Follow these strategies to provide customer service that rises above the rest and wows your customers.
Christina Keohane , Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Salesforce
Writers drafted these FAQs with the help of AI.
World-class customer service describes a level of service that exceeds customer expectations. While many companies offer good customer service, world-class service goes the extra step to put the customer first, focusing on their needs and preferences. Teams that provide world-class customer service prioritise providing an exceptional customer service experience every time a consumer interacts with the company.
Top service teams are using AI and data to win every customer interaction. See how in our latest State of Service report.
Delivering world-class customer service is a tall order, but the right strategy and tools can help. Here are eight tips for creating an exceptional customer service experience.
Top-tier customer service starts with the people you hire. Hire team members who are ready to adapt and learn and set them up for success by:
A key feature of world-class customer service is helping customers quickly but without sacrificing accuracy. Our research finds that 69% of customer service reps say balancing speed and quality is a challenge. A well-built knowledge base is a powerful tool for helping AI agents, customer service reps, and potentially customers find the information they need. To make the most out of your knowledge management solution, integrate Data 360 to ensure that every agent action and service rep response, automation, and insight is powered by the right trusted data from any source.
Our research finds that customer self-service solves an estimated 54% of customer issues, on average, at organisations that use it. Agentforce intelligently supports your customers by processing incoming cases and autonomously resolving both common and complex enquiries around the clock in any time zone. Your customers can get world-class customer service whenever they need it, freeing up your reps to focus on strategic work and helping to reduce burnout
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Your knowledge base can support your customers, service reps, and agents for self-service. Make your knowledge base articles searchable on your website, customer portal, or help desk to ensure easy access. Additionally, pair your knowledge base with generative AI for your service team to create accurate, personalised responses for customers using information from your company’s knowledge base. Always have a human review to ensure accuracy and maintain trust.
One of the best ways to elevate your customer service is by attempting to solve problems before they impact your customers — or if possible, avoiding problems altogether. Some steps to practise more proactive customer service include:
The combination of proactive customer service and self-service options goes a long way towards reducing how often customers reach out to your service team. Even so, customers will always need regular assistance. Make it easy for them to reach the right person by:
Our research finds that 81% of service pros say customers expect a personal touch more than they used to. Personalisation can build trust and loyalty, showing customers you see them as individuals. To create more personal customer service experiences, every rep and agent should have access to current customer information every time they interact with them in real time.
Customer relationship management (CRM) data helps service teams provide better experiences by giving everyone access to a customer’s entire history with the company. Their profile might include purchase history, past interactions, and other details that help reps connect with customers more effectively. When an AI agent escalates an interaction to a rep, it can include the case details to make the handoff seamless. The more your reps know about your customers, the better equipped they are to tailor the experience to their needs.
Speed matters in customer service. Some of the best ways to ensure fast response and resolution times are offering self-service options, creating a strong knowledge base, and using AI agents to provide accurate, personalised answers.
Overall, make efficiency part of your company culture. Let employees know that fast resolutions are a priority — as long as they’re not at the cost of quality. Look for opportunities to automate routine or time-consuming processes to give reps more time in the day. Solicit employee feedback for ways to improve workflows.
A customer service approach that looks great on paper may not work as well in practice. Recognise where processes are falling short and adapt as needed. To continually work towards better results:
Watch Agentforce for Service resolve cases on its own, deliver trusted answers, engage with customers across channels and seamlessly hand off to human service reps.
To help you put these tips into practice, here are some examples of what world-class customer service looks like in action:
A medical manufacturer is struggling to provide its B2B customers with quick, reliable, and personalised answers, leading to long wait times, misinformation, and strained relationships. Agentforce can accurately address both common and complex issues independently — allowing customers to get self-service anytime and anywhere, helping to improve customer satisfaction (CSAT).
A software company detects that a product feature isn’t working properly. In addition to putting a notice within the software, they automatically contact all users through their preferred communication channels alerting them to the issue with an apology and an estimated timeline for correction.
A customer is having trouble installing a new appliance. They call customer service and reach a representative on the first try. The rep talks them through the steps for fixing the issue and texts the customer a video tutorial for additional guidance. The next day, the company sends the customer a follow-up text checking that the problem was resolved and everything is working properly.
An automotive company discovers an issue with a part on one of their models. They contact all affected customers to let them know about the problem and explain how to get it fixed for free. They also send along a discount offer for their next maintenance visit to make up for the trouble.
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When it comes to delivering world-class customer service, certain best practices will remain consistent — such as actively listening and demonstrating empathy. But other aspects of exceptional customer service will evolve, especially as technology does.
AI is already making a big difference in the service industry. Our research finds that 93% of service professionals at organisations that already use AI, say it saves them time on the job. As such, the future of customer service is likely to lean more heavily into automation and AI to better support teams and satisfy customers. For example:
The right customer service management software can make it easier to deliver world-class customer service. Service Cloud, for example, has tools and features that aim to set up your customer service team for success, including:
Hiring skilled people for your team and investing in their training is a crucial first step in providing world-class customer service. Then, implement the right tools and technology, such as Service Cloud and Agentforce, to support them and your customers. When developing and refining your customer service strategy, consider what will help you make a lasting impression. Prioritise personalisation, empathy, speed, accuracy, and convenience to deliver an exceptional experience and gain satisfied and loyal customers.
Your AI is only as strong as the data it’s built on. Service Cloud is built on trusted, secured data to safely maximise the power of AI.
Key elements of world-class customer service include fast responses, personalised support, knowledgeable and empathetic reps, consistency across channels, proactive solutions, and continuous improvement.
A company achieves world-class customer service by investing in skilled reps, using technology to deliver fast and personalised support, listening to customer feedback, and consistently improving processes to create seamless, positive experiences.
World-class customer service affects a company’s bottom line by building loyalty, encouraging repeat business, reducing churn, and driving growth through positive word-of-mouth.
The benefits of world-class customer service include increased customer loyalty, greater satisfaction, more repeat purchases, positive referrals, lower churn, and a stronger brand reputation.
Companies known for world-class customer service include Apple, Disney, Zappos, Ritz-Carlton, and Nordstrom.