Having great customer service is critical for a successful business and one of the deciding factors for whether a customer will stay with you or not. But over the years customer service has changed. With the advent of the internet, the customer has more information at their fingertips and have more control on who they decide to do business with. Let’s look at the four ways customer service has evolved and how you can use these evolutions to improve your customer service.
1. Get personal
Before the invention of the telephone, business owners would need to go to their customers and speak to them face to face. But with the invention of the telephone and then the internet, communication became easier, and customers have access to more platforms to post their grievances. But the technology also created that communication became more automated. But customers want communication with a human especially when their problem is complex. It is important to have a good blend of automation and personal interaction with your customers.
2. Choose technology wisely
As mentioned before technology has impacted the way customers interact with businesses. With the internet, more channels have been created and given customers more ways to communicate with brands. But sometimes having all the options and doing away with older technology can be detrimental to your business, especially if your clientele is from an older generation. You should consider your customers when choosing which technologies to adopt for great customer service. You can choose between chatbots, social media pages, websites, phone lines and messaging apps to communicate with your customers.
3. Engage the whole company
In the past, customer service was reserved for salespeople and customer service agents but now times have changed. People evaluate your business based on how everyone treats them even the accountant in your business can have an impact on your customer service. You should ensure that the people who work in your business align with your company’s values and want to help your customers have the best experience.
4. Give customers self-help options
Previously businesses controlled the information which customers knew about their business and how they accessed it. But with the internet, customers have access to a global library of information and are in control of finding the answers for themselves should they choose to. It is important to give customers channels where they can find the answers to basic questions about your product or service. You should also let them know how to fix a problem themselves if it is feasible for you to do it. Another aspect of having all the information at the tips of your fingers is that customers want to be in the know. They want to know what is happening with their order and they want to get emails about sales, new products and offers that make them feel like they are part of the inner circle.
From these four areas, we can see that customer service is still crucial for a successful business and customers still want the human touch. AI is good for frequently asked questions but when it comes to the nitty-gritty, you need to ensure there is a knowledgeable person in the position to answer your customers’ questions.
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