Crafting Authentic Customer Experiences: Uniting AI, Virtual Agents, and Live Agents

In the age of rapid digital transformation, businesses find themselves in a race to provide customers with seamless experiences that transcend the boundaries of traditional support methods. The upcoming webcast roundtable on “Seamless Customer Experience – Combining AI, Virtual Agents, and Live Agents” promises to delve into the exciting realm where AI, virtual agents, and human touch converge to create truly authentic customer interactions. Mark your calendars for September 12th at 1pm Eastern,

https://bit.ly/441c4WL as we embark on a journey to demystify the fusion of technology and human ingenuity. 

The Imperative of Seamless Customer Experience

In the ever-evolving landscape of consumer expectations, the significance of a seamless customer experience cannot be overstated. Today’s customers demand quick, personalized, and efficient interactions across multiple channels. This webcast roundtable recognizes that customer engagement is the bedrock of brand strategy, and to succeed, businesses must harmonize AI, digital tools, and human agents to create an integrated customer journey.

Navigating the Confluence of AI and Human Support

While the potential of AI and conversational bots is undeniable, the challenge lies in ensuring a harmonious coexistence between automated systems and human agents. The roundtable promises to shed light on this delicate balance, offering insights into how businesses can align their self-service and agent-assisted support for maximum efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Empowering Customer Support with AI and Virtual Assistants

Modern businesses are leveraging AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants to deliver personalized and prompt customer support. The webcast will explore how these tools not only streamline routine inquiries but also enable businesses to capitalize on intent data. By understanding customer needs and preferences, companies can strategically automate common inquiries and optimize agent workflows to enhance overall team productivity.

Data-Driven Strategies for Exceptional Customer Service

Harnessing the power of historical and real-time customer engagement data is pivotal in constructing a modern customer service strategy. This roundtable aims to equip participants with the know-how to leverage this data goldmine effectively. By analyzing past interactions, businesses can identify automation opportunities, fine-tune self-service strategies, and enhance their overall approach to customer engagement.

Consistency Across Every Channel, Every Time

Customers no longer perceive brands through a single channel; they expect a consistent experience across every touchpoint. This roundtable will dive into the techniques for ensuring a uniform customer journey, regardless of the channel. From social media to email, the discussion will encompass strategies to create a unified brand presence that resonates authentically with customers.

The Pursuit of “Authentic Intelligence”

As AI becomes more prevalent in customer interactions, there’s a growing need to infuse authenticity into these exchanges. The webcast will explore how to transcend the “Artificial” in AI and deliver what customers truly desire—genuine, meaningful interactions. Additionally, it emphasizes the indispensable role of empowered human agents in creating exceptional customer experiences.In a world where technological advancements and human creativity intersect, the webcast on September 12th holds the promise of unraveling the complexities of modern customer engagement. By merging AI’s capabilities, virtual agents’ efficiency, and the empathy of human agents, businesses can etch their names in the annals of customer delight. Join us at 1pm Eastern for an illuminating discussion that will reshape your approach to customer experience. After all, in the pursuit of seamless interactions, innovation and authenticity are the guiding stars.  https://bit.ly/441c4WL

How Technology is Redefining the Connection between Businesses and Consumers

The world of customer relations is constantly changing. New tech gives businesses better insights into consumer behavior and shifting preferences redefine the way marketers approach potential clients.

Emergent technology gives consumers greater control over their experience, too. This is particularly important today, as 66% of customers expect companies to understand their needs while a further 82% say they expect retailers to accommodate their needs.

Clearly, consumers show a strong preference for authentic connections and personalization. This means that consumer-oriented businesses must get up to speed with the latest tech like AI-powered chatbots, metaverse branded experiences, and predictive analytics programs.

AI and Customer Service

The recent rise of artificial intelligence has been heralded as the start of a new era for customer service. Programs like ChatGPT boasted a 100 million active monthly user base just two months after launching and competitors like Google Bard are quickly catching up.

Natural language processing (NLP) models are not just for public use, either. Advanced large language models transform the connection between consumers and businesses by significantly improving customer service. Modern businesses use AI to provide prompt, accurate support to folks who log on to their websites.

AI analytics can improve the in-store experience, too. Smart retail is revolutionizing the consumer experience by improving product research and streamlining operations. Over 50% of stores say they soon use some form of “smart” inventory management and 38% are adopting AI in-store. This can build cohesion between brands’ digital and physical points of sale.

Advanced Chatbots can be programmed to understand tone and brand expectations, too. For example, subscription services like GPT4 have been used to mimic human-like interactions on popular applications like DuoLingo and the Khan Academy. These same NLPs can be trained using pre-existing conversations by real agents to better address consumer’s needs.

Firms who do decide to proceed with AI-enhanced customer relations can free up time for customer service agents. This is particularly helpful if agents spend most of their day responding to FAQs, but could better spend their time answering more complex queries.

Marketing

Artificial intelligence can be used to better understand consumer trends and predict fluctuations in the market. For example, companies that measure consumer engagement can garner data-driven that help them measure and track the efficacy of their marketing campaigns.

The data businesses collect can also be used to optimize future campaigns. For example, companies that track consumer acquisition cost (CQC) in real-time can tell when exactly their marketing spend pays off. Using this insight, firms can find ways to improve their ROI and produce more profitable marketing campaigns.

High-tech businesses can also use social listening tools to detect conversations about the brand online. This is particularly important for businesses that are concerned about protecting their brand reputation as a swift response can curtail costly customer complaints. Advanced social listening tools trawl the web in search of brand mentions and notify marketers whenever someone mentions their brand.

Metaverse

The metaverse currently has 400 million active users and a global market value of $82 billion. However, many businesses and brands are still unsure of how to interact with consumers in the virtual world.

Event-based marketing in the metaverse can be particularly powerful for progressive brands who want to connect with young consumers. Digital events give businesses a chance to interact with potential consumers and can give folks personalized attention. 

