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There is plenty of material and, therefore, knowledge about what to do in different customer service situations, but most deal with what we know as reactive and passive service.
At this meeting, we will address another increasingly necessary condition in the face of increased competition and consumer demands, the so-called proactive service.
What are the advantages or benefits of proactive care and what are the principles to implement it effectively are the focus of this content.
What is proactive care?
Proactive service is all that aims to anticipate the possible demands, needs, interests, desires and expectations of customers and which is carried out on the initiative of the company.
That is, it differs from most service situations, in which the customer is the one who seeks contact with the company in order to answer questions or solve problems, and which we know as reactive service, as it only occurs as a reaction to the action or desire of the customer.
There are different reasons for the company to initiate contact:
- Prevention – preventing or anticipating possible problems. A common and well-known example are recalls, in which the manufacturer of a product summons consumers of a model, or of a batch of a product, to a corrective and/or preventive procedure for a problem that may occur and that some sometimes it can even threaten the security of the client;
- Marketing – conducting a Marketing action, such as publicizing a launch, new options for the product / service consumed, expanding benefits and similar situations, which can be supported by instruments such as the newsletter and e-mail Marketing or SMS and the RCS;
- Sales – the Sales area often adopts it as an expedient to make new sales, additional sales and cross sales (cross selling), at a later stage than the initial sale;
- Follow up – another situation normally associated with the Sales department, when the sales process is longer and unfolds over a few contacts. However, it can also be carried out by support, for example, when they make contact to monitor the efficiency of a previously presented solution, a situation that is rarely practiced, but highly desirable;
- Survey – all types of surveys ranging from satisfaction surveys, surveys conducted by Marketing for product development and improvement, Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys, to name the most common ones;
- Relationship Marketing – Relationship Marketing policies and strategies necessarily involve contact initiatives on the part of the company;
- Post-sales – the follow-up of sales made and the consequent level of customer satisfaction requires proactive service;
- Affiliates – Affiliate programs also presuppose active contact with partners and between them and potential customers.
Advantages/benefits of proactive care
There are those who think that maintaining a conventional service area and, therefore, reactive service, is already quite costly and produces a lot of work. There is no shortage of reasons to think so.
However, first it is necessary to break with this paradigm, for example, facing customer service as an instrument for improvements and for total quality.
From a different perspective, the traditional customer service departments are no longer just “problem solvers” and become “problem avoiders”. Even more. If there is a strategic approach to the information produced in the most diverse situations of reactive care, the organization is able to see new opportunities, improvements and enhancements and even prevention.
One of the obligatory paths in this new posture is proactive service.
Therefore, let’s deal with the advantages/benefits of establishing a proactive service posture.
1. Prevention
As you would expect, given the reasons for initiating contact, problem prevention and all that comes with it.
Like proactive professionals, who anticipate possible demands and needs, the company that does the same in relation to its customers, places itself a step – or even many – ahead of its competitors, acts more efficiently, avoids more serious consequences with deployments, such as the next perk.
2. Decreases passive and reactive support and service
A direct consequence of anticipating possible problems and negative consequences, support and passive / reactive service tend to occur in smaller quantities, since part of this will be dealt with before it occurs.
This is a response to those who are concerned with the fact that so-called conventional care already produces enough work and headaches.
3. Reputation and satisfaction
Here is another breakdown of the previous benefit, since some possible problems will be solved before they happen and stress, dissatisfaction and bad experiences in enjoying the product / service will not occur.
With this, satisfaction levels tend to be better, as well as the reputation of the brand.
4. Relationship MKT
Relationship Marketing presupposes an active attitude of those involved and that in the case of the company, means that with some frequency it looks for its customers to conduct service actions, aiming to strengthen and improve the relationship.
Those who take the initiative are generally well regarded.
It must be remembered that proactive care is not only aimed at preventing problems. In the case of Marketing, working to meet the needs and desires of customers.
5. Loyalty
Another result that comes in the wake of the advantages is the increase in the probability of loyalty.
Satisfied customers, with a good brand concept, who see actions and initiatives geared towards it, without needing to seek help, having their needs met even before expressing them, will certainly be more likely to be more loyal and support your brand. This improves the NPS (Net Promoter Score), which translates into the possibility of new potential customers.
6. Referral Marketing
The virtuous circle fueled by proactive service culminates in Referral Marketing.
That is, when there is a vision and planning in the sense that the initiatives to serve the client are supported by well-defined purposes and objectives and with a focus on their satisfaction, the results of the indications happen.
