Digitization of customer service can be defined as the process of transforming customer service into a digital experience. This means that customer service will be delivered through digital channels such as email, live chat, chatbots, or social media. With the digitization of customer service, companies can ensure that their interactions with customers are consistent, tailored to meet their needs, and answer their problems.
Benefits of digitized customer service
This transformation has several benefits for companies, including greater efficiency and responsiveness to customers, reduced costs, and an improved customer experience.
An organization that has connected customer service can provide their customers with improved service by being able to track and analyze customer interactions and responses on the different platforms. With those tools in place, your employees may also be able to receive notifications and alerts related to questions or issues that need to be addressed. Many organizations today are opting to have digital customer service in order to provide better and more efficient services to their customers.
One of the fastest ways to get help
In recent years, the use of live chat customer service has exploded. This is because it offers a number of benefits that are not found in other support methods. First, it is one of the fastest ways to get help. With live chat, customers can instantly connect with a representative and start getting help.
This is in stark contrast to waiting on the phone for an agent to become available or sending an email that may not be answered for days.
Great source of information
It is a great way to get more information. Many customers feel like they can ask more questions when using live chat than they would over the phone or in an email. This is because agents can type while they are talking, which makes it easy for them to provide detailed answers.
Fosters a strong relationship
Finally, it is a great way to build relationships with customers. Chatbots provide instant gratification to customers. They can ask and answer questions quickly, and often provide an answer in the timeframe of a chat conversation. This is significantly better than forcing customers to wait on the phone.
Plus, chatbots never get tired. They’re always available to help customers 24/7, which is perfect for businesses that offer support around the clock. Chatbots can also handle multiple conversations at once, so they never fall behind on customer inquiries.
Be where your customers are
When it comes to customer service, social media platforms are a great way to help customers and provide them with the content they need. You can post helpful information on social media channels such as Youtube, Facebook and Instagram, even Linkedin is a great place to create customer service content. Businesses can provide their customers with the answers they need and help to resolve any issues they may be experiencing.
Additionally, social media platforms can be used to post engaging content that will keep customers coming back for more. By using social media for customer service, businesses can create a strong connection with their customers and ensure that they are satisfied with their experience.
Get started with the digitization of customer service
How and why do your customers contact you?
Businesses need to be aware of how customers are contacting them and why.
If you're like most business owners, you probably think that customers only contact you because they have a problem that needs solving. While it's certainly true in many cases, there are actually several other reasons why they might get in touch. In order to provide the best customer service possible, it's important to understand all of the different reasons why people might contact you.
Some customers might simply want to know more about your products or services. They may have questions about pricing, availability, or how your products work. Other customers might need help with a specific task or project. Maybe they're not sure how to use a product they've purchased, or they need assistance setting up a new account.
Here are few examples of questions frequently asked by customers by phone, email or online chat:
- What is the process for returning an item?
- What is the difference between regular shipping and express shipping?
- How much does shipping cost?
- What is your return policy?
- Can I cancel my order?
- What are the payment terms?
Build such a list with the questions your company frequently answers. By doing this, you also have a great list of content to create for your website! It will help you establish the strategy of your new connected customer service experience with the right tools.
Elaborate on the weaknesses and strengths of the people related to customer service in your business
Weaknesses in an organization's customer service can often be related to technology. In some cases, the people in the organization are not tech savvy and do not have the level of ease necessary to provide good customer service. Additionally, some organizations do not offer adequate training on how to use technology for customer service purposes. This can lead to people being unsure of how to handle customer inquiries and requests via chat, email or phone.
Dress a list of weaknesses and strengths in your organization. Identify the people that will need more training sessions than the others. That way, you will be able to put in place quicker your new way of doing customer service. And you make sure your people are well trained when they will start using the tools in place.
Find the master of your customer service program
You have to find the master of your next customer service program, the one who will be the reference to the other in the business. We often call them the "Internal trainers". Find who is the most knowledgeable person in your organization about the tools. This person may be a customer service representative, a tech geek, or someone in another department. It's important to know who this is so you can go to them for help when you need it.
One great way to figure out who the most knowledgeable person is in your organization about the tools is to look at how many tickets they've opened and closed in your CRM system (if you have one in place) or observe them in their everyday life with the clients and their ease with technology. This will give you an idea of how much experience they have with the tools and how knowledgeable they are about using them.
If you're not sure who the most knowledgeable person is, or if there isn't one specific person who stands out, then you may want to consider holding a training session for all employees on how to use the tools.
Map the current Customer Service in your business, plan and set new goals
Mapping customer service is the process of defining and diagramming the stages and streamlines of customer service interactions inside your business walls. By mapping customer service, you can see who is involved in each step of the process and how they work together to provide a great customer experience. Mapping customer service can also help you identify areas where you can improve processes and speed up response times.
Set your goals
When starting a new customer service program, it is important to set realistic goals and objectives. It is also important to be conservative in your estimate of how much the change will improve the percentage of response time or customer satisfaction. It is essential to have buy-in from all levels of an organization before starting a new customer service program.
Once the goals and objectives are set, it is important to develop a plan on how to achieve them. The plan should be achievable and measurable so that progress can be tracked. A successful customer service initiative requires teamwork and cooperation between different departments. The customer service team should consist of representatives from different areas of the company so that they can get a holistic view of the customer experience. The goal should always be to improve the customer experience while keeping costs low.
Do you have the right tools?
To provide the best customer service, it's important to have the right tools in place. This means having a CRM (Customer Relationship System) system that can track and manage customer inquiries, as well as automation that can route tickets to the correct departments. By using the right tools, businesses can take care of customer inquiries quickly and efficiently, ensuring that customers are happy with the service they receive.
HubSpot Service is a CRM tool that helps manage inquiries. It can be used to create tickets and track their progress through different departments. Automation can also be set up to help with the process even with marketing initiatives. This is a good tool to take care of customer inquiries and can help keep your business organized.
Tips for a successful digitization of customer service
In order to maintain a successful digital customer service strategy, it is important to keep the following in mind:
- Keep your customers top of mind by providing personalized service. This can be done by using their name, addressing them directly in messages, and keeping track of their purchase or online visits history on your website.
- Use chatbots and other automated messaging tools to provide quick response times and resolve issues efficiently.
- Respond to complaints and negative feedback quickly and politely in order to show that you are taking the situation seriously and want to resolve it as soon as possible.
- Train your team members on how to handle customer inquiries and complaints in a polite and helpful manner, use templates to be consistent in the tone of the message.
- Follow up with customers after they have received assistance in order to ensure that their issue was resolved satisfactorily. Put more effort with the clients than they asked for, they will appreciate the experience you're providing.
In conclusion, while the digitization of customer service may seem like a big investment at first, it offers significant ROI in the long term. Recruiting the help of good consultants, you can make the process much smoother and ensure that your employees are well trained and efficient with the tools. By implementing digital customer service tools, you can improve your customer relationships, increase efficiency, and boost your bottom line. The benefits of this type of customer service are many, and businesses that don't take advantage of them are doing themselves a disservice.
So don't delay - start reaping the benefits of digital customer service today!