Some brands, like Nike, are even using the space to sell their wares directly. The athletic-wear titan uses augmented reality (AR) tech to make shopping that much easier. Folks who visit their virtual store can “try on” clothes to see how they would fit before actually making the purchase. This gives folks more time to find products that suit their style.

Personalization

Modern consumers demand personalized brand experiences. Put simply, folks don’t want to feel like a cog in the wheel and are looking for businesses that make them feel important. Until recently, however, most brands could not authentically claim to provide personalized marketing.

Today, advanced data analytics empowers personalization efforts. High-tech data collection programs allow brands to wield big data and refine their approach to customer engagement. This means that marketers can create more accurate consumer personas while tracking metrics like conversion rates and customer satisfaction scores.

Ideally, personalization should be part of a wider Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy. This ensures that everyone understands their role and increases data utilization. Using the right CRM can make importing data easier, too, meaning all departments can contribute to producing an accurate understanding of consumer needs.

Conclusion

Emergent technology is redefining the connection between businesses and consumers. No matter the technology, businesses can personalize the consumer experience and garner brand loyalty. In the future, we can expect even more enhanced customer experiences as these same businesses figure out which technologies and tactics work best for customers and how to adapt.

6 Customer Service Trends to Lookout for in 2023

Contributed Article by Manpreet Singh Chawla

The customer service industry is constantly evolving and looking for the best way to serve customers efficiently. With customer experience becoming more critical to today’s business, new technologies are emerging to help customer service stay ahead of the latest trends. 

According to research from the Temkin Group, firms with annual revenue of $1 billion are expected to generate an additional $700 million within three years if they invest in customer experience. The revenue of SaaS companies is expected to increase by $1 billion.

These numbers make it abundantly clear that providing a positive experience for consumers leads to increased revenue from those customers. In fact, research shows that 86% of purchasers are prepared to spend extra money for an exceptional client experience. Let’s explore new customer service trends in 2023.

Top Customer Service Trends to Lookout for in 2023

Omnichannel support 

Omnichannel customer support is an integral part of delivering superior CX in today’s digital world. The days of contacting brands through telephone and fax are long gone. The most recent trends in customer care enable you to select your preferred method of reaching a support representative – phone, email, live chat, SMS, social media, etc.

Following the trend of omnichannel customer care, businesses can build a seamless customer experience and achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction.

Benefits  

1. Omnichannel support ensures a consistent customer experience across all touchpoints.
2. Improved customer engagement can be achieved through real-time support options such as voice and video chat.
3. Personalized experiences can increase customer loyalty.
4. Centralized management of interactions streamlines operations and increases efficiency.
5. Seamless communication between customers and support leads to increased customer satisfaction. 

Real-time co-browsing and video chat support

Advanced technology and new marketing methods give opportunities to engage with people and make goods and services visible. What if clients browse your website’s services or price page before buying?

Video chat or live chat is the best technique to assist a client through services and give real-time support. Real-time support for your company’s customer service trends is beneficial.

Benefits  

• Instant customer service
• Agent and customer save time
• Increases sales possibility
• User-friendliness
• Increases customer satisfaction 

Automated AI chatbot support 

One of the most noteworthy service marketing techniques is the increasing usage of bots to manage large-scale customer care without human intervention. The advent and continued growth of customer service bots or chatbots enable businesses to offer round-the-clock support through automated responses that immediately aid the customer in diagnosing the technical issue.

The most prominent benefit is that they relieve agents of some of the incoming support tickets so that they can focus on more critical, complex tasks. 

Bot-driven automation can surely close the gap in the customer service hierarchy and guarantee value since 50% of consumers no longer care whether they are speaking with people or AI-enabled assistants. These easy-to-use chatbots are a cost-effective way to answer customers’ typical questions. Given their current growth report, CNBC  predicts that chatbots will reduce company costs by $8 billion by 2023.

Self-service support 

As opposed to engaging with a customer support agent, 69% of consumers want to address as many problems as possible via customer self-service techniques. By providing customers with solutions to their concerns, banks and credit unions may simplify interactions and enhance the entire experience.

As customers seek more immersive ways to connect with companies, augmented reality (AR) may become an increasingly important component of self-service alternatives. More than 90% of consumers want businesses to give self-service options, such as a call center knowledge base, product FAQs, tutorials, AI-powered chat and messaging, and automated contact centers.

Automation helps consumers discover relevant information without ever having to communicate with a person, thanks to natural language processing and conversational intelligence improvements. 

More personalized customer service 

Given the quantity of personal data collected by companies, it would be irresponsible not to use it. 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions with companies after providing them with personal data. It involves providing customers with the help options they find most convenient, replying to their mail on an individual basis, and giving tailored recommendations. In addition, it may include recognizing their noteworthy accomplishments, distributing content pertinent to their needs, and enhancing the usability of self-service portals.

Every channel in your service mix, such as the website, social media platforms, email marketing, and help desk software, provides a vast array of choices for personalizing the customer experience. The optimum level of customization increases long-term customer loyalty and accelerates growth.

Proactive support

Consumers have enjoyed proactive support for decades. With automation on the horizon, team members proactively contact customers and give assistance, which is why it will be a robust 2023 customer service trend.

Research conducted in the United States by InContact reveals that 87% of people stated they welcome proactive business contact.

Proactive support helps avoid problems before they happen. It also deals with any concerns before they get worse. This shows that the company cares about its customers and helps keep them loyal. It is important for a company to ask about any issues their customers may have and address them proactively.

Facts at a glance   

• 59% of consumers are more concerned about customer service in the post-pandemic era.
• 79% of organizations reported an increase in customer loyalty, sales, and income after using automated chat.
• 61% of consumers would now switch to a rival after a single negative experience. 

Takeaways

Managing customer experience is a difficult endeavor that requires a thorough understanding of the client’s wants and expectations. In recent years, it is not surprising that there has been a significant shift in the behavior of both consumers and companies. If companies want to succeed, they must invest in the right technology to deliver customer-focused solutions.  

