Among different definitions of philosoph<\/em>y, Merriam-Webster dictionary<\/a> offers this one, too: the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group. <\/em>This definition is very much applicable to our current topic of customer philosophy. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A philosophy summarizes the company\u2019s vision of exceptional customer service and outlines a list of values in handling customer issues and providing support. Most importantly, the philosophy lays the foundation for an actionable customer service strategy you develop together as a unit and practice on a day-to-day basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the way, your company values mean nothing if the team doesn\u2019t believe and implement them. No matter if you scream from the rooftops about your super open and customer service-oriented<\/a> company but, in fact, fail to provide exceptional customer experience. Actions speak louder than words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A holistic customer service vision isn\u2019t something you can shape overnight and add as icing on the cake. In fact, it\u2019s a way of thinking that comes from your organization\u2019s core and reflects your company mission. To succeed in this endeavor, you should reason out your every step. This is what we\u2019re going to elaborate on next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is the basis of successful teamwork? Trust. If you want your staff to feel empowered, give them credit. As tempting as it may be to control everything that\u2019s going on in your company, this is a dead-end road. You\u2019d better take the following steps to shape a good customer support philosophy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Who are those people in your customer base? What are their preferences? And most importantly, what are their needs? If you managed to answer these questions, congratulations! You know everything about your buyer personas<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After you explore the information, see if you can cater to your customers\u2019 needs according to three aspects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your customer service reps won\u2019t feel empowered unless they have all the right tools to act fast and vigorously. The ultimate customer service goals are to provide superior service and do it quickly. For that purpose, customer service reps should be able to escalate any issue to responsible departments as fast as possible, get back to clients via any channel they prefer, and resolve issues on the fly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me use HelpCrunch, an all-in-one customer communication tool, as an example here. From the user\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s just a live chat window integrated with a website. They can leave their messages and communicate with the customer support team in real-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the customer service reps\u2019 perspective, though, HelpCrunch can be truly inspiring in terms of functionality and user experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s picture a battle. In the red corner, there is a brand with a customer service philosophy that is based on cooling the heels, waiting for a client to come first, and just minding its own business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the blue corner, we have a team of dedicated support pros who show their initiative, know when to reach out to a person, and what piece of advice to give. Fight! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Who is the winner? The team from the blue corner! They have a proactive approach<\/a> and take advantage of it. One of the surefire ways to implement it in your workflow is setting up special messages and sending them via live chat<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, you know that you get most of the traffic from your website\u2019s pricing page. Any time a visitor navigates it, a proactive message will pop up saying you are always here should they have any questions. As a result, you may engage more leads, upsell to existing clients, and even gather valuable customer feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amazon\u2019s customer support philosophy is that Jeff Bezos requires every single manager to be trained in the company\u2019s call centers before anything else. He thinks it\u2019s the most effective way to understand the needs of real customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The e-commerce behemoth also adopts a rather customer-centric approach in matters of refunds, replacements, and guarantees. The company offers refunds for missing or damaged items and even has a special guarantee covering your purchases from third parties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This A-to-A Guarantee<\/a> ensures that Amazon will handle your claim even when you did your business with another seller. Moreover, I don\u2019t think that Amazon\u2019s reps consult with the CEO on each of these cases \u2013 they\u2019re empowered to meet their customers halfway and help them with anything they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGet closer than ever to your customers. So close, in fact, that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.\u201d<\/em> Steve Jobs<\/p>\n\n\n\n How could I NOT mention Apple\u2019s philosophy of service? The thing is that it\u2019s a golden standard of how you should get personal with your clients. It\u2019s all in their acronym<\/a> \u2013 A.P.P.L.E<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A<\/strong> \u2013 Approach customers with a personalized, warm welcome <\/p>\n\n\n\n P<\/strong> \u2013 Probe politely to understand all the customer\u2019s needs <\/p>\n\n\n\n P<\/strong> \u2013 Present a solution for the customer to take home today <\/p>\n\n\n\n L<\/strong> \u2013 Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns<\/p>\n\n\n\n E<\/strong> \u2013 End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interesting, isn\u2019t it? I just came up with an idea to encrypt HelpCrunch\u2019s customer service philosophy in our company\u2019s title. So, what we have here is (try to do the same for your brand):<\/p>\n\n\n\n H<\/strong> \u2013 Help customers achieve their sought-after goals <\/p>\n\n\n\n E<\/strong> \u2013 Engage with every customer in an upbeat and prominent manner <\/p>\n\n\n\n L<\/strong> \u2013 Let customers know we care about them day by day<\/p>\n\n\n\n P<\/strong> \u2013 Provide timely and professional support <\/p>\n\n\n\n C<\/strong> \u2013 Create smooth experiences during the whole client lifecycle<\/p>\n\n\n\n R<\/strong> \u2013 Ruin stereotypes about lame customer service <\/p>\n\n\n\n U<\/strong> \u2013 Unite every team member for the client\u2019s sake and success<\/p>\n\n\n\n N<\/strong> \u2013 Nail customer self-service with a profound knowledge base <\/p>\n\n\n\n C<\/strong> \u2013 Communicate an agile approach <\/p>\n\n\n\n H<\/strong> \u2013 Hold modern technologies together and improve them regularly<\/p>\n\n\n\n7 steps to create an uplifting customer service philosophy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1. Explore your buyer personas<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2. Provide your team with the right tools<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"helpcrunch](\"https:\/\/helpcrunch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Shared-inbox.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nStep 3. Be proactive<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"helpcrunch](\"https:\/\/helpcrunch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/HelpCrunch-live-chat-landing-proactive-chat-message.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n4 aspirational customer service philosophy examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Amazon\u2019s customer centricity <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Apple\u2019s encrypted philosophy <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Buffer\u2019s happiness team<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n