Improving customer service in 2018 is one of the most important sales and marketing strategies for companies. Indeed, changes linked to consumption and digitalization are pushing them to rethink their customer strategies. In addition, the new generations (Y and Z) bring profound transformations to social organizations.
By opting for an improvement in your customer service, you ensure the sustainability of your company. This sustainability, aimed at a forward-looking approach, must be multi-channel. We now know from Google studies that 74% of purchases are made after doing a search on the web. However, the importance of people is the key factor in tomorrow’s customer service. The question is then simple: How to improve customer service by integrating a human, digital and technological component?
Customer service at the service of the human being
The relationship with people must be the main objective of a customer service strategy. Indeed, consumer demand in both BtoB and BtoC wants a closer and more personalized service. This personalization involves a human aspect, that is, exchange, understanding and compassion.
Opting for traditional means of communication or after-sales service remains essential today and those for different reasons:
The human interaction that each of us seeks when we buy or need a quick solution.
Customer service by phone allows you to solve more or less complex problems without having to travel.
The attention of the customer listening which allows to target more precisely the expectation of the latter.
The feeling of not talking to a robot.
An answer to a more specific question.
However, these traditional means must meet specific and specific criteria in order to provide a positive customer experience. If we take the case of call centres, the choice of call centre must have very specific skills. Like for example:
Qualified employees to respond to complex problems
A call center must be specialized to avoid reading a script and not leaving it. An argument strategy is therefore mentioned, because it leaves the possibility of dialogue.
The idea of promoting human values and dialogue.
The use of traditional means is even very important in 2018. They are an integral part of a multi-channel strategy that is essential to the sustainability of your company.
Customer service through digital
Customer service must also be digital. By digital, we mean forums, dedicated spaces on the site and social networks. Generation Y and generation Z are major consumers and meeting this demand is becoming necessary.
Tomorrow’s customer service department must use all these tools to meet customer expectations and criticisms. As we can see today, the impact of E-reputation can make you a king or a proscribed.
Anyone can give their opinion, rate and criticize a company. We are 74% of Internet users to practice this type of action and you are surely one of them. When you are looking for a good restaurant, you look at the opinions and comments of others. If these are negative then you will not go to this restaurant. The same is true for a company and that is why digital actions have become mandatory.
The customer service through digital goes through different formats such as :
Social networks in order to answer, exchange or refer a customer quickly.
The forums of your brand which are platforms for exchanges with your customers.
External forums that are to be monitored because they indicate the reputation of your brand.
Google notice that as soon as we enter your company name is displayed. A low rating regardless of the number of reviews is never a good sign.
Rating sites such as Glassdoor, which allows you to rate a company
Job search platforms such as Indeed where company ratings are offered.
Strategic actions oriented towards customer service must be taken seriously. This will allow you to respond quickly to a specific request and be close to your customers.
Customer service and new technologies
2018 is also the emergence of technological trends such as sculpins. For the past 2 to 3 years, major groups have opted for this type of customer relationship. This makes it possible to sort out problems that can be easily solved and those that require human action. For example, a chatbot will allow you to define certain problems such as a bad connection or a failure. If it does not detect your problem, it will send you to a level 2 support technician.
Chatbot is very popular today, both in terms of customer service and customer experience. More and more professionals agree that this tool will become a must in the future. Essential, yes, but it will not replace the human as some critics may think. The chatbot will be a support or other tool to facilitate customer relations and to personalize them as much as possible.
The chatbot, just like digital and traditional means, must be part of a multi-channel strategy. These three elements are nowadays inseparable and each company must tend to digitise itself without forgetting the traditional channels of customer relations.