In 2023, CX will undergo significant changes. To meet the ever-rising customer expectations, a number of companies need to implement new technology, such as artificial intelligence, automated procedures, and a multichannel strategy.

Enhancing Your Employee’s Experience and Gaining Customer Service Success

Contributed Article by Shiela Mie Legaspi, President — Cyberbacker 

Going above and beyond for customers is the cornerstone approach for any customer service-based business, but many business owners may not realize that enhancing their employees’ experience can help ensure an enhanced customer experience. 

According to a recent Gallup poll, when employees feel valued and engaged, they are more likely to go that proverbial “extra mile” for their customers, and the Great Resignation has renewed interest in retention rates and employee engagement in many service-based sectors. Today’s employers are interested in how they keep employees happy in their positions not only so they can pass those good feelings along to the customer, but so the employer is more likely to retain top talent. 

The connection between engaged employees and happy customers 

When you run across someone who just oozes positivity, it can be infectious. Employees that love their jobs and feel supported and valued by their employers are likely to care deeply about the customer experience. 

Employees want to have a sense of pride in their work, and a happy customer is a good indication of a job well done. Employers who emphasize a supportive and engaged workplace culture can probably see the fruits of that labor firsthand. 

Our world is becoming increasingly digital, which has led some to feel disconnected from their fellow humans. Yet, the purpose of many — if not all — service-based industries is to create and foster human connection. 

When someone physically comes to your dining table to take your order, that is a human connection. When a person on the phone is willing to walk you through your bank account to find a mistake or to answer a question, that is also a human connection. Even as companies rely on more digital means to help with administrative tasks or social media outreach, the human element is still important and should be an integral part of building a culture within a workplace.

How to enhance the employee experience 

There are many ways a business owner or leader can approach the employee experience, but it all begins with being thoughtful and thorough with the hiring process. Fostering a strong connection between employee and customer begins with hiring the right people for the open positions. 

Once the best people are brought on to the team, those employees should be empowered to use the skills and know-how that drew you — the employer — to them in the first place. Employees should have the ability to make decisions, be creative, make suggestions, and dazzle you with their excellent customer service skills. Instead of trying to micro-manage employees, placing this trust in those employees will make them feel more valued and appreciated within the organization. 

As a customer service-based business, your employees are the ones on the “front lines,” meaning they may have the best ideas in terms of how to cater to customer requests or how to best market a product or service. Employees who know that their manager’s door is always open for suggestions will feel more heard and appreciated. 

Focusing on rewarding and incentivizing a job well done is also important for employers in the customer-service space. Employers can offer time off incentives and cash bonuses, or hold contests to keep employees invested in the overall company goal of great customer service. 

Benefits and pay are another way to incentivize employees. Many customer service-based businesses have begun to restructure their benefits packages to be more appealing to today’s generation of workers by offering generous PTO, work-from-home options, and robust health benefits that lead to better job satisfaction overall.

Encourage your staff to take time for themselves, rest, and engage in self-care practices. Customer service-based industries can frequently be challenging, especially considering the long hours that can be particularly mentally taxing after a long shift. An employer that cares about their employees having a sense of work/life balance is more likely to retain their employees and keep those employees happy with their positions. Keeping all of your customers — as well as their varied personality types — happy within a service-based business can be difficult at times. However, if we are to abide by the Gallup poll, employers can be more secure in their customer’s happiness by keeping their employees engaged in their work and engaged in the company culture as a whole. 

Top Customer Service Trends to Follow in 2023

Contributed Article by: Wanda Lafond 

There are a lot of changes happening in customer service, which often make you feel one step behind. To stay ahead of the curve, you should stay up to date on the latest customer service trends. This way, you will be able to resolve customer issues faster and avoid long wait times. So, what are the top customer service trends to watch out for in 2023? 

If you are working in the customer service industry, then you know that it is essential to keep up with the latest trends to keep your customers happy. By understanding the latest updates and integrating them into your business processes, you will be able to provide better service to your clients and keep them coming back. Let’s look at some of the top customer service trends that are going to be in play by 2023.

What Is the Future of Customer Service? 

Customer service has been around for a long time, and it is going to continue to be a vital part of the business world in the years to come. Let’s look at the key trends that will shape the future of this area:

1. Increasing Customer Satisfaction 

Customer satisfaction is important. It can have a big impact on company morale. To increase customer satisfaction, you need to focus on four key areas:  

• Communication. Make sure that your team is well-versed in all the different channels they use to communicate with customers. It includes email, social media, phone calls, and live chat. Make sure that these channels are used effectively and filled with high-quality content so that your customers always have a positive experience when dealing with you. To ensure that your written material is of the highest quality, you can consult the Best Essays Education professionals;
• Service delivery. If something goes wrong with your customer’s order or experience, make sure that you take care of them as quickly as possible. You should also offer discounts or other incentives in cases where service is delivered quickly and without any problems;
• Product quality. It means ensuring that your products meet or exceed expectations in terms of quality, performance, and aesthetics. You should also inspect your products regularly for any potential defects so that you can address them immediately;
• Satisfactoriness. If your customers are happy with what they have bought from you, then they are likely to come back again and again.  

2. Investing in Technology and Analytics to Help Manage Customer Interactions 

Technology can help you automate your processes, track and analyze customer interactions, and optimize your customer experience. Analytics can help you identify patterns and trends in your data so that you can make better decisions about how to serve your customers.

3. Focusing on the Emotional Well-Being of Customers 

Customers today are often hypersensitive to even the slightest hint of unhappiness or dissatisfaction. If you are not catering to their emotional needs, then you are losing a significant part of your potential customer base. Make sure your customer service policies and procedures reflect this by emphasizing emotional support and feedback.

4. Offering Customer Loyalty Rewards Programs 

Today, many customers are more likely to switch back and forth between different brands or providers, depending on the deal that’s available at the time. Make sure you offer customer loyalty rewards programs that keep them coming back to your business.

