Prepping for a customer support conversation can sometimes feel like gearing up for a battle.
A friend or family member may even feel they need to offer coaching beforehand.
“Make sure you mention this, this, and this, because they won’t ask,” they might say.
Why? Because the friend-turned-CX life coach feels like they know more than the actual employees. That’s a problem. After all, customers should never feel they have to be experts on a company’s products, policies, or processes. If they do, trust is already broken.
Expecting Resistance & Customer Sludge
Ultimately, past experiences condition customers to expect resistance. That starts long before a customer reaches a service rep.
Think about chatbots that don’t resolve anything, long hold times, dropped calls, or instances where customers have to jump through hoops before they can talk to anyone.
In fact, just getting through to a human is often a customer’s biggest pain point, and all these examples are far too familiar.
Indeed, many customers refer to these incidences as “sludge.” The term has gained traction online, as many accuse brands of putting up barriers to speaking with the support team, hoping they’ll eventually give up.
Whether that’s the hope or not, these obstacles result in customers, who are prepared to go to battle, becoming even more frustrated and defensive when they eventually reach a service rep.
A Better Approach
Of course, there are reasons why contact centers put up blockers to engage with humans. They want customers to default to self-service solutions and ease the pressure on support staff.
However, to stop customers running riot, consider this five-stage approach.
1. Equip the Team
Human agents should never feel like customers know more than they do. So, train employees to be true experts and give them the tools to resolve common issues.
Agent assistance tools are popular here. But, implement them carefully and monitor continuously to ensure they deliver results. Unhelpful pop-ups will only frustrate the team.
2. Simplify Processes
Don’t design systems that force customers to over-explain, chase follow-ups, or navigate endless policies. Of course, compliance is necessary, but clear, simplified communication is key.