Creating a scale-able customer service process and retaining clients can be overwhelming, but a good customer care checklist template can make a world of difference.
We cover everything your business and brand need to do to create a successful customer service checklist and customer retention program.
Customer Care Checklist Template (list)
Creating Your Documentation
- Create a FAQ Page. Write down potential questions that a visitor or customer may have. Write down all the questions you receive frequently. Answer the questions and publish on your site. Make sure that your visitors and customers are aware of the FAQ page.
- Document your policies. What are your business policies? Consider creating a privacy policy, guarantees, returns, refunds, and any other relevant documents. Talk to your attorney to make sure you’re covering all your bases. Then publish your policies on your website and make sure they’re easy to find.
- Document your best practices. This is like your policies but goes a step further and defines how you want your customers to be treated. You’ll add this in your customer service training materials. It might include things like offer store credit instead of a refund.
- Add your contact form. Choose a contact form that works best for your website technology and your needs. Add it to your website so that questions can quickly be addressed. You might link to it from your FAQ page as well.
- Create your SOPs, Standard Operating Procedures. For each task in your customer service system, create a standard operating system. Share the documentation with your support and customer service team.
- Create your Autoresponder messages. Use the templates provided to help you through this process. Messages include but aren’t limited to: we received your message, we’ve processed your refund, we’re sorry you’re unhappy, here’s the information you requested and so on.
- Create a customer-service feedback response survey or form. Again, you can use the template provided to make this step quick and easy.
Creating Your Customer Service Systems
- Map Your System. Outline the steps that your customer takes, from first contact to when they leave your funnel. (Use this map to identify the SOPs that you need to create.)
- Utilize Technology. Review your customer service systems and goals. What technologies can support you to succeed? Identify and implement those into your systems. For example, a simple autoresponder can send an instant thank-you to new customers and follow up immediately with contact form inquiries. A ticket system can automate and streamline much of your customer service system.
- Review your buying and checkout process. Walk through your current shopping cart and checkout process. What’s missing? What can you do to reduce clicks, make the customer feel more secure, and avoid abandoned shopping carts? Implement those tactics
- Create a follow-up plan. How will you follow up with customers after a purchase? Map it out and create a plan. For example, will you send a thank you? What about an upsell offer? Can you check in with them a week later for feedback and to make another special offer?
- Make customers feel appreciated. How can you accomplish this? Create a plan to show how grateful you are for their business. Consider sending them freebies, special offers, promotions, exclusive content, and first dibs on limited products.
- Improve your delivery. Look at how you deliver your products. Can it be improved? Can you deliver your products more quickly? Can you enhance the delivery process and over deliver? For example, maybe your delivery process can be streamlined and offer a free download.
- Review current refunds and abandoned carts. How many refunds do you currently manage? How many abandoned shopping carts do you have each month? Implement systems and tactics to reduce those occurrences.
- Personalize your messages. Even if you choose to outsource and/or automate your customer service, you can personalize it. Give your customer-service team scripts and templates to work from. Include sales and marketing messages when relevant. Add your brand and voice to your automated messages. Make sure that your recipient knows the message is from your company.
- Analyze. Once you’ve set goals to implement your customer service systems, create a plan to assess those goals and your new systems. Evaluate success and make changes to improve your business and customer service.
- Pull together your documents and create your training package for your contractors and customer service team.
- Start the search/hiring process to find your customer service team members.
Customer service is an important and ongoing process. Use this customer care checklist template to work through your customer service plan from beginning to end and to keep track of everything you need to do to create an exceptional customer experience.
