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If you are a regular reader of our blogs, then chances are you remember us discussing in one of our past blogs about a major European bank’s inability to address customer queries because their omnichannel customer service was a mess. That brings to the fore some pertinent issues encumbering the customer service industry and, it is more relevant today than ever.
For starters, the quagmire that the global economy has gotten into as a consequence of the pandemic doesn’t make things any easier for the customer service industry. Customers are getting impatient, and they want their queries resolved right now.
So, we found it necessary to discuss the importance of omnichannel customer service strategy and how to get it right, so you turn the corner. Otherwise, things can go downhill fast, and it can even go out of control after that. So for the sake of your customers, you need to have a robust omnichannel customer service strategy. And the time to get that right is now!
Tips for omnichannel customer service
#1 Meet your customers where they prefer
Thanks to the proliferation of digital channels, customers today are spoilt for choice. The internet has not only made the customers more demanding, but it has truly empowered them. They may choose to connect with you via phone, email, social media, chat, online forum, review site, or even instant messaging. It is incumbent on you to provide them an experience that is channel-agnostic yet resolves their issues for which they are trying to connect with you in the first place.
It might mean making some fundamental changes to your customer service strategy. Your contact center is much more than just a call center. Your contact center solutions should map the customers’ channels, be it email, social, chat, or call and weave it into coherent customer journeys. This way, you can get enough context for your customers. Your customers can enjoy a genuinely omnichannel customer service experience.
#2 Shorten response time to customer queries
Gone are the days when brands could procrastinate to give a resolution to customer queries. Today’s digital-first customers need urgent answers and solutions to their questions, as they lead busy lives themselves. You can’t expect them to continue doing business with you even after putting their calls on hold for 20 harrowing minutes. Think about the last time it has personally happened to you as a customer.
Well, the trick to successfully reducing your response time to customer queries, is automation. You need to have an intelligent virtual assistant powered by AI that can engage with your customers, be it on call, chat, or even on social media. There is nothing like giving back time to your customers while resolving their queries satisfactorily, right?
#3 Empower customers to help themselves
As much as it may sound clichéd – self-help is the best help. Encourage your customers to help themselves to resolve their queries without you having to intervene every single time. That means you need to empower your customers with choices, knowledge banks, digital channels, and, most importantly, a proactive customer service strategy.
Self-service customer service strategies go a long way in cementing your brand’s reputation as a customer-friendly brand. We do have a great blog that talks about the self-service best practices in customer support. We recommend you go through it.
Perhaps the last word should go to Jeff Bezos, the founder, and CEO of Amazon, who once famously said, “The best customer service is if the customer doesn’t need to call you, doesn’t need to talk to you. It just works.” And because of this mantra, you know precisely where Amazon is today, right!
Get in touch with Uniphore if you are yearning to help your customers help themselves and looking to build an omnichannel customer service strategy.