Retailers can look to Zappos for excellent service strategies
When providing products and services, retailers know they must also offer exceptional service if they want to boost their consumer retention and loyalty. For large businesses, these excellent customer experiences start with service agents and call centers. Companies need to ensure they are monitoring employees' performance and recognizing their hard work if they want to see overall service methods improve. One company recently highlighted the initiatives it has been using to boost its proactive customer service efforts.
Zappos is getting it right in service
Zappos, a clothing and shoe internet retailer, has been receiving praise for its customer service strategies. To get better insight on these methods, Software Advice interviewed Zappos customer loyalty operations manager Derek Carder to find out exactly what his company is doing to excel at consumer service. Carder first explained that Zappos focuses on creating "wow" moments for its shoppers, and also works to develop emotional connections.
Next, Carder stated, the company measures four different key performance indicators (KPIs) when it comes to monitoring the efforts of staff members within customer service departments. The first KPI Carder looks at is how long agents spend on the phone with consumers. But instead of pushing for faster call times, Zappos encourages employees to take their time when interacting with customers.
The next KPI is idle chats, or whether or not agents have left live chat windows open after customers have disconnected. By leaving these chats open, agents are often attempting to avoid responding to the next consumer inquiry. By pinpointing idle chats, Zappos is able to find employees that are unproductive. Carder stated that the third KPI is looking for the important "wow" moments and rewarding staff members who provided them. If employees do not meet a certain number of points within a specified time frame, they are required to attend more training.
The fourth KPI Zappos monitors is attendance. Agents who have an excessive amount of sick absences or late arrivals are given points. Employees who have no points within a given period are awarded paid hours off and other rewards, Carder explained.
Focusing on emotional customer relationships
Perhaps the success of Zappos' customer service strategies lies in the company's focus on establishing and maintaining effective emotional connections with its customers. Software Advice writes that the KPIs encourage this behavior among employees. Instead of telling agents to rush through calls and chats, the business asks its employees to focus more on listening to the needs of shoppers and then doing whatever is required to get their issues resolved, however long it takes.
