How to Ace Customer Service in the Digital Age

Customer service expectations have increased in recent times. Most of the customers are looking for a seamless customer service experience. Increasingly they are looking for omni channel customer support  that not just satisfies but amazes.

Whether you own a business, or head the customer service division, the following five tips can ensure that you meet the ever increasing needs of the customers and maintain an edge over the competitors.

1. Social Media Integration

Social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and others have experienced tremendous popularity over the years. Billion of people all over the world use the social media to connect with each other. The social media platform also serves as an effective medium for the companies to connect with the customers.

A recent report by Sprout Social Index found that a whopping 90 percent of the individuals surveyed had revealed that they used social media to communicate with the brand. What’s even more interesting is that around 34.5 percent stated that they preferred social media integration instead of communicating through email or phone with the company. This clearly shows the importance of companies of social media integration to connect with the customers.

2. Make Use of Live Chat

Live Chat allows companies to communicate with the customers online. The feature can be added to the website or integrated with social media. Adding the live chat functionality will allow you to provide valuable real time support to the customers.

A survey conducted by Econsultancy found that live chat provided the highest level of customer service satisfaction as compared to email or phone. Around 73 percent of individuals were satisfied with life chat support as opposed to 61 percent for email and only 44 percent for customer support through phone. This indicates why Live Chat should be an important component of customer care today.

3. Automated Emails

While most people prefer social media and live support, the importance of emails in ensure quality customer care cannot be denied. Sending menials can help turn irate customers into loyal customers. It can also help in retaining satisfied customers. Things like a welcome email, thank-you email, and promotional emails can help build relations with the customers, and make them loyal to the firm.

4. FAQ Webpage

Make it easy for the customers to resolve their problems by themselves by creating a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) webpage. The website should include a lot of commonly asked questions regarding the goods and services. The FAQ page should inform and educate about the finer details apropos the company’s offerings. Taking this proactive approach will go a long way in resolving customer concerns and complaints.

5. Omni Channel Customer Support

omni channel customer support

Omni channel is the buzzword today that allows provision of exceptional customer service. It simply refers to combining digital and traditional communication channels to provide personalized customer service. A company that wants to retain a firm hold on the customers should strongly consider an omni channel customer support.

Every business wants to ensure that the customers remain happy and satisfied. Today the focus should be on digital medium to connect with the customers. Embracing the digital communication is something that is not just optional, but a necessity to ensure exceptional customer service experience.