Customer service is a hard business because part of it is proactive and part of it is reactive. But it is both part of the business, and there are good and bad parts to all of it. Using technology to reach those customers and to better communicate with them is going to be very useful, especially in the coming years as technology becomes even more integrated into our everyday lives more than it already is. Here are some things to consider when adding more technology to your customer service department.
Proactive customer service
To be proactive with your customers, you want to reach out to them to see if they are happy before they get mad. Companies that deal in service and larger purchases know more about this than the everyday product company because when someone has spent a lot of time and money with your product or service, you always want to reach out and make sure they are happy with their purchase afterwards. It is a good way to get ahead of the curve. But it is a double edged sword. While it will help your customers to feel like you are taking care of them, it will also give them more opportunity to complain about problems they may be having but wouldn’t have addressed had you not asked. Still, at the end of the day, it is better to be proactive and get your customers everything they need.
Proactive customer service also deals in marketing where you are reaching out to your customers to try and get them to come back. Text marketing is a very good way of doing this because it reaches them immediately but allows them to look into it at a time that is most convenient to them. Not to mention, according to VentureBeat, over half of customers prefer to conduct their customer service through chatbot messaging.
Reactive customer service
The rest of the customer service you are likely experiencing is reacting to customers. This could be reacting by simply answering questions about store hours or the soup of the day, or it could be fielding calls from angry customers wanting to get their money back. This is one place where technology comes in handy very well. If you are using AI Chatbot texting with your customers, you are able to get their questions answered immediately and without wasting the time of your customer service reps, and it is especially helpful when they are simple, repetitive questions. Your customers will appreciate the quick and clear response in texting as well. You can save your customer service representatives for more important problems and concerns that can’t be easily resolved with an AI Chatbot.
Keep technology simple
VentureBeat makes it very clear that simplicity is important right now when AI Chatbots are very capable but aren’t able to understand or answer more complicated issues a customer may have. It is recommended that companies stick with simpler ideas with AI such as answering repetitive questions (e.g. What are your store hours?) or offering ordering services such as Starbucks. Always make sure there is an easy connection to a live person available for your customers, so they always know they can get a live person if they are unhappy with the messaging.
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Source: venturebeat.com/2016/12/12/new-survey-and-insights-about-what-consumers-want-in-a-chatbot/
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