Eight out of ten American customers rate friendly, expert service, convenience, and speed higher than any other differentiating factors. Companies able to successfully deliver in these three areas have a significant advantage over their competitors.
Business customer service solutions provide a useful tool for companies to get a head start. Firms now have access to a dazzling array of customer service software and utilities to support them.
Sorting through the number of tools and solutions available may prove intimidating. With that in mind, we’ve created this guide on how to make smart decisions when choosing your customer service solutions.
Business Customer Service Solutions
Customer service for business falls into two broad categories:
● The solutions that you provide your clients
● The software that your team uses to facilitate fixes, manage interactions, and analyze data
Selecting Customer Service Solutions
Solutions in this category focus on providing clients the help they need in the manner they want. Clients want fast, straightforward answers to their questions. A few years ago, artificial intelligence seemed to provide a solution.
Fast-forward to 2020, and several thousand bad chatbots later, and things have changed. According to PWC, 75% of consumers now expect more human interaction in the future. The pushback against technology has begun.
Companies are increasingly outsourcing customer service functions like helplines so that clients experience that increasingly crucial human contact.
Partnering with a professional firm in this respect makes good business sense. Businesses can scale call center operations as necessary. They also have a team of highly-trained service specialists at their disposal with short notice.
A further saving is that the service provider has all the necessary equipment. They’ll use professional-grade tools like co-browsing and scheduling software to deal with client queries quickly and effectively.
The relationship is mutually beneficial when companies have similar values. Firms should partner with service providers who are passionate about creating a fantastic customer experience.
To complement the outstanding support experience, firms must ensure that their internal systems work flawlessly. Incorporating the right software can go far in alleviating bottlenecks and service delivery issues.
Selecting Customer Service Software
Choosing the right software is simpler when businesses work out the following in advance.
The Features They Need
Defining the essential functions upfront makes narrowing down the options more straightforward. It also makes it easier for decision-makers when up against a seasoned salesperson. They’re more likely to remain objective after an enthusiastic sales pitch.
Is There A Trial Period?
The real test of whether or not the software works for a business is once it’s installed. Many companies provide trial versions, but these may be too limited to be of much use.
The solution may be to make a month-to-month arrangement to start. Where that’s not possible, a three-month contract should prove sufficient.
Companies should avoid being locked into a service agreement until they’ve tried the product. Paying a little more for a month-to-month contract upfront allows firms more flexibility. Should the software prove unworkable, it’s easier to cancel than to fight for a refund.
What Are Your Future Options?
Do they have a reputation for providing good technical support? If it’s a cloud-based product, what is their uptime? Are there complaints of congestions on the system?
Speak to the consultant about other services the firm offers. Do they plan to add extra suites? How often do they upgrade their systems? How easy is it to scale plans up or down?
This should be seen as a partnership and vetted as such. Businesses must check the reputation of the firm online and in the community. The software will play a large role in the company’s service delivery and reputation going forward.
If the software is ineffective, it impacts service delivery. Recovering from persistent delivery issues may prove tricky, so taking extra care upfront is warranted.
How Easy Is It To Integrate And Use?
The final test is how easy the program is to integrate and use. How much training will employees need to use the system effectively? Will it improve the workflow or complicate it?
Companies should evaluate their current processes and how they’ll change with the new system. If employees find it too difficult to implement, they’ll look for workarounds.
When choosing a new system, find out if the company provides training. If they do, firms should schedule sessions with key personnel in advance. Two or three people at the company should be conversant in the program before it goes systemwide.
Decision-makers should also consider what impact system changes will have on client self- service options. Will customers be able to adopt the changes quickly?
Final Notes
Companies today don’t have to choose between outstanding service and high operational costs. With the product options and outsourcing solutions, providing clients with the convenient, friendly, and fast service they want is simple.
