Proactive customer service differs from reactive service in that it uses a variety of techniques and processes to get information to customers before they initiate an interaction themselves. These techniques and processes will vary from company to company depending on variables such as the nature of the products and services being supported, the skill level of the company's customer base and the type of ongoing communications that already take place between the company and its customers.
Proactive customer service is where we want our organizations to
spend most of their time. Proactive customer service is about anticipating not only customer needs but also customer problems. Taken to its highest level, proactive service is also about creating products and services that customers do not even know they need yet (think iPad). Well-executed proactive service often creates the WOW moments we hear discussed so often.
But simple examples of this pro-active approach could be
- Sending out questionnaires and surveys to find out customer views.
- Notifying customers of changes to products, price, procedures etc.
- Providing information allied to your product (e.g. recipes if your business is selling fish)
- Having a "chat" facility to handle customer questions while they are looking at your website.
- Bringing drink refills to a customer's table before they ask.
Proactive customer service is directed to Anticipating Customer Needs, issues, problems or wants, and jumping ahead. Reactive customer service, which is much more common, seeks to resolve issues as they arise.
Clearly, proactive customer service takes more time, more effort and deals with many more intangibles. Reactive customer service is easier. The big difference between them is one prevents and the other fixes.
Perhaps the best strategy for most organizations is to mix it up. You will have to respond to customer issues when they arise, but still looking to prevent those issues from arising in the first place.
Proactive thinking in customer service is really about cutting back on the reactive work you will have to do. Start with considering what your customers want and need. If you align your business with these needs and wants, chances are your customers will not have many issues with you.
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