How to Be a Customer Service Superhero (Even If You Don’t Have Super Powers!)

By: Andrea Lotz Tuesday March 24, 2015 comments Tags: customer service, crm

Sometimes, it feels like to be a successful small business owner, you’d have to have superpowers.  There’s so much to do in a day, and there’s so little time to do it.  Add to that the fact that you’re your own sales rep, your own marketing expert, and your own receptionist, and it seems like you’d need a whole team of superheroes to get everything done.

Especially when it comes to customer service, it’s amazing how much time can fly by.  Was it really two whole weeks ago that you called that lead?  Did you really spend an hour and half on the phone with one customer?  It’s interesting how customers are at once the lifeblood of a business, and the greatest time sink.

Being a customer service superhero means that you take awesome care of your customers… without spending all your precious time and resources.  From attracting prospects and educating leads to managing customer relationships far into the future, it sure would be nice to have some superpowers on hand to help you get ahead.

Not all heroes have powers though – some use gadgets.  There’s nothing wrong with using tools to help you be super.  After all, Batman does it.

Below are some awesome customer service superpowers we all wish we had, and the gadgets that get you as close as humanly possible.

1.  Summon Leads with Telepathic Powers

One of the biggest challenges for a small business is figuring out how to craft your messaging to reach your target audience.  Wouldn’t it be awesome to be able to tune into your prospects’ thoughts and get them to do your bidding?  To have telepathic powers to communicate with them about their pain points, and to know exactly where they go to look for products like yours? 

Gadget Up!

While there’s no substitute for customer development surveys, you can get a pretty good sense of what messaging they respond to by using tracking URLs.  With the right reporting tools, tracking URLs can let you know not only what your customers are clicking on, but also what they do afterward. 

For example, if you’ve invested in a Google AdWords campaign, and you’re trying out two different messages, you’ll see which one gets the most clicks, but you’ll also be able to track how they interact with your website after clicking through.  Do they fill out lead boxes?  Make a purchase?  Search for something you don’t offer?

By using this information strategically, you get your messaging dialed in so specifically to your target audience, it’ll be like you’re talking directly into their heads.  And that’s great news for your ROI.

2. Understand Leads with Clairvoyant Insight

It can be hard to know which leads are worth your time, and how to prioritize them to make the most sales.  If you only had clairvoyant insight into their thoughts and feelings, you’d know instantly which leads were almost ready to buy, and which need more time and nurturing. 

Gadget Up!

Using CRM software to help you sort and prioritize your leads can help you get this process organized.  While you won’t quite have clairvoyant insight, just having a system in place can save you tons of time – which means you have more time for growing your business!

When creating a sales pipeline, which is basically a way of organizing your leads to make follow-up easier, it’s important to keep a good balance of hot leads and leads that will take a little more time and effort.  It’s tempting to get distracted by hot leads, and to drop everything to accommodate them, but often it’s the slow and steady leads that turn into longtime, valuable customers.

3.  Follow Up with Superhuman Speed

Did you know that most customers make buying decisions at least partially based on who gets back to them first?  You can’t afford to be second place in this fast paced world.  Where are your follow-up gaps?  If you had superhuman speed, you could follow up with every lead instantly – without even breaking a sweat. 

Gadget Up!

Software can make a huge difference to your follow up speed.  For example, you can set up automated emails to go out whenever a new lead fills out a lead box on your website.  If you send them a welcome email and a coupon right away, you get a foot in the door before anyone else has a chance.

4.  Remember Customer Information with Enhanced Memory

Having so many customers you can’t remember them all is a good problem to have, but it can make you look bad.  Customers love to feel that they’re receiving personal customer service, and that means knowing not only their name, but their preferences, order history, and details about their lives.  It’s a lot to keep in your head – if only you had enhanced memory to track everything.

Gadget Up!

This is another area where CRM software can help you a lot.  A good CRM will allow you to keep detailed notes on all your interactions with a client.  AllProWebTools’ CRM has a unique live workflow timeline feed for each of your contacts, keeping a chronological account of all past orders, notes, and, for service industry businesses, time spent clocked in to them.  You don’t need enhanced memory with the right software solution.

5.  Set Good Boundaries with Force Fields

The only problem with developing great customer relationship is, some customers might start taking up more than their fair share of your time, energy, and resources.  Needy customers can cost you hours per week unless you set good boundaries.  Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could put up a force field to let customers know that your time and energy is valuable?

Gadget Up!

A good way to put a value on your time is to start charging for it.  If you’re finding yourself spending way too much time working with needy clients, you might find it beneficial to start charging for your time after a certain point.  AllProWebTools allows you to clock into clients easily from your dashboard, so you can then send them an invoice for the appropriate amount.  Or, you can charge in advance for your time, and clock in to drain from that account credit.  Either way, it’s a great way to make it clear that your time has a price tag.

What do you do that makes you a customer service superhero?  Let us know in the comments!