7. More and better information
In a service situation different from the standard one, when reactive service is often associated with some level of stress, dissatisfaction, in the proactive one, in the worst case scenario, the customer is neutral.
With him in a less defensive posture, the chances of collecting more impartial, less emotional information increase, and even that he will give information that he would not give under stress and nervousness of a negative or even disappointing experience.
8. Avoid losing customers
It reduces or even prevents the loss of customers, both because it prevents problems that may be considered serious by some, to the point of taking them to the competition, and helps to identify the customer who does not complain.
Yes, because not every customer expresses their dissatisfaction. Some don’t give the brand a chance to apologize and simply go to any competitor.
The big problem with this class of customers is that their motivations will be invisible to the company and, therefore, it will not have subsidies to improve.
10 principles for providing proactive care
Since there are enough good reasons to adopt a culture of proactive care, most will be wondering how to practice it.
The first fundamental that needs to be clear is that you must have service indicators and a lot of knowledge about the customer – for example, knowing the biggest classes of dissatisfaction, needs and desires.
The more information about it and the better its quality, the greater the company’s ability to know everything it needs to meet.
As we’ll see, some things look like benefits, but here the approach changes a bit, as is the case right away from the first principle.
1. Relationship MKT
Customer knowledge comes in different ways, but one of the best in terms of wealth is Relationship Marketing.
When the company has well-defined policies and strategies in this regard, the knowledge it acquires about the customer is invaluable.
2. Invest in customization
It is impossible to imagine effective proactive service without being personalized, after all, if the company is taking the initiative in contacting them, it needs to use what it knows about the customer and act in line with their expectations.
In addition, people in most situations tend to be more participatory and open when they feel valued and treated as unique.
3. Clarity, transparency and objectivity
If you took the initiative, you need to value the attention you request from your customer. Remember that initially the customer was not willing to “spend” his time on that service, after all, it was not him who started the action.
Therefore, the message needs to be very clear and transparent and to get straight to the point, otherwise it can lead to annoyance, lack of patience and even distrust.
4. Multiplicity of service channels
Diversify and identify the best channel, after all, different generations, different profiles, feel better and identify with different channels. This presupposes the knowledge seen earlier.
If analog natives are reasonably comfortable with answering the phone, a Z or centennial will prefer a digital channel.
But regardless of the case, it needs to be omnichannel, which means that the company’s “discourse” and service need to occur in unison, whatever the channel.
5. Research and information quality
Invest in research, because only through them can you know what is needed, for sure. It is necessary to abolish the “I think” and give way to “I am sure”. Also take care that all information collected about customers is accurate, reliable, of quality and produces a measurable result.
There is no point in information that does not produce developments or results. If not, it’s just data. Worse, a heap of them.
6. Encourage and collect feedback
Feedback or return regarding the acceptance and/or opinion by the clients regarding what is presented is essential. This is even a communication element.
Knowing what they thought, how they evaluated it and even what they would like, but it was not done, is necessary both to know the efficiency of the actions, and for eventual course corrections.
7. Simplify and reduce bureaucracy
Many companies create complicated, confusing processes with many steps. They extend outdated or complex internal company bureaucracy and standard operating procedures (SOPs) unnecessarily.
Here, as in Principle 3, it is important to keep in mind who took the initiative. Whatever the proposal, it came from you and, therefore, it is assumed that it must be accessible.
8. Institute support
There needs to be service support and that for reasons similar to the fourth principle, different people, different generations, have different preferences.
Therefore, create and provide FAQs, tutorials, a blog, videos and everything that can be consumed and constitute information that solves customers’ problems and still gives them the power to choose.
9. Be flexible and non-intrusive
Once again, you must remember who the initiative came from and therefore, know that not everyone has days and times available and even the willingness to give you attention through the contact channel chosen by the company. So be flexible and offer him alternatives to choose from.
Beware of SPAM! Don’t be or appear invasive! It is not because it is your client that the company can send 9476 emails and 2677 SMSs. Systems like Android offer the possibility of blocking annoying, insistent and unsolicited contacts.
Doing so may have the opposite of the intended effect.
10. Act tactfully
In situations of problems and threats to the customer, as in the case of a recall or other problem of some seriousness, it is necessary to be careful – clarity, without alarmism, but with transparency, simplicity and objectivity – as much as possible in the presentation of the solution .
Never forget who is responsible in situations like this.
Conclusion
Based on a set of principles to provide effective proactive service, it produces a series of benefits for the brand and its customers.
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