Businesses that are customer-centric have become a norm today. Additionally, as time passes, more and more transactions are being made online, which means only one thing: the demand for efficient and accessible customer support has never been so high. Want to spruce up your wardrobe? you’re bound to search for a renowned online shop that delivers within 3 working days. Feeling a hunger pang but don’t wanna cook? There are courier services, of course! But, the common factor with all these (and a million other) sites is, that customer support is important. Actually, it tends to be even more important because there’s no direct face-to-face contact for the most part.
Let’s take a look at how technology has revolutionized the way business conduct their customer care operations.
1. Live Chat
Incorporating live chat into a business’s customer service strategy offers a myriad of benefits that can significantly enhance customer satisfaction, engagement, and overall business success. Live service agents powered by AI technology have completely transformed the way consumers interact with a business’s customer service, as not only do they manage to solve queries more efficiently, but they are also available round the clock to cater to their every whim. The immediacy with which customer issues are addressed is likely why satisfaction ratings rely heavily on the effectiveness of this kind of support.Â
2. Video Calls
Sometimes customers may come across problems they prefer to address face-to-face and if this isn’t possible, the next best thing a business can offer is video calls. Video calls can help simulate live interactions, allowing customer care representatives to be more effective when offering empathy while attempting to understand a customer’s particular issue. This has also proven to come in handy if a client purchases a product from a brand not available in their own country or if they have since moved away, allowing them to still receive stellar customer care service.
3. Specialized Support
While AI’s abilities to enhance overall business activities cannot be denied, there is still a lot of growth that needs to occur. Moreover, businesses still need to be able to offer in-person support for those customers who may prefer real interactions. As such, we have now seen a wave of businesses leveraging technology to establish extensive training programs so that they can provide customers with specialized support. Take, for example, a business that sells Dyson vacuums. If a customer were to have an issue with their machine, the business would have an on-hand Dyson customer support specialist to help.Â
4. Omni-Channel Experience
One of the biggest ways technology has shaken up the customer care industry is by increasing customer expectations of how they can reach a representative. That’s right, gone are the days when the only way a customer could interact with your business was at its brick-and-mortar store location. Customers need to be able to engage with your company through a variety of mediums, including social media sites, online chats, and third-party review sites. This increased need for accessibility has driven the demand for an omni-channel experience, which is a system that can sync all communication channels together so that support agents and customers alike can work seamlessly between them.Â
5. Remote Working
Customer service agents no longer need to be chained to their desks in order to perform their duties to the best of their abilities. Thanks to advancements in technology, they now have the tools to work remotely and tackle any customer inquiries from the comfort of their homes. While most service channels, such as social media, email, and live chat, can be operated outside the confines of an office, most business phone services work through cloud-based solutions, allowing agents to work from home. This can help businesses save on office space and make the job more attractive for individuals who require more flexibility.
6. Data Driven Decisions
As more and more companies begin to integrate customer service technology, they will need to rely on the data to determine whether or not any of these programs are working the way they want them to. This quantitative measure of success can also be used to identify overlooked customer needs and even repetitive product or service issues, helping to improve the customer’s overall experience. Getting ahead of an issue before it develops further can also help to prevent a bad review, which we all know can impact a business’s credibility in a matter of seconds. Other departments, such as marketing and sales, utilize any information gathered to create better-informed campaigns and customer targeting strategies.Â
7. Augmented Reality
Companies have started to embrace augmented reality as a tool to elevate their customers’ experiences with their products, allowing them to visualize a product in their home without even purchasing it. One notable company is IKEA, which launched their AR app IKEA Place, providing customers with the opportunity to see how a piece of furniture would look in their home. Not only does this help facilitate confident purchasing decisions, but it will also improve customer satisfaction.
