What is customer service?

The article begins by addressing a common misconception about customer service, stating that it's often positioned as separate from customer support, experience, and success. However, in practice, especially in lean startups and small businesses, all these aspects are intertwined.

The author emphasizes that customer service is not a distinct entity, but rather an integrated approach to serving customers, encompassing various aspects like support, experience, and success strategies.

• Customer service is a method of serving customers that enables them to get the most value from your product or service for their own benefit.
• It can be implemented by a small team, a large team, or even without a dedicated team at all.
• The key is to understand that any team, whether customer support, service, or success, can effectively handle customer service tasks.

Customer service strategies that actually scale at our lean startup

The article provides nine customer service strategies that are effective and scalable, even for lean startups. These strategies focus on utilizing email marketing as a primary channel for reaching out to customers, fostering relationships, and promoting customer success.

• Customer service strategy #1: Following up with a potential customer from the blog - Encourage readers to provide their email address on the blog and automatically send a message asking if they're interested in the software. If they respond, move them down the funnel and start them on a trial. If they don't respond, let it go.
• Customer service strategy #2: Reaching out to a potential customer after viewing a demo video - Ask potential customers to enter their email address before viewing a demo video. This allows the customer service team to follow up and continue the conversation.
• Customer service strategy #3: Checking in with current customers as they hit benchmarks - Set up notifications to alert the customer service team when an account hits certain benchmarks, such as adding a tenth user. This allows for proactive communication and help during a high-stress time for the customer.
• Customer service strategy #4: Educating current customers on unused features - Send educational emails to customers prompting them to try new features. Include use cases and examples to demonstrate the value.
• Customer service strategy #5: Touching base with current customers as they add new products - Mark the activation or addition of a new product as a customer service touchpoint and reach out with valuable resources to ensure success.
• Customer service strategy #6: Upselling current customers - Suggest upgrades to plans that better fit the needs of growing accounts or encourage happy customers to switch to annual plans.
• Customer service strategy #7: Offering new perks to current customers - Continuously innovate and offer new perks to customers, such as Office Hours, to foster relationships and demonstrate value.
• Customer service strategy #8: Providing extra assistance for high-risk potential customers - Pay extra attention to trialers who don't set up a mailbox, a crucial step in successfully using the software. Offer help and explore potential pain points.
• Customer service strategy #9: Spotting warning signs for high-risk current customers - Set up alerts for high-risk events, such as account inactivity for fourteen days. This allows the customer service team to intervene and attempt to retain the account.

Customer service metrics to track

The article emphasizes that customer service metrics are closely tied to overall business health and are crucial for tracking the effectiveness of customer service strategies.

• Customer service metric #1: Churn - This metric reflects the rate of customer drop-off, signifying low satisfaction and reduced business growth. Lower churn rates indicate successful customer service.
• Customer service metric #2: Retention - This metric shows the ability of a company to maintain its customer base. High retention rates indicate customer satisfaction and steady business growth.
• Customer service metric #3: NPS (Net Promoter Score) - This metric measures a customer's willingness to recommend a product or service. A higher NPS score indicates strong customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Customer service metric #4: Average resolution time - This metric tracks the time taken to resolve customer support queries. A lower average resolution time indicates efficient and responsive customer service.

Putting a customer service strategy in place at your business

The article emphasizes that a customer service strategy isn't a one-time initiative but an ongoing process that should be integrated across all departments. It also emphasizes that even lean startups can implement effective customer service strategies without a dedicated team or a fancy CRM.

• The key is to start small, experiment with different strategies, and quickly implement what works.
• Utilizing tools like email marketing can effectively scale customer service efforts and reach a wider audience.
• By prioritizing customer needs and fostering positive relationships, businesses can drive customer success, reduce churn, and achieve significant business growth.