Customer service is an important aspect of every business. When customers aren’t satisfied they go elsewhere. For business owners that don’t have the time to provide proper customer service, they can hire a virtual assistant with the skills to do the job.
What is customer service? It can be as simple as answering an email from a customer in a timely fashion. Or, it is providing a FAQ page on the business website. To a customer, having their needs met is the definition of good customer service.
The Market
After business gains clients through marketing and advertising, that is only half of the job. They may have fifty one-time customers who spend $100 each on the site. That is $5,000 worth of business.
If poor customer service drives them away, that $5,000 will seem like small change in the long run. Better still are the same fifty customers spending $50 each time they visit because of customer loyalty inspired by great customer service. Now, the business makes $2,500 each time these fifty customers visit. A satisfied customer is the best marketing tool a business can have.
Because the customer has the power to make or break a business, treating them like they are important (which they are) is a crucial step in the business plan. Businesses use email systems, answering services, automated phone messages and instant messaging services to deal with customer issues. But, each of these types of service ideas needs someone to effectively manage them in order for it to work.
Customer Service Expert Virtual Assistant Tasks
When sales drop off because of customer dissatisfaction, it’s time to get help. Virtual assistants are trained in communication skills. These skills not only benefit you in finding clients but doing your job as well.
As a virtual assistant customer expert you will be working with the client to solve their customer problems. Your work for them will be done with their customers and reported back to them. Part of your job will be:
- Addressing customer complaints (calls, emails, IM)
- Handling product issues between client and their customers
- Answering customer questions
- Sending out emails, catalogs and newsletters to subscription customers
How broad your services really depend on what the business is in need of. They can give you leeway to offer customer refunds, exchanges and other offers depending on the situation at hand. This requires that you have access to customer accounts databases and privileges to update them.
Much dissatisfaction with outsourcing customer service by customers is the lack of knowledge of the product or the company. As a virtual assistant specializing in customer service, you will become familiar with the company and their products as a common practice so that you can do your job well. It is an added bonus for you to have worked in the customer service industry before.
A virtual assistant brings skill in communication to the table when dealing with customer service issues. Your work with create lifelong customers for your clients.
Virtual Assistant Training
VAClassroom provides courses to boost your business off the slow-track and offers affordable specialty training in the following areas:
- Certified Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant
- Certified Social Media Marketing Specialist
- Virtual Event Specialist Certification Training
- Blog Marketing Tips & Tactics
- Virtual Pathways Virtual Start-up Guide
- Fantastic Facebook Fan Pages
Keep an eye out for new and exciting courses in the works for 2010!