When it comes to the quality of service, the average consumer has high expectations of the brands they buy from. In fact, the area of customer experience or CX is more complex than ever before, largely because we expect and demand immediate responses to our queries and problems. The quality of your customer service is often a deciding factor for customers when they are choosing which brand to spend their money with, even if you are offering the lowest price. The common issue here is that many businesses simply don’t have the staff to devote to 24/7 customer service. The result is that more and more are introducing technology to help them to satisfy customer demand.
Responding to your customers
It’s important to realize that technology is not intended to replace humans in the customer experience but instead is there to streamline the processes involved so customers receive the best possible resolution more efficiently. For example, customers who have to spend a long period of time waiting for a response to an email or on hold will quickly become frustrated. An automated email response that assures customers that you have registered their question or complaint and provides an estimated time of response can go a long way to managing their expectations.
Similarly, an automated phone system that routes calls to the correct department while they are on hold can also reduce waiting time. In terms of your website, consider a menu structure that focuses on the most commonly asked questions and concerns. You can find this information using website analytics or software.
Listening to your customers
Your customers need to feel that their opinions and concerns are being heard and taken seriously. While many businesses enable customers to leave comments on a social media platform or talk to a member of the team, it can often feel like the information is falling on deaf ears. Consider proactively requesting feedback from your customers via HappyOrNot electronic surveys, and ask customers for their recommendations and suggestions, rather than waiting for them to contact you. This customer feedback could be vital in understanding how you can better help customers and/or how you can improve your product or service.
Communicating with your customers
There are so many ways of communicating today, and customers are used to being able to use the method which is most convenient for them. You may wish to offer a phone line, text service, live chat and/or email, but managing all of these different systems together can be a challenge. This is where a cloud contact center can help as it can create an integrated communication platform that keeps a live record of all communications related to a customer, regardless of who they have been speaking to or via which communication method. This ensures customers receive a seamless and consistent service without feeling they’ve been abandoned by representatives, ignored or passed around the company.
Empowering your customers
Research has found that many customers prefer self-service in some instances, so consider introducing tools that enable them to find solutions to their problems. For example, a live chat feature on your website which is integrated with your customer relationship management system, even an automated one, can provide quick responses to simple issues so your staff are free to solve more complicated issues.
