What kind of customer service do today’s consumers expect? [ENG]
Customer service is changing very fast. It has been known for a long time before the pandemic, but now these changes are taking place at a dizzying pace. What could have been called expectations until recently is now a necessity for most companies and their clients.
What standards should modern customer service meet then? And what tools can help you achieve a positive customer experience?
What shapes contemporary customer service?
In the past, clients who needed assistance had only two options: to call a consultant or visit the company in person. Today there are many more possibilities.
We are all well aware of the technological development and we want to take advantage of its benefits. In many cases, we consciously choose online communication.
After all, today’s customer service is most influenced by two generations: millennials and generation Z. It is worth knowing that for 63% of millenials first interaction with the customer service department takes place online. What about gen Z? Well, they haven’t lived in a world without the Internet, so the answer should be obvious.
However, the service via online channels is one thing. It will not meet anyone’s expectations if there is no quality behind it. And what should you understand by quality?
- Effective and quick solution of the problem
In the introduction, we wrote about changes in the customer’s approach to customer service. However, some things remain the same — customer service is to be, above all, effective.
Clients cannot be sent back to various departments and consultants forever. Their problem should be resolved during the first interaction. As many as 33% of consumers expect it.
Remember that it is not them who should worry about whether their message will reach a competent person. Yet, it can be an artificial intelligence’s job. It will automatically recognize the category of the query and assign it to the appropriate department.
2. Immediate response time
As many as 75% of consumers say that a short response time is more important to them than the need to contact a competent employee. We mentioned the Z generation earlier. The data shows that 60% of them will hang up if no one answers the phone within 45 seconds.
Conclusion? Your reaction must be swift. Did you know that thanks to automation, you can reduce the response time up to 10 times?
3. A 24/7 service
A client sends an e-mail at 10 pm. Then, he/she receives a reply the next day around noon. Sounds like… reality? Such situations may be unacceptable today — at least in the eyes of many of your potential customers. You already know that they expect immediate answers, right?
This does not mean that you have to hire new employees who will work three shifts. During their absence, artificial intelligence will take over. You can be sure it will answer customers’ questions without the slightest hesitation.
4. Multichannel
Today we use many different channels to talk with each other. Your clients should also be able to use them to communicate with your brand. Why? Because they want to use the solutions they are familiar with.
Chat, e-mails, website forms, or even social media — include all these channels in your strategy to provide the highest level of customer service.
5. Personalized experiences
And, of course, it’s not about calling customers by name. Modern consumers expect the company to know their history and have access to all the necessary data. They do not want to share basic information every time they contact the customer service department.
Automation engines aggregate the entire history of customer interactions with your company. This means that they always provide a personalized answer — human memory can be unreliable, which cannot be said about algorithms.
Conclusion
The key to developing effective customer service is putting the customer and their needs first.
You can be sure that thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning your clients will receive an adequate level of service. What’s more, the response time will be reduced by up to 30 seconds.
Remember that today’s consumers expect, above all, an effective solution to their problems. It doesn’t matter if it is delivered by a human or an algorithm.
Discover the possibilities of the AI Busters engine — see a demo!
Originally published at: www.aibusters.com
