It’s Not Just for Phones Anymore.
Today’s best-run businesses know that quality customer service can – and should – be doled out from anywhere. Whether it be by way of email or social media, consumers expect to be met with a consistent, effective support experience, no matter the channel they use to reach out.
To make sure you have all the bases covered, let’s take a look at 5 of the most popular types of customer service methods:
1. Email
Email is a tried-and-true customer service channel for a reason. It’s fast, it’s reliable, the vast majority of consumers already know how it works. Plus, it allows your customers to submit a query 24/7/365. Not to mention that it works.
However, relying too heavily on email ticketing as part of your customer support program can quickly turn disastrous. Without proper management from service software, email response times can lag, issue prioritization can lapse, and complex email threads can cause headaches and lead to mistakes.
2. Social Media
A relative newcomer, social media is quickly becoming one of the consumers’ favorite ways to reach out to – and solve problems with – a business.
From Instagram to Twitter, your customers likely already use DMs or tagged posts to connect with your support team. As such, establishing a company-wide tone or script, a speedy response time, and setting up a tracking system are crucial. That way, no messages fall through the cracks across all of your social accounts and your brand remains cohesive.
3. Chatbots and Apps
For those yet to embrace the technology, the live chat services offered by chatbots, mobile applications, and browser-enabled agent support can be intimidating.
But fear not; with the right supervision and care, chatbots can offer your customers fast, trustworthy support solutions any time of day. To find out if a chatbot is right for your business, you can read more about the pros and cons of service AI here.
4. Self-Service Methods
If you’ve worked in customer care for any period of time, then you know that a good chunk of support queries are met with an easy answer. That’s where self-service support channels come in.
Help your clients help themselves by providing web-enabled FAQs, app-accessible knowledge bases, interactive demos, instructive videos, online communities and more. These user-accessible methods can cut back on repetitive interactions for your agents and allow your consumers to avoid unwanted friction, wait times, and annoyance.
5. And Yes….By Phone
Much like on-site care, telecommunications customer service isn’t going anywhere soon. In fact, phone calls often provide the most personalized, well-received support across the board.
That Is, If Handled Correctly.
When considering phone-based customer service, make sure your agents are answering in a timely, positive manner that’s consistent with the service provided across your digital channels. In addition, using call-tracking and data-logging software will ensure that your consumers know they’re speaking with a real agent who just so happens to, you know, really care.
Omni-Who?
Still not sure which customer service channels are right for you?
If we’re being honest, it’s probably all of the above.
When it comes right down to it, your customers are anticipating a seamless experience orchestrated across all possible channels – known in the service world as an omni-channel approach. Taking the steps to do so can eliminate gaps in your support program and keep your consumers happy in the long run.
Let’s Get Proactive
Setting up an omni-channel support system that encompasses email, social media, live chats, self-service, AND telecommunications all at once can be intimidating. To learn more about how you can use Deskware for all types of customer service, visit us online today!
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