A surefire way to improve engagement and retention is to focus on solving customer problems.
Think about it – what would you do if you needed help but all you got was an incredibly unhelpful customer service agent? Chances are, you would take your business elsewhere.
That is precisely why you need to focus on improving your customer service problem-solving and providing excellent support focused on reducing the number of dissatisfied customers.
Where to get started? That’s what this guide is for, outlining frequent customer service issues and their solutions.
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What is customer service problem-solving?
Customer service problem-solving is a discipline focused on optimally identifying, addressing, and resolving issues customers encounter with a product or service.
It is important to note that, contrary to its name, customer service problem-solving is not just about fixing customer complaints.
It’s much more complex than that.
It requires effective problem-solving skills along with other key capabilities like communication, empathy, and critical thinking. It’s also about creating a system where all customer issues are prevented or solved as fast and efficiently as possible.
If done right, customer service problem-solving offers great benefits, such as improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Why solving customer problems is so important
Providing excellent customer service is a whole art, one that requires you to develop a functional strategy to do it right. But once you perfect your customer service problem-solving and better train your customer service team, the benefits are endless. Here are just a few:
- Increases customer retention.
- Enhances customer experience.
- Builds customer loyalty.
- Encourages customer engagement.
- Reduces support costs.
- Facilitates customer feedback collection.
- Drives customer satisfaction.
12 most common customer service problems (and how to fix them)
Different companies run into several types of customer service issues. However, there are quite a few recurring customer queries and complaints almost all customer service agents face. So let’s deep dive into what these are and learn the golden rules needed to solve customer service problems.
1. Long wait times
When you look at customer feedback, a common problem that frequently comes up is how often customers have to wait for customer support. All these extended hold times and long queues just add to the customer’s annoyance and dissatisfaction.
Main reasons:
- High call volume.
- Insufficient staffing.
- Complex customer complaints.
- Inadequate training.
- Limited self-service options.
- Backlog of unresolved issues.
Solution:
Implement a callback system so customers don’t have to wait hours to talk to a customer service rep. Next, focus on streamlining your processes and consider increasing staffing during peak hours. Lastly, introduce chatbots for instant support on low-priority issues.
Chatbots help automate customer service.
2. Frustration with inaccessible human reps
Customers often get frustrated with complex automated customer service menus and the inability to reach a human representative.
Main reasons:
- Cost-saving strategies.
- Fewer customer service representatives.
- Outdated technology.
- Poor menu design.
- Language limitations.
Solution:
There are several ways to solve this customer service problem. Start by simplifying automated menus and adding a clear option to speak with a human customer service agent.
Additionally, create comprehensive self-service materials so customers can troubleshoot independently. Also, regularly test the system for ease of usability and accessibility.
3. Slow resolution times
The next common customer service problem is customers having to follow up multiple times to get their issues resolved. This need to constantly check up on the issue wastes more of the customer’s time and is a sign of poor customer service.
Main reasons:
- High workload and ticket volume.
- Complicated customer issues.
- Poor internal communication.
- Incomplete issue documentation.
- Ineffective prioritization of tasks.
Solution:
Establish a clear resolution timeline, improve internal communication, and ensure regular follow-ups with customers until the issues are resolved.
4. Inconsistent support across channels
Customers experience different levels of support quality depending on the contact channel they use. So, a chatbot might not offer much help but an email ends up providing effective customer service problem-solving. This inconsistency only leaves customers confused about which channel to trust.
Main Reasons:
- Varying levels of support training.
- Different support team structures.
- Inconsistent use of knowledge bases.
- Lack of standardized procedures.
- Limited integration between channels.
Solution:
Start by providing consistent training and resources to service reps across all platforms. Next, ensure that all support channels are well-integrated so information and user data flow seamlessly between them.
A good example of such omnichannel communication is Bluehost, which offers the same quality of live chat and phone support.
5. Excessive transfers between departments
Instead of any issue resolution, customers are often transferred several times between departments without making any progress. In the end, all that’s left is an angry customer and their unresolved complaint.
Main reasons:
- Poor initial issue categorization.
- High specialization within departments.
- Insufficient cross-department communication.
- Inconsistent problem-solving protocols.