5. Responding Quickly to Complaints and Issues

Customers today are very quick to complain and issue complaints. Make sure your team is trained to handle customer complaints quickly and efficiently so that you can resolve any issues as soon as possible.

6. Increased Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies 

AI has many advantages when it comes to providing customer service, such as being able to process large amounts of data quickly and accurately. Use AI technology to improve your overall customer experience by automatically detecting issues and suggesting solutions.

7. Supporting Customers Through Digital Channels 

Customers today have a wide range of channels through which they can interact with businesses. They are expecting these channels to be supportive and helpful.

Make sure your team is trained to use all available digital channels to communicate with your clients. Try to respond quickly to any inquiries or complaints they may have.

8. Prioritizing Mobile Customer Service 

More than half of all consumer interactions today take place through digital channels, including mobile devices. Therefore, your team must be ready to provide quality mobile customer service whenever and wherever customers need it most.

9. Implementing Bots to Improve Customer Interactions

Bots are computer programs that interact with people online. They can be used to improve customer interactions by automating simple tasks, such as responding to customer emails or issuing refunds. By using bots in your customer service strategy, you can save time and hassle for both you and your customers.

10. Building Trust with Sincere Data Privacy 

In today’s world, customers are increasingly wary of data privacy. Make sure you take measures to build trust with your customer base by being transparent about how and why you collect data. Doing so will help reassure customers that their information is safe and secure while also helping you improve your overall customer experience.

11. More Virtual Assistants and Video Content

As customer service becomes increasingly digital and automated, customers are looking for more virtual assistants and video content to help them with their interactions. Make sure you invest in technology that can provide this type of support so you can keep your customers happy and loyal.

12. Focus on Voice Biometrics 

Voice biometrics is a technology that uses voice recognition to identify individuals. It has the potential to improve customer experiences by automating tasks such as issuing refunds or responding to customer questions. By using voice biometrics, you can ensure that your customers are always greeted with a genuine and friendly tone.

13. Self-Service and Live Agent Deflection 

To keep customers happy and engaged, it is important to provide them with a self-service option and live agent deflection. Self-service allows customers to interact with your customer service team without the need for human interaction.

It can be especially helpful in cases where automated processes fail or when customers have complex questions. Live agent deflection enables you to redirect customer queries away from living agents and towards self-serve options, which will speed up the process and prevent delays.

Self-service also includes the ability to find the necessary information on your company’s website. It must be clear and concise. Visit writing services such as Trust My Paper for assistance in making your guides look professional.

Conclusion 

By now, you must have understood that customer service is going to be one of the most important things in your business operations. To stay ahead of the competition in your business niche, it is best if you keep track of emerging trends and where customer service stands today.

In 2023, expect a lot more personalized approaches toward improving customer satisfaction levels. Embrace these new trends and turn them into opportunities for growth!

Happy Employees, Happy Customers

Contributed article by Renaud Charvet, CEO of Ringover

~ The secret to unlocking both employee and customer satisfaction ~

United States businessman Harry Gordon Selfridge was one of the first influential people to triumph the phrase “the customer is always right”. A saying that’s traced back to the late 1800s and still valued today, keeping customers happy is key. But ensuring customer happiness requires a domino effect — starting with employee satisfaction. Here, Renaud Charvet, CEO of business telephony provider Ringover, explains how the right business technology can enhance employee satisfaction and improve customer experience. 

Good customer experience starts with good employee experience. When employees aren’t happy at work, their interactions with customers suffer as a result, which can have detrimental repercussions for a business and its reputation.

The impact of employees on customers

Delivering good customer service has never been more crucial. A PwC survey examining customer experience found that in the United States, even when people love a company or product, over half will walk away after several bad experiences, and 65 per cent believing a positive experience is more influential than great advertising.

While companies must acknowledge the importance of delivering good service, they should also understand the pressure this can place on their teams. The Microsoft 2022 Work Trend Index, a study of more than 30,000 employees across 31 countries, predicts that over 40 per cent of the workforce is contemplating leaving their current jobs in the coming year. The main reason why? They feel their workload is unreasonable.

Call centers  

Contact and call centers often have a reputation for being high-stress workplaces. Widely associated with workers being monitored electronically, having tightly controlled schedules and taking an average of 50 calls a day, call centers can be challenging work environments if employees don’t receive sufficient support.

In 2021, almost 300,000 agents were employed, with most centers located in Texas, Florida and California. According to data from Cornell University, almost 90 per cent of employees in call centers report high-stress levels. A further 50 per cent of the agents surveyed said they felt emotionally drained, suffered sleep problems and experienced burnout. Combined, these issues can be a dangerous cocktail for employee dissatisfaction.

What’s more, research from Avaya found that 60 per cent of agents think their companies don’t always provide the technology they need to address customer service challenges, with 34 per cent admitting they don’t have the right data in front of them when speaking with a customer. So how can call center managers help?

Tech is here to help

Giving call center agents the tools to make their jobs easier will undoubtedly lead to less stress, greater employee satisfaction and a better experience all round. This should start with a good customer relationship management (CRM) strategy — which is the blueprint for how a business will maintain the relationship between its customers and its customer service teams. It encompasses all the activities, strategies and technologies a business needs manage interactions with existing and prospective customers.

With a third of agents without the right data in front of them when speaking to a customer, having the right CRM for your business is key to turning this around. Consolidating data into one central location, meaning tasks can be completed more efficiently and with confidence when addressing the customer, will assist employees in meeting deadlines and managing their workload — reducing stress and granting better job satisfaction.

However, to unlock the full potential of a CRM system, it must easily integrate with other vital business applications. Ringover can integrate with multiple CRM systems to offer businesses more than just a telephony system, meaning any area of a business can unite its communications technology with its CRM software. In doing so, companies can match the tools they need to communicate with their customers, with the tools that help them build relationships and work more effectively.  

With customers prepared to leave a brand after just a few bad experiences, businesses must pay attention to the impact low employee satisfaction can have on the customer experience. Businesses must invest in their employees by providing them with all the tools possible to make their jobs as efficient as possible and improve satisfaction.

