Three pointers to provide exceptional customer service

January 1, 2024

Author: Patrick Sins

Although Ben and Jenny McAvoy, the company's owners, say that Rosie's experience with Insectek is very unique, it is actually typical for their sector. Handling home problems, particularly those involving bugs, can be an emotionally taxing procedure for any client.

Although customers may visit Insectek for a service, Jenny and Ben equally value their emotional needs. Insectek's goal is to relieve their stress through sympathetic interactions in addition to offering prompt, efficient customer service.

Jenny said, "I love that we have clients who will give us their house code right now." "Even though they aren't living there, they have such a high level of trust in our company that they feel confident enough to let any of our technicians enter, treat their house properly, and then leave."

Jenny and Ben provide four strategies for demonstrating empathy and putting clients at ease during their visit below.

1. Establish rapport with clients right away

Jenny and Ben's mission is centered around providing empathetic customer service. It is insufficient to just provide a consumer pest control services; they also want assurances that will last throughout the whole procedure. Ben says that the first step in this is to pick up the phone and listen.

"Just listening to the wants of the consumer is the first step in our training. They find it quite unpleasant that an insect is invading their living area and causing them much frustration. Thus, we train [our staff] to empathize with that client."

Rosie had to accompany her mother to the hospital due to a medical emergency on the day of her Insectek appointment. Rosie was able to schedule a time for Insectek tech Jared to still visit that day and fix her insect problem after speaking with him.

"It was somewhat of a comedy of errors where all you could do was cry, but Jared was texting me and he was really understanding of the circumstances," Rosie said. "We can get there if you want someone to come," he added. Do not worry if not. We are able to reschedule. It was just that I felt that I was under the genuine care of someone. That was really significant.

2. Make it simple to communicate with customers on their terms.

Ben and Jenny added that after the first call, it's critical to stay in touch quickly and give regular updates to ensure that clients never feel abandoned. They learned a lot from their first competition study, which indicated a need for pest control professionals that see clients as more than simply a transaction, and from their own unpleasant experiences as customers.

Jenny said, "We made sure that you get a text alert that [a technician] is coming or on their way] when we were starting up." "We aimed to provide clients with a precise time for their appointment. Our goal was to avoid having [clients] wait for [a tech] to arrive for four hours of the day, take a day off, work from home, or not show up at all. You will get a call and notification if we are ever more than five minutes late.

Rosie, who had to manage last-minute scheduling to accommodate her mom's health emergency, found success with this tactic. "It was all via text message while I was communicating with [my tech] Jared. Convenience was something else I cherished. I was free to go without a phone or to adhere to a schedule. It was agreed upon by me," she stated.

Rosie claimed that Insectek's power resides in these seemingly insignificant actions, such as being able to get in touch with Jared quickly or feeling heard when she speaks with Kole, another tech.

"The small things that made a big difference, like Kole remembering my mom's hospital stay and showing empathy when I told him I had to take care of everything in the house now, including the pest control—something I hadn't done before because of my father's death."

3. Train for success and hire individuals with people skills

Without the people that support it, seamless communication is nothing. Ben and Jenny at Insectek choose specialists based on their interpersonal abilities to guarantee that they have the ability to calm consumers down in tense situations. "Those who possess positive character traits, empathy, and a strong sense of responsibility when they have to return home due to unexpected issues are the ones we choose to hire," Ben said.

In an interview, it can be challenging to assess a candidate's customer-related skills. The goal of Insectek's approach is to foster an atmosphere that allows applicants to express who they really are. Ben explained, "They let down their guard and maybe divulge things that they wouldn't normally divulge in an interview, but that's how it gives us insight into their character. It's a more conversational, laid-back interview style."

Training is just as vital as hiring. While many customer service representatives are accustomed to confrontational phone calls, Insectek's administrative team is taught to diffuse complaints amicably. "There's nothing for [customers] to be upset about when you treat them well and with respect. They won't come attacking if you answer the phone in a polite manner, Jenny stated.

Employees gain from this as well since it makes it simpler for them to be empathetic when they are treated with the same respect and trust. "We want to provide a comfortable working atmosphere. Jenny said, "We want them to return home, enjoy their time with their families, and yet want to come back and answer customer service inquiries.

4. Give "rapid response" to complaints and comments.

Jenny and Ben handle every online client engagement with the same proactive, sympathetic demeanor. Positive or negative Yelp reviews are all addressed by the pair.

Ben stated, "The customer may not always be right, but you do need to listen to them, and even if they are a little unreasonable, there is usually some truth in what they're saying." "In the event that we receive a negative review, I have complete faith and trust in our staff, and I always get their version of events before contacting customers." However, we pay attention every time. We constantly act in the customer's best interest.

Ben said that regardless of who is in the right, they respond quickly to address complaints from unhappy consumers and provide reimbursements. "In the past, things have unintentionally broken around the house. We use a quick response approach, making sure to attend to them right away," he said. We reassure them that we will take care of things and that they are in capable hands.