- Miscommunication or misunderstandings.
Solution:
Instead of having multiple departments handle specific issues, train all customer service agents to handle a wide range of problems. Also, establish clear protocols for when transfers are necessary and explain the procedure to customers as well.
6. Poor communication skills of customer service reps
Sometimes customers feel undervalued and misunderstood because the customer service representatives lack empathy, communication, or problem-solving skills.
Main reasons:
- Insufficient training programs.
- Inadequate soft skills development.
- Lack of performance monitoring.
- Limited knowledge of products or services.
- Limited focus on customer empathy.
Solution:
Invest in your customer support team, training them in skills like empathy, active listening, and clear communication. Introduce regular monitoring and evaluation of customer service interactions, via CES surveys for example, for quality control.
7. Insufficient knowledge among support staff
Oftentimes, support representatives fail at customer service problem-solving because they lack relevant knowledge. In some cases, they even recommend wrong solutions, which only worsen the customer complaint and potentially increase churn and losses.
Main reasons:
- Lack of customer service training.
- Limited access to updated product information.
- Complex product or service offerings.
- Rapid changes in products or services.
- Poorly designed knowledge management systems.
Solution:
Provide comprehensive training to your customer representatives, ensuring that they are well-versed with the product or service.
Next, try maintaining an up-to-date customer service knowledge base that is accessible to all. This way, representatives can refer to it whenever needed instead of suggesting flawed solutions.
8. Conflicting information from different reps
A common customer complaint is how often they receive conflicting information from different support representatives, leading to confusion and greater mistrust.
Main reasons:
- Lack of clear documentation and standardized procedures.
- Inconsistent training across different departments.
- Outdated or inaccurate knowledge base.
- Insufficient supervision and monitoring.
- Varying levels of agent experience.
Solution:
Make sure all customer service agents are on the same page, by standardizing important information and procedures. Moreover, ensure that each team member gets access to the same resources, training, and product information.
9. Perceived difficulty in contacting customer service
Sometimes, the customer service problem-solving quality itself isn’t the issue. Instead, the problem is that some companies avoid direct contact, making customers exert a lot of effort to get in touch with customer service.
Main reasons:
- Cost reduction strategies.
- Overreliance on self-service options and automation.
- Limited staffing resources.
- Overwhelmed support infrastructure.
- Challenges in scaling customer support operations.
Solution:
Make contact information easily accessible, mentioning it clearly at several touchpoints. Also, to cater to varying customer needs, provide multiple contact channels, and ensure prompt responses.
Hostinger does a good job at this, clearly outlining numerous support channels, along with links to other help center resources like tutorials:
10. Difficulty in resolving issues through self-service
Providing self-service options is great, but it shouldn’t be the only way customers can get help. Companies need to consider that not all customers find it easy to troubleshoot and resolve issues on their own.
Main reasons:
- Complex or inaccessible UI design.
- Lack of sufficient information.
- Limited types of content (e.g. only blogs, no videos or tooltips).
- Technical glitches or bugs.
- Inability to handle complex customer complaints.
- No human support options.
Solution:
Simplify self-service interfaces and ensure easy access to human support as well for customers who prefer it.
Introduce various content types within the resource center, such as comprehensive and interactive guides, FAQs, blogs, case studies, checklists, etc.
11. Unresolved customer issues
Usually, the main reason behind decreasing customer satisfaction is simple: their problems and complaints aren’t getting resolved. When this happens, customers feel neglected and are more at risk of churning.
Main reasons:
- Lack of technical skills and training.
- Inadequate knowledge management systems.
- Complexity of the product or service.
- High employee turnover affects resolution continuity.
- Poor integration between departments.
- Ineffective prioritization of customer issues.
Solution:
To improve customer retention, implement a follow-up system to ensure all issues are resolved and offer timely updates to customers. In addition, provide personalized customer service to build trust and understand specific pain points so you can resolve issues better.
12. Inconsistent operating hours
Last but not least, a recurring customer service problem is when support is not available at consistent or convenient times. This just makes it harder for customers to seek help, causing them to ultimately give up on your business entirely.
Main reasons:
- Limited resources for 24/7 support.
- Lack of sufficient staffing to cover all time zones.