About Ringover: A leader in cloud communications, Ringover seamlessly combines unlimited calling, group messaging and video conferencing into one easy-to-use app. No expertise is needed to set up and integrates with your CRM or helpdesk tools. Within a few clicks, you’ve gained access to all the data you need to enhance your call centre or sales team’s performance and boost customer engagement.

How Customer Experience & Marketing Goes Side By Side?

Contributed article by Harmanpreet Kaur, Outreach Specialist at Knowmax  

Businesses and organizations—public and private—across all industries and regions are focusing intensely on customer experience (CX). Why would taking the voice of the customer seriously have such a significant impact?  

The answer is simple: competition. Almost every market is overflowing with products fighting for a piece of the action. A satisfying customer experience that considers the emotional aspect of a customer’s interaction with a business can greatly differentiate your offerings from those of your competitors.

You must consider a number of factors when creating a holistic customer experience for your brand, including mapping customer journeys, choosing the appropriate CX KPIs, and even employee experience. We have set up a guide to support you in creating the finest CX possible. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

What is customer experience?

Every interaction a customer has with a business, at any point in the customer journey, is referred to as the “customer experience,” which is concerned with the relationship between a company and its customers. A consumer’s perception of their interactions with a business is called their customer experience. 

Customer experience is about being there for the customer whenever and wherever they need you, while also making it easy and consistent for them. Additionally, it means making each engagement with the business memorable and significant. It is relational, not transactional. 

It examines the customer’s lifecycle and maps each and every interaction the client has with you. It draws attention to the areas where you’re providing a great experience and creating advocacy. And when you give customers a horrible experience, customers will turn to competitors.

Why is the customer experience such a crucial factor?

Providing excellent customer service is crucial for any organization. The more satisfied consumers you have, the more repeat business you’ll get, the more wonderful reviews you’ll get, and the less friction there will be with returns and complaints. 

Providing excellent CX has several advantages, including 

• better customer loyalty.
• enhanced customer satisfaction.
• improved word-of-mouth advertising.
• positive feedback and suggestions. 

The customer experience can be improved for all business models, including subscription firms that may boost retention and decrease loss, e-commerce platforms that can increase recurring business and decrease returns, and service sectors that can gain recommendations and reduce complaints.

Why marketing and customer service should work together

Customers see your entire business as providing excellent customer service, not just one section.

When treated well, satisfied consumers are your brand’s biggest protectors. They promote your brand positively and offer online reviews, which describe your brand experience.

You need these groups to collaborate, and here are some reasons why. 

• Send a brief message. You can get direct client feedback from your customer service team. Understanding consumers’ purchasing motivations, primary advantages, and challenges they experience can help marketers significantly.
• Over time, the loyalty of your current customers should be raised. Every business relies on customer loyalty; otherwise, it would have to add more consumers in order to stay neutral.  

But how can they accomplish that? Here, we’ll discuss practical marketing tactics for providing a superior client experience.

1. Improve the onboarding process 

To guide the customer onboarding process and send the right messages at the right times, use contextual targeting approaches.

But lack of efficient approaches, ineffective onboarding processes, etc., have become the most common friction points in the customer onboarding journey.

Reducing these friction points is your main objective. Anything that falls short of prior expectations or leads to buyers regret qualifies. Friction causes you to lose the hard-earned lifetime value of your customers. 

Your onboarding materials, or even landing pages, should include FAQs about relevant customer service requirements. Alternatively, you may write a guide to help users use your product. A welcome video can encourage customers to be enthusiastic about utilizing your service or product.

Also, to streamline the onboarding process, a centralized knowledge base can be created by an organization for a better experience.

2. Communicate in a clear, consistent manner 

One of the most critical areas to support your support staff  is content marketing. Along the client journey, you might notice that a lot of queries center around product features. These inquiries should be addressed by marketing long before they develop into leads.

Create your marketing initiatives with clear, consistent messaging in mind. Customers should understand what you expect them to gain from your product. If you’re having a promotion, be sure to explain the terms of the offer. By filling in these gaps now, you can avoid eventual customer service issues and unhappiness.

Regardless of how customers choose to contact you, provide a consistent brand experience by using an omnichannel platform. At least once a year, review your outbound email templates and related documentation.

3. Make a positive learning environment 

Create a learning center as your first step in improving your customer experience. For each issue, evaluate the volume of queries and the effect on the customer experience. Meet once a month to choose new subjects to include in the knowledge base.

Customers, in most cases, first go to a customer self-service portal. Give your marketing team access to the recordings of your sales or support calls to get the most out of this CX strategy. Access to support tickets and account research in your CRM is also included.

Use the precise language that your target audience uses for this method to succeed. It helps content producers create content that appeals to their audience.

4. Boost client loyalty with social media 

One of the first places that clients go for assistance now is social media. According to a Facebook survey, 64% of people prefer messaging a company over other options.

Customers want top-notch customer service. All parties will be informed thanks to a unified customer management platform.

Therefore, it makes sense that you should incorporate social media into your customer service initiatives. Eliminate the silos created by the new marketing channels and offer world-class service to all.

Conclusion

Through such experiences, customers become exposed to a much better higher degree of service through such experiences. As a result, the formulation of expectations is greatly influenced by individual consumer experience. The proper structures, individuals, and technology foundation must come together in a community in order to create an emotional connection with customers.

Author Bio 

Harmanpreet Kaur is an outreach specialist at Knowmax for the past 4 months. Apart from this, she also has a knack for content creation. Apart from this, she also has a knack for content creation. She manages everyday marketing operations, such as outreaching relevant websites, getting content published, and working on various content pieces. She enjoys drawing and reading in her spare time, aside from work.

10 Useful Customer Service Techniques that Will Make Customers Love You

---

Contributed Article by Wanda Lafond

Customers are your business’ lifeblood and you should ensure you know how to service them the right way to keep them coming back for more. The issue is that keeping customers happy and satisfied all the time is challenging nowadays. Discover the best customer service techniques to help you solve the problem and make your customers love you.

