One of the pillars of success for any business is customer retention. A strong customer service and management department can help your company retain your customers while also convincing new people to invest in your brand. Creating a good customer experience strategy depends on using technology to your advantage in the modern world. By staying on top of tech trends, you can find creative ways to engage with your client base and stand out from the competition. In this guide, you’ll learn a few important ways to use technology to enhance customer experience and grow your business organically.
Invest in automated services
Various studies show customers prefer self-service options. By implementing automated or artificial intelligence infrastructure in your business model, you can provide a portal for customers to engage with the company in the way they enjoy. Not only would this increase the customers’ comfort level with your company, but it would reduce your labor costs.
With automated services, you pay to set it up and let it run. If an employee was handling the same tasks, you’d be doling out a monthly salary. Automation can take care of repetitive tasks, such as processing orders, accepting payments, making changes to a customer’s account, and so on. You can also set automation up to route the customer to the relevant department when they need to speak with a qualified agent for specific issues.
Use video chat
It can be frustrating for both agents and customers if the latter call about an issue but do not know how to explain it properly. The simplest way to enhance the customer experience is by offering a video chat function. For the sake of an example, say that you run a computer boutique. One of the most common complaints in the computer sales business is RAM coming loose during shipping. If the PC was bought online and the RAM unseated itself, the customer may not be tech-savvy enough to pinpoint the problem.
However, the agent could review the PC tower through a video chat and point out which part needs to be adjusted. This would make for a calmer experience, allow for better communication, and would let the agent quickly correct the issue and move on to the next caller.
Personalized service
The fastest way to increase customer retention is by making people feel important. You can use technology to offer personalized recommendations, which enhances the value of being your company’s customer. Using their shopping history, you can send product recommendations that would catch their eye. If someone bought a Sony camera from your shop, they don’t need an ad about the new Nikon. But they might enjoy an ad about a lens that’s compatible with their new camera.
You can also use location services, if enabled, to direct customers to the service center closest to them when they need to return or repair a product. While these personalized and location-based services need to be used with transparency and consideration, they can deeply enhance the customer experience.
Keep information saved
If a customer needs help, the last thing they want to do is repeat information to various agents. Many businesses have started implementing CRM software or T-PIN system. This allows the customer to input a password, which shares their information with the call agent. The agent would know which product and model the customer is calling about and would be able to guide them immediately without needing to ask mundane and repetitive questions.
Loading the information beforehand can also ensure your company reroutes calls to the most qualified agent for the issue at hand. Instead of going through multiple agents before landing on one knowledgeable about the problem, the customer would be connected quickly and efficiently.
Use a call-back system
Being stuck on hold can increase the customer’s frustration and annoyance, leading to miscommunication when the call finally connects. Instead of keeping customers on the line in a queue, use a number system to organize call-backs from your agents. This way, the customer would know the company will reach out and engage in other activities instead of pacing around with a phone to their ear.
If used with the save information system, it allows the agent to pull up the customer’s details before calling back. It creates the impression that the company cares about its customers and adapts to them. It’s a fantastic way to build loyalty and trust between your patrons and your business.
Chatbots and speech analytics
Google has already demonstrated its bots can sound so life-like that they can make hair salon appointments or dinner reservations without people knowing it’s a robot. You can use this technology to screen calls from customers, offer solutions to simple problems, and keep your human agents free to deal with complex tasks. You can combine this with speech analytics, which can recognize the person’s tone calling in. When needed, it can be used as an alert system to switch from robot to human interaction. You can also use the analytics software to analyze keywords that engage with customers to plan your agent scripts better.
Accent changing software
This feature is the newest on the list, but it’s one of the most exciting. A group of former Stanford students released an app to alter accents in real-time after one of the founders was fired from a customer service job because of their speaking style. With services like this, you can change the voice of your customer service agents to match the exact accent of whichever region the customer is calling from. It reduces miscommunication and can make the interactions feel more friendly.
Conclusion
Customer experience depends on the right mix of human and technological approaches nowadays. The features outlined above — chat, self-service, video calls, call-backs — are about providing every possible means of contact. When you give a customer multiple communication channels, they pick the one easiest for them. The sense of comfort and value enhances the customer’s relationship with your business and helps you retain them. It also makes it more likely for them to recommend the business to others through word-of-mouth. The ease of use of technology has allowed companies to effectively and efficiently deal with every type of customer they may encounter. If you use these strategies, your business will surely flourish.
