Customer Support Code of Ethics:
Top 5 Skills for an Excellent Service Attitude

See also: Customer Service Top Tips

Leading ethical customer service is about being socially responsible to your clients. The moral principles that companies follow reflect their corporate values. Being a socially responsible company goes beyond making the “right” or “wrong” decisions. What an ethical approach demonstrates is good business acumen and a high sense of customer care.

68% of consumers define the polite attitude of a customer service representative as a critical ingredient to a successful customer experience. Corporate etiquette is, therefore, pivotal in building effective and trusting relationships with your clients.

Developing the code of ethics for your customer support is integral to the overall business strategy. A defined moral philosophy makes your company consistent in handling and responding to customer-related issues and advocating for social responsibility.

View of city from tall building.

Elucidate your Customer Support Ethics

Ethical organizations, for the most part, outperform their associates in terms of managing customer relationships. Defining your customer service moral code defines your company. A well-developed values statement or compliance policy is crucial in setting the right tone for your corporate conduct in running client support.

Given that 87% of companies assert that traditional client experience is no longer practical, firms must bring about change, and it has to be customer-centric.

As human beings, we may need to make choices that contradict our moral principles. This is true in both our private lives and workplaces. Sometimes it is easier for companies to create a list of unethical things your customer support agents should never do.

This strategy helps resolve potential conflicts between personal beliefs and company policies. It will also be useful in deciphering the chain of events when communicating with your clients.

When your customer support agents can determine their moral strengths and weaknesses, they are ready to make a change. Make your customer service uphold the clients' needs and values.

Personalized Communication

Customer support specialists are always there for their customers. Success or failure may easily hinge on the experiences of just one customer, so each client deserves outstanding service.

Furthermore, 70% of customers emphasize that their loyalty to the brand is based on the business’s profound understanding of their personal needs. Personalizing the customer experience and communication makes it easier for clients to connect with your brand and make purchases.

Driving personalized communication with your customers enhances the trust the client has in your firm. They feel that you understand them as a person rather than an account number. You may further improve the interaction by developing your team’s critical conversation skills in the following areas:

  1. Maintain face-to-face chat with your potential clients
  2. Make your customers feel special
  3. Always use the first name and repeat customer words to discuss the issue
  4. Define the nature of client inquiry to decipher consumer needs better
  5. Use personalized greetings to boost personal touch with the client
  6. Deliver the prompt, correct solution to make the process personal and efficient
Building deeper 1 to 1 relationships with consumers at scale flow chart.

Source: McKinsey

A Different Code of Ethics for Different Purposes

Ethical codes regulate your company's actions and ideas. The ethically oriented corporate culture defines your business decisions, employee satisfaction, market expansion, and customer interactions.

Your customer support team must be able to differentiate the unique and peculiar moral imperatives each sector requires. The various communication channels available are an excellent example of how you should adjust these codes. 

9 in 10 customers, for example, demand absolute omnichannel services. Modern leading organizations develop separate codes of ethics for each category of customer support services.

Why?

Because each of them requires specific and authentic ethical considerations, like phone and email etiquette, live chat protocol, and social media code of conduct.



Empathy is a Game-Changer

Customers make decisions based on their emotions, and their communication with your support group is also emotion-driven. An empathic approach to customer services implies helping your clients resolve the issue in a supportive and understanding manner.

Businesses should learn the basics of empathic marketing and client support to establish a customer-centric culture within their organization. More than 80% of CEOs define empathy as a formula to success. It is, therefore, a fundamental skill to share and understand your customers’ emotions and demands that they provoke.

A deeper understanding of the client is the key to a superior customer experience and deepened morality. Developing customer empathy maps for your business and support team might serve as a helpful tool for becoming closer with your clients. Make sure to include the following in these exercises:

  1. Develop your target customer archetype
  2. Understand customer thoughts, feelings, and fears
  3. Examine media influence on the clients
  4. Analyze customer behavior
  5. Consider customers’ need for success
  6. Engage customer support agents to share thoughts and brainstorm new ideas
  7. Create the map based on observed patterns

Keep it on a Positive Note

There is no customer-related issue that customer support cannot solve with a positive, ethical attitude. Even in complex and nerve-racking situations, it is important to maintain optimism and a pleasant tone to keep your clients engaged. However, it might be the most challenging skill to learn.

The main obstacle is that negative customer behavior does not immediately promote a positive tone of the customer support agent. In fact, it works in the opposite direction. Hence, the most pivotal skill to develop is resistance and a sense of objectivity. Agents should learn not to take anything personally.

A simple smile and nice, welcoming intonation of support agents can make a substantial difference. Customer attitudes are flexible and can change over time. But such change is in the hands of highly qualified and trained customer support.

The main task for client service employees is to deliver more than the competitors can. Deliver a better experience, better satisfaction, better reliability, and better customer journey with your company. And remember, one nonchalant step by a support agent could derail the entire future of your business.

Handshake - customer service.

Concluding Thoughts

Ethical customer support agents implement a responsible approach to those they serve. Building your company’s ethical muscle is a long-term, prudent strategy with a focus on your clients and their changing demands. These top five skills for cultivating the moral mindset of your support team will give your firm the edge over your market peers.

Every business should delineate the rules of ethical behavior when managing client relationships. With a firm sense of moral code, your customer support team will be able to deliver excellent service with each connection with your consumers and make the right choices for the future.



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About the Author


As the Chief Customer Officer at SupportYourApp, Veronika Filipkova brings a keen eye for detail and a passion for customer service. Working as a professional content editor taught Veronika how important every point is. Working at SupportYourApp allows her to keep her skills sharp and share her knowledge.

Veronika is passionate about helping businesses and their customers build a mutually beneficial relationship through outstanding service. Her extensive portfolio of published articles provides keen insights into and a wealth of information about the service industry.

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