If you run a business, you know that customer service is key. Unfortunately, not all businesses are created equal when it comes to customer service. Some are downright terrible, and it can be hard to get your customers back. If you want to keep your customers happy and loyal, you need to invest in good customer service techniques. Let’s look at the top ten customer service techniques that will make your customers feel loved and appreciated.

Great Customer Service Tips to Improve Your Customer Satisfaction

To be successful in eCommerce, you must put in a lot of work. Attracting new customers and keeping them loyal to your brand is difficult, but it is well worth the effort.

Not every company can do it, and it is an exciting opportunity for you to surpass your competitors and achieve even greater levels of success. And the best customer service tactics will assist you in doing so.

#1. Be Authentic in Customer Interactions

Being authentic will allow your customers to see how much you care about them and the relationship that exists between you two. It builds trust and strengthens the connection between the two of you.

It creates a positive feedback loop where customers are more likely to return and recommend your products or services to their friends. Here is how to be authentic: 

• Be transparent. Let your customers know what is going on behind the scenes, share relevant information that might help them understand better what they buy or use;
• Listen carefully. Pay attention to what your customers say and reply with respect. Avoid making assumptions or giving patronizing answers because it will frustrate people;
• Be prompt and responsive. When something goes wrong, be quick to resolve it as best as possible. It will build trust between you and your customer;
• Treat customers with respect. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and with respect, no matter their age, gender, or nationality. 

#2. Manage Customer Expectations

Your customers have certain expectations about how you will treat them. Familiarize yourself with them and manage them well to create a positive customer experience. Here are some examples of what customers might want: 

• Customers expect timely responses from your team;
• They want quality products that meet their needs; 
• Customers want to feel valued and important, even when they are not spending money with you;
• They want to know how you will resolve any problems that may arise. 

#3. Make it Easy for Customers to Get Help

Trying to solve a problem on their own can be frustrating to your customers, especially if it is something they are not very familiar with. So, you should provide clear and concise instructions on how customers can get help from your team when they need it. 

• It will help curb the number of complaints and support requests and make customer service easier for everyone involved. For example:
• If a customer needs assistance logging in or using their account, provide step-by-step instructions on how to do so;
• If a customer has trouble using his order, provide clear directions on what he needs to do to get his purchase processed;
• If a customer has questions about his account or billing, be sure to have detailed explanations available for him. 

#4. Offer Omnichannel Support

As customers become more accustomed to using various technologies and platforms, your business should offer omnichannel support. It means you should be available in different ways, whether through phone or online chat so that your customers can get the help they need from whichever source is most convenient for them. For example: 

• If a customer calls your business during regular operating hours, be sure to answer his questions;
• If a customer contacts you via email or social media, respond as quickly as possible. 

#5. Treat Customers Like Royalty

When it comes to customer service, it is important to always treat your customers with respect. It means you should not belittle them or make them feel like they are inconveniencing you. Remember, they are the ones who have put their trust in you and deserve nothing but the best from your team.

#6. Learn How to “Manage” Distraught People

It can be tough to deal with upset customers, but you must be up for the challenge. You should be able to handle disappointment gracefully and provide support where needed. Here are some tips on how to do so: 

• Offer a sincere apology if something goes wrong;
• Explain what happened in as much detail as possible;
• Answer all questions the customer may have.

#7. Treat Complaint Cases “Personally”

When customers file complaints, it can feel like they are attacking your business. Try to stay calm and avoid responding aggressively. Instead, take the time to treat their complaint “personally.”

It means you should listen to the customers’ complaints attentively, carefully assess the situation, and address the concerns they have. By doing so, you will show them that your business values customer feedback and takes it seriously.

If you deal with foreign customers, solving their issues may become a serious obstacle. Luckily, there are many writing services and some of the best translation service websites that may come in handy for the success of your business efforts.

#8. Create Memorable Customer Experiences

One of the best ways to boost customer loyalty and satisfaction is to create memorable experiences. You need to focus on offering your customers unique products or services and providing them with top-quality service. By doing this, you will guarantee that they will come back time and time again.

#9. Always Send Personalized Messages/Replies

When a customer contacts your team, you must send them personalized messages or replies. This way, they will always feel like you are taking the time to listen to them and address their concerns. It will help you build trust and improve customer satisfaction overall.

#10. Offer a Lenient, Straightforward Refund Policy

When a customer is unhappy with his purchase, it can be hard to take that criticism. To ease the pain and protect your business’ reputation, consider implementing a straightforward refund policy.

The customers should be able to return items without any hassles or questions asked. By doing so, you will not only appease dissatisfied customers but also build trust and loyalty among your followers.

Conclusion

As a business, you should provide excellent customer service. It entails being available whenever and wherever your customers require you to be, and being proactive and prepared to solve their problems as soon as possible. To meet your customers’ needs, you should be courteous and open. Start implementing the above-mentioned strategies to make your customers happy today and keep them coming back for more tomorrow.

What They Say When They Think You’re Not Listening

GlassesUSA, when it comes to customer service, you get whatever is worse than F. You don’t get a B for Bi**h or a C for C**t, which are two names I was called by your agents on the phone.

When it comes to customer service, I am no stranger.

I have moderated and produced hundreds, if not thousands of webinars even before webcast software existed. Yes, we actually had to fax directions to audience members.

When we started CrmXchange almost 30 years ago and discussed best practices for the contact center, three items were nonnegotiable:  

1. Treat customer with respect and the way you would want to be treated
2. Teach agents how to use technology correctly
3. Try, if possible, to solve the customer issue on the first contact 

Sounds simple enough, right? For some, yes. Recently I had very positive experiences with three companies: Spectrum, Verizon and Cablevision.  Each issue was handled on a phone professionally and quickly.  The phone was answered within 1 minute, and agents from each company solved my issue within 10 minutes. 

