Running your own software company means that you wear many hats and have many different aspects of the business to focus on at any given time. While it's, of course, important to have a solid software development and design team in place, it's just as important that you don't overlook your company's customer service. If your customer service is lackluster, your business reputation and sales will suffer. Here are three simple ways to improve customer service at your software company:
Use Ticket Management Software
Ticket management software makes life easier for your team while delivering a much-improved help ticket experience to your customer. When a customer has a problem with your software or a technical glitch and they start a customer service ticket, it will be automatically directed to a help desk for resolution.
The help desk staff will be well-versed in your software and will follow a quick, efficient, and automatic process for resolving customer service issues. Your customers will be happy because they will be updated throughout the entire process until their problem is resolved, instead of sending an email to support and then waiting for days or weeks for an answer.
Don't Be Overeager with Launching Updates
It's very exciting to launch a software update, but don't let your enthusiasm get in the way of common sense. Many customer service complaints in the software industry could be avoided by taking a more methodical and cautious approach to launches. Any software update needs to be thoroughly tested internally, and all glitches or bugs need to be fixed, way before the update launches for your customer. This more conservative approach means fewer mistakes and issues, which means happier customers and better reviews.
Provide Clear and Easy to Understand Information
From your website FAQ section to the user instructions for your software, everything should be written as clearly as possible. Avoid using technical jargon and assume that your customers are not very tech-savvy, just to be on the safe side. If instructions and other content are unclear and difficult to read, customers will use your software incorrectly and your team will spend more time fielding questions than they should. Hiring a technical writer or editor to rewrite your materials in a more accessible and friendly way is a great idea.
By following these tips and focusing on your customer's experience, you will retain more loyal customers and gain new ones at the same time.