There are more ways than ever for customers to get in touch with tech support. Ever wonder what customer service looked like 50 or 60 years ago? It certainly wasn’t as accessible or intuitive as it is today. Here’s a look back at how customer support technologies evolved over the last century, and a peak at where they’re going next.
As 2023 comes to a close, now is the time to reflect on wins and losses from throughout the year. Maybe you had a banner year—or maybe you’re celebrating just getting through turbulent times. Either way, before you pop that bottle of champagne, it’s time to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions for your customer support team.
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” doesn’t always ring true for customer service or support teams. Though some industries might slow down during the month of December, others get more hectic and tensions can run high. Ever wonder what to say to diffuse the situation when a customer is ranting and raving about a problem that’s difficult to solve? Here are five pro tips from customer service veterans.
In today’s customer-centric market, providing exceptional support is non-negotiable. According to research by Microsoft, 59% of consumers have higher expectations for customer service than they did the year prior. As customer expectations continue to rise, businesses must invest in robust customer support software to streamline interactions, enhance efficiency, and ultimately build lasting relationships. Is your company prepared to deliver exceptional post-sale customer support?
Your company’s reputation depends on excellent customer support. Even if you utilize tools like self-help, community forums, or automation, some customer issues still require a human touch. Although hiring staff can be costly, companies can’t afford to skip it if they are concerned about customer satisfaction. Case management continues to play a critical role in preserving customer relationships while also feeding the product development process.
These days, there are a number of ways for customers to get the answers they need without direct interaction with an agent, including knowledge bases, community forums, and AI-powered virtual assistants. To add a personal touch, or when virtual tools do not result in a resolution, companies must still provide the option for customers to talk to a human.
It’s more critical than ever to deliver customer support in a timely and efficient manner. According to Forrester, customers are 2.4 times more likely to stick with a brand when their problems are resolved quickly. To achieve that level of responsiveness, your business needs live chat—providing a way for customers to interact with you at any time, day or night. But not all messaging and live chat software is created equal.
The data collected in your customer support department does not begin and end with customer support personnel. The benefits of the data collected here touches every other aspect of your business including hiring, product support, marketing strategy, and more. Your customer data is an incredibly rich source of information, particularly if your communication channels are optimized for customer use.
As a customer support leader, you know how important it is for your customers to be serviced in a timely manner. So, your company invests in the training needed to ensure your agents know the product and can help the customer use it. You train them on understanding customer needs and how to demonstrate empathy so customers leave the interaction feeling seen and heard. Yet, a major challenge is the technology customer support agents use, which slows down productivity.