Enter: GlassesUSA

I have ordered many glasses from GlassesUSA over the past 5 years with no issue. Their costs are reasonable, and their customer service is typically good, that is, until last month.

I ordered two pairs of glasses; one came in wrong (both the frames and the prescription) and one pair was returned to sender. Ok, we all make mistakes. Surely, I can just get in touch with the company to get it resolved, right?

Wrong. So very wrong.

Chapter 1: 1-800-Unavailable

“1-844-244-1186 All Day Every Day 24/7” is what it says on the website, but when called, you’re referred to chat. Okay… I guess I’ll chat.

I had to chat in multiple times, each less successful than the previous attempt. Finally, exasperated, I called and talked to a sales agent, who is the only person I could reach on the phone (is anyone surprised that the revenue-generated stream is the only one that could be reached?).

The sales agent promised he would take care of the issue. He didn’t. Back to chat.

While on chat, I let them know I was an unhappy customer and had no one to talk to. The agent let me know that they no longer have agents to talk on the phone because “the chat resolves most of our issues”. Well, it didn’t.

Each chat led to an agent telling me that a different department would be “sending me an email” in a few days.

So, I took to twitter. As companies have trained us so well, when we can’t get satisfaction, we tweet.

Finally that evening, I got a call from a GlassesUSA customer service agent. Rejoice! I told the agent the issue, and he profusely apologized and ask to put me on hold.

He put me on hold.

Or so he thought.

Chapter 2: Am I being punked?

The conversation I overheard went like this:

Representative: “I have a bi**h on the phone.  She’s tweeting about us all over the internet. Can you talk to this bi**h?”

Supervisor: “I was getting ready to leave but if you need me to talk to this fu****g c**t, then I will.”

Now, I was ready to forgive “bi***h”. Let’s face it, I was frustrated, and I suppose I can be less than favorable when I get upset. But as someone in the customer service in industry for well over 20 years, I thought this had to be a prank.

I hung up.

The original rep called back to see if everything was “taken care of”.  When I told him no, that the issue has gotten worse, he said he would put me through to the supervisor’s manager.

He put me on hold.

Or so he thought. Again.

Chapter 3: Oops, I Did it Again.

The conversation went like this.

Representative: “I have a bi**h on the phone”

Manager: “It’s the person [agent] told me about. Don’t worry, I erased the recording. There is no proof of the conversation.”

Representative: “I erased my recording too”

I have since tried to link it to GlassesUSA CMO and placed a call to the CEO.  As of this time I have not heard  back.

If there are any takeaways from this story, they are these: 

1. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother to hear – you never know who is listening.
2. While it may be (very) challenging at times, treat customers with respect.
3. Learn the technology.
4. Provide a channel that the customer wants; not just what is saving costs for your company.
5. It is easier to resell a customer than to sell a new customer.  Not only will I never purchase from them again, I tell everyone of my experience (here!).
6. As a CEO, you are not too big to hear what a customer has to say.  Fish smells from the head down.  

GlassesUSA, when it comes to customer service, you get whatever is worse than F. You don’t get a B for Bi**h or a C for C**t, which are two names I was called by your agents on the phone.

When it comes to customer service, I am no stranger.

I have moderated and produced hundreds, if not thousands of webinars even before webcast software existed. Yes, we actually had to fax directions to audience members.

When we started CrmXchange almost 30 years ago and discussed best practices for the contact center, three items were non-negatable:  

1. Treat customer with respect and the way you would want to be treated
2. Teach agents how to use technology correctly
3. Try, if possible, to solve the customer issue on the first contact 

Sounds simple enough, right? For some, yes. Recently I had very positive experiences with three companies: Spectrum, Verizon and Cablevision.  Each issue was handled on a phone professionally and quickly.  The phone was answered within 1 minute, and agents from each company solved my issue within 10 minutes. 

Enter: GlassesUSA

I have ordered many glasses from GlassesUSA over the past 5 years with no issue. Their costs are reasonable, and their customer service is typically good, that is, until last month.

I ordered two pairs of glasses; one came in wrong (both the frames and the prescription) and one pair was returned to sender. Ok, we all make mistakes. Surely, I can just get in touch with the company to get it resolved, right?

Wrong. So very wrong.

Chapter 1: 1-800-Unavailable

“1-844-244-1186 All Day Every Day 24/7” is what it says on the website, but when called, you’re referred to chat. Okay… I guess I’ll chat.

I had to chat in multiple times, each less successful than the previous attempt. Finally, exasperated, I called and talked to a sales agent, who is the only person I could reach on the phone (is anyone surprised that the revenue-generated stream is the only one that could be reached?).

The sales agent promised he would take care of the issue. He didn’t. Back to chat.

While on chat, I let them know I was an unhappy customer and had no one to talk to. The agent let me know that they no longer have agents to talk on the phone because “the chat resolves most of our issues”. Well, it didn’t.

Each chat led to an agent telling me that a different department would be “sending me an email” in a few days.

So, I took to twitter. As companies have trained us so well, when we can’t get satisfaction, we tweet.

Finally that evening, I got a call from a GlassesUSA customer service agent. Rejoice! I told the agent the issue, and he profusely apologized and ask to put me on hold.

He put me on hold.

Or so he thought.

Chapter 2: Am I being punked?

The conversation I overheard went like this:

Representative: “I have a bi**h on the phone.  She’s tweeting about us all over the internet. Can you talk to this bi**h?”

Supervisor: “I was getting ready to leave but if you need me to talk to this fu****g c**t, then I will.”

Now, I was ready to forgive “bi***h”. Let’s face it, I was frustrated, and I suppose I can be less than favorable when I get upset. But as someone in the customer service in industry for well over 20 years, I thought this had to be a prank.

I hung up.

The original rep called back to see if everything was “taken care of”.  When I told him no, that the issue has gotten worse, he said he would put me through to the supervisor’s manager.

He put me on hold.

Or so he thought. Again.

Chapter 3: Oops, I Did it Again.

The conversation went like this.

