The combination of customer service and technology is a promising one. When state-of-the-art innovations like Artificial Intelligence, real-time messaging, and workforce tools are applied to the domain of customer service, businesses see unbelievable growth. For instance, by simply integrating a live chat button in their support pages, many cable companies facilitate their customers significantly and gain a competitive edge in the telecom market. Click for info on one such provider. So, pairing technology with customer service is an excellent idea. In case you’re looking to upgrade your customer service, consider implementing the following technology trends.
Video-Based Assistance
Although phone support has its advantages, they pale in comparison to video-based communication. When you hop on a scheduled video conference with a customer in a crisis, you can actually discern the issue from up close, pick context clues from the conversation that are often left unsaid but are fundamental to the cause, and give reassurance to the agitated customer by maintaining eye contact, etc. So, one of the technology trends that has the power to redefine your customer service interactions is video communication, and we’ll be witnessing its adoption soon enough.
Real-Time Messaging
Sometimes, customers may face a critical problem with a business product or service that requires an instant solution. They may not have the time to wait for an email reply or wait in the queue on a phone line. This is where real-time messaging technology comes to save the day. Real-time means within the actual time duration as the event occurs. This technology renders the concept of “delay” extinct, which boosts customer satisfaction. You can incorporate this communication medium in your customer service plan in multiple ways:
- Mobile Support App – One popular idea is to launch a customer-service-oriented smartphone application. Customers may easily download the app on their mobile devices, log into it, and upon encountering an issue, contact customer support through the messaging window in their app, no matter where they are. Besides, it is vital for businesses of today to make their services mobile-friendly because the world is moving towards hands-free mobility.
- Website Live Chat – Another option is to design a “Chat With Us” button and add it to your customer service web page. The thing is that most customers, especially the internet-savvy generation, interact with brands online mainly through their websites. So, with a live chat button, they will be able to engage in real-time communication with the support agents not just regarding a problem but also any queries that may come up during the buying journey.
- Social Media Messengers – Almost everyone has one or more social media accounts to connect with friends, family, and their favorite brands. You can target these users and extend your customer service by setting up real-time messaging tools on social media. For instance, Facebook Messenger is an ideal chat platform that can enable Facebook users to seek help with a product or service directly from the respective business.
To take complete advantage of real-time messaging and generate desirable results, you need to make your live chat support available for customers around the clock. This means 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all month and all year. Now, that may not be possible since human agents have off-times, as well. To compensate for this, you can introduce chatbots into the mix, which we’ll be covering below.
Automated AI Support
Artificial Intelligence may have been a dream in the past, a fleeting idea, and a science-fiction trope, but it is everywhere around us these days. It is a beacon for the future. What is Artificial Intelligence or AI? It is an umbrella term, consisting of all the systems and mechanisms that simulate human-like intelligence, speech recognition, visual perception, and decision-making skills, and perform tasks independent of human input. Artificial Intelligence can push the limits of the current customer service landscape by making automated assistance possible for customers. Here are a few ways AI can upgrade customer service:
- Interactive Voice Response – IVR is a telephony technology, deployed in phone support, which uses NLP (Natural Language Processing) and keypresses to route customer calls to the right departments, thus reducing wait time and ensuring a speedy resolution of queries, issues, or complaints.
- Chatbots – Chatbots are computerized programs designed to parallel human-like conversations. These bots can be used in real-time messaging and live chat platforms to answer customer queries on the spot even if human agents aren’t available. By responding to basic questions 24/7 and within seconds, chatbots can increase the rate of customer satisfaction and close 60% of the tickets, thus, taking the weight off the human agents’ shoulders.
- Advanced Sentiment Analysis – Artificial Intelligence programs can provide on-point and near-accurate data analysis and predictions, so that companies may strategize accordingly. Their chatbots can collect emotional data from the customers they interact with and forward it to the companies along with valuable suggestions to harness the power of a positive experience. The advanced sentimental analysis supersedes a dry relational one since the core of customer service is emotion and empathy. Trigger the right emotion in your customers and you’ll win them for life.
- Self-Service Recommendations – People are more empowered today than they have ever been, and so they prefer to rely on themselves. Companies can build on this tendency by offering AI-supported self-service platforms to their customers. These self-service portals may contain all the updated information about the company’s offerings, as well as FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and tutorial videos. The Artificial Intelligence program can highlight the most relevant self-help guides and recommend DIY videos based on each user’s personalized search query, cutting their search time in half with a “proactive” rather than “reactive” assistance.
- Cloud-Based Helpdesk – Customer service software with AI can streamline customer interactions in a seamless manner for the agents. For instance, the cloud-based helpdesk can track tickets with greater transparency, unify all support channels into a single real-time dashboard to enable holistic monitoring, and automate day-to-day workflow to enhance efficiency and productivity of the customer service representatives, etc.
Wrapping Up
Customer service and technology are like two peas in a pod. They go hand in hand. Customer service cannot progress without technology. So, if you’re seeking growth, we suggest you inculcate the aforementioned technology trends in your customer service strategy to secure your place in the future.
