Customer experience: effective dispute management makes all the difference!
Once highly technical, the roles in remote customer relations are evolving with technological advancements. In this changing context, the support and skill development of customer service advisors are essential, with particular attention to the development of soft skills. These soft skills prove to be crucial in terms of customer experience, especially in cases of disputes. Let's delve into it.
In customer relations, conflicts often arise from the inability of two parties to agree due to differing perspectives, values, or opinions. The reasons for dissatisfaction are numerous: delayed delivery, non-compliant product, incorrect billing, unjustified fees, slow after-sales service, etc. Effective conflict management is crucial for customer retention and loyalty, as well as for the brand's reputation.
Nearly half of customers switch to competitors after just one bad experience, and this figure reaches 80% after two negative interactions. In terms of e-reputation, a satisfied customer will share their positive experience with three people, while a dissatisfied customer will tell ten, amplified by social media.
It is essential to manage conflicts before they escalate. Conflict management skills improve not only professional relationships but also personal quality of life. Indeed, when we feel threatened, attacked, or frightened, we often react with fight, flight, or freeze responses. However, these reactions are not useful in everyday conflicts. We must overcome these instincts to foster connection and achieve fair resolution. Availability and empathy are key to restoring the link and fostering understanding. The fundamentals of non-violent communication provide keys to achieving this with three basic principles: observe without interpreting, validate emotions, and identify underlying needs.
Listening, proposing, observing, questioning, and personalising proposals are essential skills for successful customer experiences. Soft skills are related to attitude and posture. The rise of artificial intelligence, by absorbing tedious or technical tasks, allows customer service advisors to focus on the more emotional aspects of each interaction. In conflict management, this new approach promotes the development of soft skills, with benefits for all stakeholders: meaningful work for the advisor, recognition for the customer, and retention and loyalty for the brand. A winning triptych!