Representative: “I have a bi**h on the phone”

Manager: “It’s the person [agent] told me about. Don’t worry, I erased the recording. There is no proof of the conversation.”

Representative: “I erased my recording too”

I have since tried to link it to GlassesUSA CMO and placed a call to the CEO.  As of this time I have not heard  back.

If there are any takeaways from this story, they are these: 

1. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother to hear – you never know who is listening.
2. While it may be (very) challenging at times, treat customers with respect.
3. Learn the technology.
4. Provide a channel that the customer wants; not just what is saving costs for your company.
5. It is easier to resell a customer than to sell a new customer.  Not only will I never purchase from them again, I tell everyone of my experience (here!).
6. As a CEO, you are not too big to hear what a customer has to say.  Fish smells from the head down.  

While I can’t know, I can image the type of culture at GlassesUSA that lets people think its ok to talk the way they do – then cover it up is pervasive.

While I can’t know, I can image the type of culture at GlassesUSA that lets people think its ok to talk the way they do – then cover it up is pervasive.

The 5 Latest Customer Service Trends You Need To Know In 2022

Contributed article by Wanda Lafond

Customer service has been changing rapidly in the past few years mostly due to the changing business landscape. This, of course, is the direct result of the global pandemic that forced some companies to shut down completely while others transitioned to hybrid or completely remote models of work.

Nevertheless, no matter what changes in the business world, companies need to keep up with these shifts in the industry and implement the necessary changes within their own organizations. Hence, here are the five latest customer service trends you need to know in 2022.

#1 Customer Support Delivered Through Social Media

With the rise of social media during the last decade, more and more companies started joining popular social media platforms to deliver content directly to their audiences. No doubt, social media makes it much easier to make important announcements, have product launches, and so on. Moreover, social media also provides many options for brands to go viral with their content while also establishing closer connections with dedicated customers.

Considering all of this, it was just a matter of time for social media platforms to become one of the primary channels for delivering customer support. Just a few years ago, there were still not that many businesses offering customer support on social media, but this has definitely changed. More and more businesses are offering customer support through multiple channels, both traditional and new ones such as social media.

The best part about offering customer support through social media is that it is clearly much easier to manage than some other channels. In fact, according to BrandWatch, the customer support offered through social media can be up to 12x cheaper than customer support via phone. It’s no wonder that more and more businesses are realizing that it’s a great opportunity to reduce their customer support costs and satisfy clients at the same time.

#2 Shorter Response Time and Round-The-Clock Availability

Nowadays, brands are increasingly focused on their customers. Many business decisions (including those related to customer support) directly depend on the data companies collect about their customers in an attempt to please customers in every way possible. This is probably why more and more customers now expect a much shorter response time when they send a request to customer support. On the other hand, businesses themselves are now prioritizing round-the-clock customer support availability to handle these requests.

For instance, according to Statista, 48% of consumers expect to get a response to their questions and complaints on social media within just 24 hours. This is probably why there are so many brands replying to tweets as fast as they can, especially if they see a customer complaining about something. It’s not just a way to handle the situation correctly when it’s already exposed to the public, but it’s also a way to show that they are proactive.

Another reason why round-the-clock availability is so important today is that globalization has expanded conventional notions of a target audience even for small businesses. Your customers could be located in a different time zone, so if their request needs to be processed quickly, your customer support will have to be available during irregular hours to do so. With 24/7 customer support, “irregular” hours are not even a thing because support can be delivered anytime.

#3 More Self-Service Options for Independent Customers

Even though customers have now become more demanding and expect businesses to deliver high-quality service to them, a lot of people are also quite independent in their own right and willing to take action themselves. This is why more businesses are now offering a wider variety of self-service options for customers who want to handle their own problems themselves.

On one hand, this is great for customers who want such autonomy. On the other hand, it’s also good for companies because they now have to handle fewer customer support requests with so many people doing the work themselves. For instance, one popular way to offer such self-service options is by having a knowledge base on your website rather than a simple FAQ section. A conventional FAQ section is quite limited in the amount of information it can provide, but a knowledge base with categories and good search and filtering features is perfect for customers who want to find questions to their answers themselves.

The only downside is that not every business has the time or resources to create a knowledge base like that. That’s why you can hire a professional writer from the custom writing reviews site Best Writers Online. This writer will create all the content for you after you provide them with all the necessary guidelines.

#4 Increased Personalization in Customer Interactions

As explained earlier, businesses are hyper-focused on their customers nowadays and always aim to deliver the best experiences no matter what. This is why most customers nowadays expect to see a fair amount of personalization in all the interactions they have with the brand. Not only does it show that the company values them, but it also makes the handling of requests faster.

Unfortunately, many businesses still don’t know how to create such personalized experiences which can result in customers leaving. In fact, according to Accenture, 33% of customers who cut short their relationship with a business in 2016 did so because personalization was lacking. Though this statistic is a few years old, many customers still stop purchasing from certain brands specifically for this reason even today.

So, how can businesses solve this problem? You can hire an expert writer from the writing services reviews site Writing Judge to create personalized content for your customers (e.g. emails). However, it’s your customer support team that needs to be trained to deliver better experiences to your customers when they make requests.

#5 An Automated Workflow with Increased Communication

Last but not least, one more trend evident in customer service is automation. Thanks to the newest technologies, businesses are able to use the newest digital tools to automate their workflows and increase communication with their customers. Chatbots can instantly respond to messages, automated emails can be triggered by certain customer actions, and the day-to-day activities of your customer support team can be done by programs entirely.

According to Microsoft, 30% of American consumers said chatbot interactions were “very effective” in dealing with customer support issues. That being said, chatbots still have a long way to go. Fortunately, the AI sector is rapidly developing which is why chatbots are being perfected every year and will likely be able to deliver high-quality customers support in the nearest future.

Final Thoughts  

To sum up, customer service is perhaps one of the most essential aspects of any business which is why paying attention to this department in your company is so important. Use the trends listed in this article to help you create your customer service strategy for the year and deliver high-quality experiences to your audience.