Technology is becoming more accessible to businesses every day due to reduced costs and multiple technology start-ups fighting for market share. As a result, keeping up with the speed of digital innovation is more vital than ever if businesses want to remain competitive.
And no industry is exempt. The rising use of AI and chatbots by organisations threatens to cut out the human connection entirely. But we all know that a single negative customer experience can lead to the loss of a potential loyal and lucrative client. And whilst automated customer service can increase productivity and enable faster customer transaction, there are times when the human connection is far superior.
So, whilst customer service orientated businesses should certainly be focusing their investments on digital innovations that can improve efficiency and enhance customer experience, they should be doing so with the one superpower that can differentiate them from the rest in mind: the human touch. Ensuring customer service agents have the right tools at their fingertips to enhance their performance can help build a business’ reputation for offering a ’super’ customer experience – here are three ways how:
1 – The power to read minds
It’s hard speaking to someone that doesn’t speak your language, or at least doesn’t speak it very well, at the best of times. But when face-to-face, we at least have the helping hand of body gestures. Over the phone though, language barriers can be a huge problem and as more and more businesses venture overseas, multi-national contact centres are on the rise
If only customer service staff could read their customers’ mind. Unfortunately, that won’t be possible for most employees, but implementing AI technology that allows for real-time translation could be the next best thing. When customers and contact centre staff don’t have to worry about being able to understand each other, they can focus on the real issues at hand.
2 – The need for speed
We’re living in a time when customers are used to immediate gratification, and if they don’t get it from a business, they’ll look elsewhere. Yet a Gartner study recently found that almost one-third of people believe that waiting on hold for more than two minutes is too long and I’m sure we have all waited much longer than that to get through to a customer service line
Keeping wait and hold times low is therefore now a vital component of providing a satisfactory customer service, so businesses should be investing in technology that can help monitor and improve them. That way, customers are far less likely to drop their call and staff can deal with a happy customer when they do get through.
3 – Super strength
Customers don’t want to have to do all (if any) of the work when it comes to resolving a problem, that’s why they contact customer services. But helping out with an issue doesn’t have to mean any more work than usual for the customer service agent either
By implementing a telephony platform, businesses can provide their customer service staff with a 360-degree view into any customers’ previous interaction with the brand. Agents can therefore get down to the real issue faster without having to go back in time. This gives them the strength to take the burden off the customer, lighten their load and make their whole experience with the company easier.
Rather than seeing the phone as a costly business utility, it should be seen as a goldmine for creating positive customer interactions. Every call taken presents an opportunity for service providers to emerge a hero for their customers and save the day.
By using business tools to enhance a contact centre’s customer service capabilities, businesses can significantly improve their customers’ experiences, putting them back at the heart of the business. And at a time when customer expectations are so rapidly fluctuating, offering a personalised and exceptional service could be the key to maintaining brand loyalty.
Guest Blog by Neil Hammerton, CEO and Co-founder, Natterbox
Neil’s career started with BT where he obtained an HND in electronics. A serial entrepreneur, he has since led four successful business ventures having co-founded Natterbox in 2010.
