspective. There are many benefits of customer service consulting, and it’s never been more important to use all the tools at your disposal.
Whether you’re just starting to optimize your customer experience or this is something you’ve focused on for a while, now is the time to take action. On a global level, 54% of consumers report having higher service expectations than just a year ago. This means companies need to learn from experienced leaders to make actionable changes to improve the overall level of service.
How does your company stack up when it comes to your current customer service? This is where the benefits of customer service consulting can’t be understated. A service consultant is a skilled professional with years of experience helping brands of all shapes and sizes create compelling service at all levels. In this guide, we’ll explore the top benefits of customer service consulting so you can determine if it’s right for you.
Outside Perspectives
First, you can’t make changes if you don’t even know where to begin. With customer service consulting, you bring in an outside perspective. This consultant can see where you’re falling short, where you’re succeeding, and what systems need to change. Because they work with all kinds of companies, they’re skilled in spotting these strengths and weaknesses quickly.
When you’re wrapped up “in the weed” of your business, it’s easy to ignore smaller details. Things that seem normal to you could be red flags to a customer service consultant. While you might be able to uncover these problems eventually, every interaction with customers matters. Believe it or not, it takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for a single negative one. This means you can’t afford to waste time when it comes to service.
As the saying goes, time is money. In the time it takes you to determine where to improve, your customers might have already turned to the competition. With a reported 58% of American consumers switching companies because of poor customer service, this is a huge benefit to using a customer service consultant.
Every interaction matters, and there’s no time like the present to turn things around. If you don’t know what direction to go, you’ll never get there. It’s time to invest in the expertise needed to create a roadmap towards a brighter service future. Customer service consulting is a fast-track to better customer service, letting you skip the awkward in-between stages and confusion.
Accountability
Next, it’s not always easy to hold yourself accountable. It’s easy to create new brand initiatives and say you’ll do better only to let them fall apart over a few weeks or months. These are the New Year’s Resolutions of the customer service world. Only 9% of people who make New Year’s Resolutions actually are successful in keeping them. Keeping yourself accountable is difficult, and struggling with willpower is only part of being human.
Still, there are ways to increase your own accountability. On a personal level, say you want to get into shape. It’s easy to say you want to lose a few pounds this year, but how do you actually hold yourself to this commitment? One way would be to hire a fitness coach. Not only does this mean you’ve made a financial commitment to change, but you also have someone in your corner. This extra step makes all the difference.
The same is true for your customer service. It’s easy to say you’d like to do better, but how do you actually take real-world action? By investing in customer service consulting, you have someone there to guide you on this journey. Change is no longer optional. It’s definite, and this means your customers take notice.
We all struggle with self-control, willpower, and staying focused. It’s human nature, and it’s also a normal part of running a functional business. However, you can take charge of your priorities to hold your brand accountable for outstanding customer service. A customer service consultant is on your side, creating actionable steps to lead your brand further.
Greater Employee Engagement & Retention
Additionally, change starts from within. While it’s important to focus on your customers, don’t forget about your employees. When you have happier, organized, empowered employees, they’re better equipped to serve your customers. This translates to every customer interaction, and it makes a difference at every level.
Employee engagement doesn’t just reduce your turnover rate. It also improves your profitability. In fact, highly engaged teams report 21% greater profitability than organizations with lower levels of engagement. Customer service consultants address employee engagement at an internal level, making sure employees feel connected to their roles.
More importantly, they break down silos in customer service. Though most customer service training is focused on the support team, it shouldn’t end here. All departments are responsible for sharing customer support expertise.
One example of this in action is Hyatt, one of the leading hotel chains in the world. Known for its high level of customer service, Hyatt excels because it puts employee engagement first. With over 600 properties and 100,000 employees, Hyatt has built a reputation in the hospitality industry that focuses on employee development and internal promotion. With programs like ongoing training, on-site meals, travel discounts, and tuition reimbursement, Hyatt is invested in the success of its team members.
Greater Customer Engagement & Retention
With that in mind, it’s also essential to invest in customer engagement and retention. If you’re actively improving service efforts and changes, customers notice. They want to know their loyalty is taken seriously. When they see real effort, they feel more connected to the company. This means higher conversion rates and more engaged customers long-term.
Customer engagement isn’t just a trendy statistic. It’s a way to increase revenue. In fact, customers who are engaged in a company represent a 23% higher share in profitability and revenue. This means customer loyalty pays. While it might make sense to always attract new customers, your existing ones are more likely to spend more, stay loyal, and stick around.
One of the biggest benefits of customer service consulting is having an expert’s guidance for keeping your customers engaged. Your users have higher expectations than ever before. You can’t assume you know what they want. Instead, you need to create a robust system for asking for feedback, taking action, and always doing better. Most importantly, customer engagement and retention aren’t one-and-dones. It has to be earned again and again. There’s no such thing as getting too comfortable.
Concrete Referral Marketing Strategy
Last but not least, a customer service consultant helps you do more than create content for your specific customers. Instead, you’ll also transform passive users into active superfans. These are the customers who are invested in the success of your organization. Better yet, they continue to refer new customers your way. Not only does this improve your NPS score and other internal metrics, but it also reduces your marketing costs.
Referral marketing is worth its weight in gold. A reported 92% of people trust referrals from people they know. While you can market your business all day long, you’ll never be as trustworthy as a recommendation from someone’s inner circle. When you invest in superfans and customer service consulting, your best customers become your biggest promoters.
One shining example of a winning referral marketing strategy is from the travel platform Airbnb. By offering a discount to first-time signups through a referral link, the platform encouraged travelers to recommend friends and family to the service.
They made it as easy as possible to share their referral link via text, email, and social media. By giving the referee account credit for their recommendation, they increased bookings by over 25% in some travel markets. This goes to show that referral marketing is profitable and highly effective. Though far from one-and-done, it’s easy to see how this type of referral strategy (literally) pays.
Take Your Customer Service Farther
Ultimately, you’re responsible for meeting and exceeding your customer’s expectations around the customer experience. This isn’t something you can take for granted. Even if your customers are satisfied today, there are no guarantees about what the future might bring. The only certainty is that customers want more than ever before, and service can’t be an afterthought.
Are you ready to take your customer service further? Customer service consulting has countless benefits, all of which directly impact the way your customers feel about your brand. Creating superfans has never been more important. If you’re ready to take this next step, let’s chat. With years of experience working with the world’s top brands, my expertise is built on real-world insights and expertise.
