6 authentic ways to show appreciation for remarkable customer support

October 19, 2018 | Virtual Agents | Blog

minutes

woman talking on mobile phone

If you have something nice to say, say it loud.

As someone who worked as a contact center agent for Liveops prior to taking on my current role of managing teams of agents, I can tell you: Most people are quick to share stories about less-than-stellar calls with customer service. What usually goes untold are the times when someone does deliver great customer service.

Yet customer service agents are the lifeblood of every organization, including/especially here at Liveops. A few weeks ago we highlighted appreciation for what our agents do day in and day out. In addition to talking about how we appreciate them, we also wanted to highlight a few simple ways everyone can recognize outstanding customer service when it happens. It takes just a few moments.

It makes an agent’s day to know they made a difference for you. Here are 6 everyday ways to show your appreciation:

  1. Address them by their name. Usually, there is an introduction at the start of the conversation. Not all of us are great with names but, if you can or do remember your agent’s name, try and use it during the call. This is a great way to show respect and subtle appreciation.
  2. Say “thank you” and tell them what their help means to you. Too often, callers are so focused on the task at hand they forget they’re talking to a real live human.
  3. Tell their contact center. Ask the agent what would be the best way to share positive feedback so that it reaches the contact center where they provide services.
  4. Take the survey. If you’re given the chance to press “1” to opt-in and provide comments after a call or chat experience, take it and always be honest, but respectful, with your feedback and praise.
  5. Amplify. Give the company’s customer service team a shoutout on social media. Even if you aren’t able to mention the person’s name for privacy of the agent or intimate details of your situation, it’s a shot of feel good just to know they were the reason you tweeted.
  6. Write a thank you note. No gesture is too small to be recognized in a short but sweet handwritten and mailed note. Remember to take time to find out their name, agent ID, and mailing address of their contact center.

Agents who go above and beyond to fix a caller’s problem—maybe it’s finding and ordering the correct item after they received the wrong one, steering a caller toward a better deal/upsell, or even being the one who goes the extra mile to find an answer when it’s not in their wheelhouse—deserve a little kudos.

If you appreciate an agent’s kindness and diligence and think perhaps the universe could use more of both, you should praise it. Think of it as cultivating the great skills they exhibit, which also may help it spread to those around them.

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Aimee Matolka

Aimee is the senior manager of Agent Experience at Liveops. Along with the Agent Experience team, she works closely with the agent community to develop new practices, outlets, and opportunities that enable the success of the independent home business owner. Aimee also has personal experience as a Liveops independent agent and cares deeply about helping agents succeed.

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