- High cost associated with around-the-clock service reps.
- Difficulty in recruiting and retaining staff for non-traditional hours.
Solution:
To avoid any confusion, standardize your operating hours and communicate them clearly to customers. If customer complaints about operating hours still continue, then consider providing extended hours as well.
Here’s an example by SiteGround that clearly advertises it’s 24-hour support:
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The key customer service problem-solving techniques
Now that you’ve gone over all the common customer complaints and queries, it’s time to focus on making sure they don’t happen again. To help with that, here are the top customer service problem-solving best practices guaranteed to delight customers.
Empathy, active listening, and personalization
One simple technique for providing the best customer support is to listen carefully. This requires that you solely focus on the customer without any distractions, show interest, and ask clarifying questions. Only through such active listening can you truly understand the customer’s needs.
Along with listening intently, you also need to be patient and reflect on the customer’s feelings. In other words, you must empathize with your customers’ experience before jumping to a solution. This helps build trust and rapport necessary for long-lasting relationships.
Lastly, it is important to acknowledge that all customers are unique, and therefore each customer’s problem should be treated individually. This allows for a more personalized solution, best-suited for the customer’s specific complaint.
Troubleshooting based on experience
It’s true – practice does make perfect. So if you want to improve your customer service problem-solving skills, the best way is through hands-on experience. The more practice you get working on and learning from previous cases, the more your ability to diagnose and fix issues will improve.
However, this doesn’t mean you don’t need any training at all. Instead, the two go hand-in-hand. Training provides the necessary foundational knowledge, while hands-on experience refines that knowledge through practical application.
Both these things also help ensure cross-department exchange of information and improved collaboration over time.
Providing sincere apologies
A golden rule of customer service: Never ever argue with the customer. When a customer is upset or in need of help, arguing with them will only make matters worse. Plus, arguing only further ruins the customer experience and could lead to negative word of mouth.
The right thing to do is to apologize sincerely. Often, a genuine apology is all customers need to feel validated, helping de-escalate the situation. Moreover, once you’ve apologized, customers are more open to trusting you, thereby making them receptive to any proposed solutions.
To ensure an apology is effective, it should be timely, specific to the customer’s issue, and accompanied by a clear plan for resolution. If done right, sincere apologies contribute greatly to customer satisfaction, loyalty, and a positive brand reputation.
Consistent follow-up and proactive communication
In order to provide effective customer support, simply resolving the problem is not enough. There are other elements you need to simultaneously take care of as well, to provide customers with a seamless experience throughout.
To start off, the service team must keep customers informed about the progress of their issues. This includes letting them know of any delays or necessary follow-up actions. Such transparency in the resolution process helps reassure the customer and highlights your commitment to customer service.
Even after providing a solution, you must follow up with the customer again to ensure the problem has been fully resolved.
Offer compensation
In certain cases, simply apologizing for the issue is not sufficient. Rather, it is important that you offer compensation for the negative experience.
This helps repair the relationship by demonstrating accountability on your part and showing how committed you are to customer satisfaction. It also provides a tangible gesture of goodwill, which can hopefully reduce any negative impact the issue may have caused.
Glovo (a food delivery app) is a good example to quote here. If your order is missing some parts or has other issues, Glovo often issues instant refunds.
Improving self-service resources
Finally, the last trick to perfecting your customer service problem-solving ability is to create comprehensive self-service options. These can include resource centers, knowledge bases, how-to videos, community forums, help center portals, user guides, and more.
Providing these resources empowers customers to quickly resolve issues on their own, reducing wait times and boosting satisfaction. Additionally, self-service portals also decrease the workload on customer service teams, enabling them to focus on more complex inquiries.
For example, here’s a look at the self-service options Zendesk offers:
Conclusion
Effectively and quickly solving customer problems is crucial for driving retention and enhancing satisfaction. But there are several other facets to customer service problem-solving to keep in mind too, such as empathy, active listening, and other soft skills.
To make things easier, try keeping a few tips and best practices in mind. For example, focus on training your customer service team, proactively communicating, offering multiple channels of contact, and enhancing self-service resources.
With all these techniques in hand, you’ll be able to reduce churn and create a positive customer experience in no time!
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