Introduction: Our North Star
The Ritz-Carlton has a great philosophy and motto: "Ladies and Gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen." While we're aiming to be a little less formal and more friendly, keeping our team motto in mind as well as some of our guiding principles is essential in delivering the kind of service our merchants deserve.
Motto
At SkyVerge, our goal is to help each shop owner improve his or her store: we're partners in success. We succeed when we've made the merchant's business better as a result of our interaction.
Four Steps of Service
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Greet all merchants in a warm, friendly manner: "Hey John," "Hi there Jane!", "Hi Sam,". Always use the merchant's name and double-check that it's correct. If no name is available, use something like "Hey there," to start. Stick with "Hi" or "Hey" if you're not sure that the user is a native English speaker, but feel free to use your own greeting like "Heya" or "Howdy" for English speakers.
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Thank the merchant for getting in touch. If s/he has used our software for longer than a few months or uses several of our software products, thank him or her for being a great customer.
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Clearly and directly address any explicit or implied questions; our goal is a resolution for every conversation, even if that means the solution is not our app or plugin. While you don't have to answer every question in a single email, you should acknowledge all questions and ensure the merchant feels heard.
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Close with a question - "Can I help out with any other questions?" - to welcome other questions, and with a fond farewell: "Cheers!", "Thanks again :)", "Have a great weekend,".
We don't have to be overly verbose or include a bunch of information that the merchant doesn't need, as we should be direct with our responses, but we'll be courteous and helpful.
Customer Service Values
Here are some of our core values that drive all customer service conversations. These should describe you while helping our merchants.
- I am friendly, warm, patient, and personable. I am grateful for our users and for their business. They do not inconvenience me, and I am here to help with their success. They are doing us a favor.
- I communicate clearly and directly without overwhelming the customer with too much or extraneous information.
- I empathize with merchants' struggles because I am on their team. We're looking for a solution together.
- Merchants will come away with a resolution, even if that means recommending a competing product, pointing them in the direction of the right resources or a developer, or adding votes to our idea board.
- I solve problems first and foremost. If our app or plugin isn't the optimal solution for the merchant, I'll suggest another. If I can't solve an issue, I'll suggest someone who can. I'm here to help.
- I own and resolve problems; "not my problem" is not in my vocabulary.
- It's okay not to know the answer right away. If I need help from a teammate, I tell the merchant and communicate what's happening, and I learn for next time.
- I am here to improve myself and my team. I will share my suggestions with the team, and welcome discussion. I am glad when I'm able to help our team, but I don't take rejected ideas personally.
We never stand for mistreatment of our team by merchants, but can understand and empathize with frustration. While we won't work with customers who are abusive towards our support team, it is important to us to step into their shoes and be on their site to resolve the problem.