How well do you know your customers? If you can’t name their likes, dislikes, or concerns, it might be time to get to know them on a personal level. In fact, 71% of consumers believe they should have personalized interactions with the companies they buy from.
When you provide personalized customer service, you can meet expectations while building stronger relationships. Learn when personalized customer service makes sense and how to implement this important strategy as part of your wider customer experience strategy.
What is personalized customer service?
Personalized customer service is a customer experience strategy where you adapt your support and messaging to each customer’s needs and preferences. Rather than blanketing your entire customer base with the same messaging, you approach every shopper as a distinct person on their own customer journey. Personalized service can be as simple as sending a customized response that anticipates questions—or suggesting products based on purchase history.
You can leverage customer data stored in your customer relationship management (CRM) software to provide high-quality service based on prior customer interactions and purchase history. By gathering this data, CRM systems can improve customer relations by analyzing valuable insights about customer demographics, interests, behaviors, and more. With this data, your customer service agents can make informed decisions and quickly address customer needs.
Free Customer Journey Map Template
Your customers know why they’re engaging with your brand. But do you know what they’re going through? Use this free template to craft a shopping experience they’ll love.
When to implement personalized customer service
- When you’re evolving your brand
- When you’re working to improve customer retention
- When you think you can outperform the competition
Excellent customer service can maximize customer retention, but it doesn’t always have the same impact in every instance. Consider personalizing customer service for the following use cases:
When you’re evolving your brand
Death Wish Coffee, an organic coffee brand, places its customers at the core of its business. This became even more important when the company evolved its brand.
“We’re evolving into more of a lifestyle brand and want to be over the top with our customer service, because the customer calls the shots today, and they’re the reason we’re here,” Death Wish customer service manager Kane Grogan explains in a Shopify case study. “We really want to offer customers a meaningful one-on-one interaction with Death Wish Coffee.”
By platforming the business on Shopify Plus, the company improved its ability to fulfill orders, service a higher volume of customers, and focus on delivering exceptional customer service.
When you’re working to improve customer retention
The key to repeat business is happy customers. Customer retention refers to a company’s ability to facilitate repeat business with the same customers. Investing the time and resources to offer personalized customer service can help increase customer satisfaction and thus boost retention rates.
Cofounder of ErgoDox EZ Erez Zukerman places customer service at the forefront of his business—so much so that he has taken it upon himself to assist his customers personally. In an interview with the Shopify Masters podcast, Erez shares that customer support is a significant portion of his role. “I actually sit down for hours and reply to people, which is maybe an odd thing for me to do while running the company, on the surface—but really it isn’t because it gives me such a good connection with the people who actually buy the product.”
For businesses with a high volume of orders, it may not be practical for the founding members to reply to every customer's email personally. However, for teams with the bandwidth, adopting this philosophy into your business can reassure and relieve even the most disgruntled customer. Customers with laptops needing repair or clothing that arrived damaged will almost always prefer emailing directly with customer service representatives over an automated system.
When you think you can outperform the competition
Your consumers have many choices when it comes to where they spend their dollars, but integrating personalized customer service into your business model can give you a competitive edge. Deliver a high-end personalized customer service experience for your customers, and they will likely remember it when choosing where to shop next time.
6 ways to deliver personalized customer service
- Offer omnichannel customer support
- Facilitate meaningful phone calls
- Follow up after initial interaction
- Anticipate their needs
- Give personalized discounts
- Recommend relevant products
Use these approaches to develop your own personalized customer service strategy:
1. Offer omnichannel support
Every customer will have a preferred communication method. Omnichannel customer support lets your customer base choose how they communicate with your customer service agents—whether by chat, email, or phone. It also allows the conversation to continue seamlessly if a customer is transferred from one channel to another.
Use your CRM system to track customers' past purchases and support interactions. After an agent helps a customer, all the details are logged in the CRM. Suppose a customer returns for assistance with an ongoing issue. Your team will already be aware of the situation, enabling them to provide personalized support and eliminating the customer's frustration of needing to repeat information.
2. Facilitate meaningful phone calls
Speaking to a real person instead of an automated bot can feel more personal to the customer. Elevate phone calls by addressing customers by name, validating their concerns, and clearly outlining next steps. Simple touches like these will facilitate a more intimate experience.
3. Follow up after the initial interaction
Show your client you remember and value them by reaching out after their issue is addressed in the initial interaction. If a customer contacts support about receiving the wrong order, follow up once their new shipment arrives to confirm it was received without issue. A follow-up can go a long way and reinforce your company’s commitment to customer satisfaction.
4. Anticipate their needs
CRM software can uncover common questions and concerns by tracking feedback and product reviews. Addressing those issues before new customers seek assistance can help you get ahead of them. For example, if you sell furniture that’s tough to assemble, include video tutorials and additional resources with the purchase to head off frustration.
5. Give personalized discounts
It’s never fun to receive a wrong or damaged order. Mistakes like these can disappoint customers who are excited about their purchase. In the event that your customers contact support to fix an issue with an order, your team can offer personalized discounts to resolve the problem.
Create guidelines for your support team to follow that can assist them in issuing discounts to customers. You may decide to offer a larger discount to a customer who regularly shops with you or gift them a free product based on their previous orders.
6. Recommend relevant products
Sometimes, your shoppers might contact your team for advice on what to purchase. Offer guidance by recommending products that align with their demographic data, past purchases, and interests. This level of personalization can boost sales and help customers feel understood.
Personalized customer service FAQ
How do you personalize a customer service call?
To personalize a customer service call, address customers by name, reference their most recent purchase, and ask about their experience with the product or service.
What is an example of personalized customer service?
Tracking a customer’s buying patterns to recommend a product, addressing them by name, and knowing their history with customer support are all examples of personalized customer service.
How does personalized customer service benefit your customer?
Providing personalized customer service helps customers feel valued and seen. In return, this practice will increase customer satisfaction, and your customers will be more likely to develop brand loyalty.
