Mindy Postoff - Improving Customer Interactions

Mindy Postoff is a WooCommerce Support Ninja at Automattic. She finds working in technical support extremely fulfilling, as it satisfies her fierce drive to help people, while also throwing in healthy levels of geekiness. Her superpower is being able to combine equal parts empathy with problem-solving skills.

Improving Customer Interactions

Everyone that will be at WooConf, from store owners to developers and from designers to support reps, can benefit from having better, more meaningful interactions with their customers. I will give examples of real-life scenarios of how we can improve customer interaction. This includes (but is not limited to) customer service tips for developers, how store owners can ask the best questions on a customer survey, and how support agents can use validation when dealing with angry customers. We believe that by improving customer interactions, it will lead to a more successful business. Customers will feel more listened to, which will instill trust and increase loyalty to your company.

Transcript

1. POSTOFF MINDY 04:10 AUTOMATTIC MAIN ROOM NEXT WOOCONF2016 IMPROVING CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS
2. Improving Customer Interactions The Art of Listening
3. @WooMindy
4. Everyone wants to be heard. Everyone needs to listen. @WooMindy • Store Owner • Developer • Designer • Support Rep
5. Store Owners @WooMindy 1
6. Store Owners @WooMindy Ask for feedback (e.g. surveys).
7. Avoid asking ineffective questions. @WooMindy
8. Avoid asking ineffective questions. @WooMindy Leading questions How would you rate our amazing new website?
9. Avoid asking ineffective questions. @WooMindy Options that aren’t mutually exclusive What hobbies do you like? a) Scrapbooking b) Playing Hockey c) Cooking d) Reading e) Other
10. Avoid asking ineffective questions. @WooMindy Unbalanced scale Please rate your experience of your last visit: Fair Good Very Good Excellent
11. Avoid asking ineffective questions. @WooMindy Open-ended questions How can we improve WooCommerce?
12. Maximize results. @WooMindy
13. Maximize results. @WooMindy Avoid Thursdays and Sundays Source: https://www.checkmarket.com/2015/02/survey-invitations-best-day-time-send/
14. Maximize results. @WooMindy Loyal and/or motivated audience Source: http://www.surveygizmo.com/survey-blog/survey-response-rates/
15. Maximize results. @WooMindy Keep it short and sweet Source: https://www.surveymonkey.com/blog/2010/12/08/survey_questions_and_completion_rates/
16. Be sure to listen. @WooMindy
17. Developers 2 @WooMindy
18. Developers @WooMindy Create and maintain an Ideas Board.
19. Benefits of an Ideas Board: @WooMindy • Acknowledgement of customer suggestions • Helps to validate and prioritize features
20. @WooMindy
21. An Ideas Board can be dangerous. @WooMindy
22. Designers 3 @WooMindy
23. Designers @WooMindy Acknowledge customers and educate them.
24. You’re the expert. @WooMindy
25. @WooMindy
26. If you truly listen, sometimes the words don’t add up. @WooMindy
27. Support Reps 4 @WooMindy
28. Support Reps @WooMindy Validation as a tool to defuse high intensity emotions.
29. Validate @WooMindy Recognize or affirm the validity or worth of (a person or their feelings or opinions); cause (a person) to feel valued or worthwhile. ˈvaləˌdāt
30. Validation @WooMindy • Acknowledges high intensity emotions. • Works on a subconscious level.
31. Being heard feels good. @WooMindy
32. Validation @WooMindy 1. Empathize
33. Validation @WooMindy 2. Summarize 1. Empathize
34. Validation @WooMindy 1. Empathize 2. Summarize 3. Generalize
35. Validating effectively takes practice. @WooMindy
36. Listening to your customers can help set your business apart. @WooMindy
37. When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen. @WooMindy “ ” ~ Ernest Hemingway
38. Mindy Postoff @WooMindy WooCommerce Support Ninja