Last updated on April 12th, 2022 at 10:56 pm
Technology provides great flexibility to improve customer service, even in fast-paced environments.
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Every day, most people interact with technology in one way or another. Smartphones, computers, tablets, and the internet are becoming staples for the average business.
However, no matter how technologically advanced we become, quality customer service and personalized connections remain necessary to keep a business alive and well.
The good news is you can use today’s business technology to your advantage and improve customer relations. Here are just five ways you can use technology to keep customers coming back.
1. Use Data to improve Customer Service Reps
Even though we are in the digital age, it’s still essential to have a great team of customer service representatives. You need people who can handle challenging issues efficiently and timely. The representative must stay calm under pressure and remain professional at all times.
To have such a team, those individuals need more than just run-of-the-mill training; they need customer service coaching.
Customer service coaching goes beyond simple training by continuously monitoring the representatives and giving them detailed feedback. Coaching managers store detailed feedback as data on each representative as they go. This methodological system helps improve customer service reps and gives them much-needed feedback.
2. Utilize Chatbots
It’s not uncommon for customers to grow frustrated with being on hold for extended periods. Most people are busy and don’t always have time to wait on the phone for service. This can be especially troublesome if the call is for something simple.
One way to cut down on the number of customers waiting in the queue is to use artificial intelligence in the form of chatbots. Chatbots are helpful when it comes to answering simple questions quickly because they can automate live conversations with customers via direct messages on your website. It’s a great way to speed up the process but keep customers happy with fast answers to pressing questions.
If they need more help, make it easy for them to access their team by providing an additional phone number.
3. Include an FAQ Page on Your Website
FAQs are a resource for customers who may have a common query about your services. It can save you and your customers a bunch of time by freeing up phone lines – customers will see the answer to their questions listed on the website and see no reason to call.
For an FAQ page to work, the questions must be somewhat generic and accurate for every customer. In other words, nothing that would have different answers depending on the customers’ specific situations.
Get your customer service representatives together and have them share some of the main questions that consumers often ask, then start thinking about straightforward ways of answering those questions.
If you need ideas of what sorts of questions should go on an FAQ page (look up the ones other companies have on their sites).
4. Utilize Social Media and Email
Don’t let your customers forget about your business by sending social media updates and digital newsletters. Plenty of companies use social media and email because they’re fast, easy, and reach a broad audience in no time.
When you update social media, include videos, images, and engaging like polls and giveaway opportunities. The same is true for emailed newsletters. The more eye-catching it is, the better. It will keep your company fresh in their minds when they repeatedly see promotional material from your team.
5. Store Important Data on Customer feedback
Sending out a quick review via chatbots, voice surveys, email, etcetera is an excellent way to learn if your customers are satisfied or not. Once the customer turns in the survey, that data will be stored in the system for review.
After collecting enough survey feedback, your customer service team will know what is working and what to improve on for future interactions. Data can also tell you what is truly important to your consumers.
Store detailed data like never before with advanced computer systems. Use chatbots to cut down on high call volumes. Keep customers in the loop by sending out updates via email and social media. Incorporate an FAQ page on your company’s website to stop unnecessary calls from going through the system.
These are just some of the effective ways to improve your customer service interactions in the digital age. And the best news is that as technology improves, there will be even more ways to keep customers happy.
I’m a freelance writer from Israel. I like to write about just about anything. English is my 2nd language so please forgive me if my writing isn’t perfect.
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