Many businesses would agree that customer service is extremely important, and determines the growth of their business. You might think that customer service is pretty straight forward, but the truth is that customer service trends change year on year, so you need to be committed to staying up to date. Tools, systems, and processes all help to convert your strategies into customer satisfaction – here, we’ll talk about how you can provide better customer service for 2019.
User Experience
The success of your business is always determined by the experience of your end users. User experience is extremely important if you want to grow your business and have people continue to visit your site. A massive 88% of people would not return to a business website after a bad experience. Case studies have shown that a UX design could boost conversion rates by up to 400%!
Focusing on providing a great user experience directly correlates with customer service. You are meeting their needs without hassle, and ensuring your site is a joy to use. Something you might want to look into to make this happen is a Managed IT service. This can reduce downtime, keep your customer’s information safe, and have many other benefits on how you run your business.
Customer Health Monitoring
Customer health monitoring allows companies to become seriously proactive. It’s no use waiting around for customers to contact you. Monitoring interactions every customer has and assessing the sentiment behind them can let customers know about problems before they even notice. This will make the difference between a good customer service experience and a great one.
Artificial Intelligence
Good news – AI is becoming much less artificial. Modern software means that the true power of AI can be leveraged, and that they aren't just a basic ploy to lure customers in. They will aid human agents in working smarter and more efficiently, rather than becoming a real replacement.
Things like sentiment analysis, predictive chat, and distress scoring are all examples of what AI can do alongside a human customer service rep.
Ticket Deflection Solutions
Deflecting tickets will increase in priority. Customer service teams are trying out new solutions that should reduce the amount of routine interactions that they process. Customers will easily be able to answer their own issues without needing to submit a ticket, as real time solutions like suggested links can be given in live chat based on what the customer has written about the problem.
Personalization
Personalization is something companies have been doing for a while, but many of them do not go as in depth as they could. However, personalization is now being applied at the entire company level by many companies. Customer service teams now have direct visibility into company accounts, and this means that they can add information including things like customer size, languages that they speak, hours and holidays, preferred service method, and more. Agents can see this and are able to further personalize the service provided to them. Personalized offers and services will help to develop loyalty, and add value to the customer. Their experience will be so much better as they feel more understood and valued by the company. You will understand your customer’s interests, use their name when speaking to them, and know what they need inside out. When they get a great personalized service like this, they are more likely to come back to you, as well as recommend you to friends and family.
Mobile First
Of course, mobile isn't going away anytime soon. It can transform your entire business if used correctly. Always think mobile first and you will ensure you are reaching your entire market. Many people will use a mobile device to search or get help before a PC, so think about how you can help people who are contacting you on their phones. Not only that, they should be able to browse your offerings without having to scroll and pinch until their fingers are sore. Simple things like this will make all the difference to the customer experience.
Customer Success
Customer service is not just about giving scripted responses. It’s about doing everything a business possibly can to ensure a customer feels like they have been successful with that business. Customer success is the key phrase that all representatives should be keeping in mind. A more customer focused business can lead to reduced churn and more positive third-party feedback.
Customer service is ever evolving. Incorporate these methods in 2019 and you will notice great results!
