Customer care is one of the top reasons’ customers stop using a brand. One poor experience can taint months, and even years of loyal patronage. Is your association providing top-notch customer care? Whether you are a compact staff or have specialized departments, the vendors you partner with become an extension of your brand to your members. Be sure to choose vendors with experienced support professionals to create a seamless extension of your association’s team.
Member satisfaction has a direct effect on association profitability. Happy members remain loyal and become ambassadors of your association’s brand to their peers. Partnering with experts in recruitment support, job board functionality, and strategic planning take the strain of running a successful job board off your shoulders. It also ensures members, employers, and you have a place to go with questions. That means more time for you and your team to focus on other things.
Here are 4 steps to avoid alienating your members by providing unbeatable online customer support:
1. Timeliness.
Avoid alienating members by having a quick response to inbound emails and voicemails. Same day follow up is acceptable, but the quicker you can acknowledge inbound communications the better. Statistically, member satisfaction decreases the longer an issue takes to resolve.
2. Routine check-ins.
Online support affiliates and clients with needs beyond a single interaction should agree on a cadence for updates and check-ins. Regular touchpoints ensure project progression, and new developments can be incorporated into ongoing strategies.
3. Welcome feedback.
A good support team will take stock of all feedback. They will funnel the input through the appropriate channels internally and update the client on any progress from the relevant teams. It might seem silly to share feedback with other departments, but those extra steps create a comprehensive picture for department leaders for future product development.
4. Celebrate resolutions.
It is essential to celebrate successful resolutions. Even small victories are worth noting in a positive and upbeat tone when appropriate. Phrases like, “I’m excited to share, ” or “I’m happy to report,” puts your reader in a better frame of mind during the concluding interaction with the support team. That final communication leaves them with a more favorable impression of the overall experience, which is helpful when you are conducting customer satisfaction surveys.
