It’s no secret that COVID-19 has changed just about everything when it comes to doing business. Studies show that in the face of changes to access and availability, customers are no longer as loyal to brands as they once were.
In fact, 40% to 50% of consumers have shifted brands during this crisis. If you want to stand out from the competition and make sure you retain your customers, you need to find new ways to improve customer service.
Not sure where to start? You’re in the right place! Here are four ways to use technology to enhance customer service.
1. AI Chatbots
In today’s world, customers expect 24/7 customer service and immediate responses when they have questions. One of the best ways to amplify customer service in your business is to provide 24-hour chat support.
You can do this by outsourcing to a service company or set up AI chatbots instead. This technology allows customers to quickly find help to the most common questions. While this isn’t a substitute for live customer service, it’s an added service that will help the majority of your customers.
2. More Self-Help Options
Another reality of doing business in 2020 is that many people simply prefer not to have to interact with others. Consider offering things like livestream Q&A sessions, webinars, and video tutorials. The more you can educate your customers and allow them to help themselves, the happier everyone will be.
Not only is video content always popular, but it’s a great way for you to quickly and easily create a “face to face” connection with your customers.
3. Personalization
Personalizing as much as possible will create a connection with your customers and will also build loyalty. You can easily do this by using customer communication management (CCM software) or customer relationship management (CRM software) to keep track of all the important information about your clients or customers.
This software allows you to keep track of each individual customer’s wants and needs, streamline your communication, ensure proper follow-up, and more. If you choose the right software, you’ll be able to integrate it with your chatbot, social media, and other communication platforms so that all the customer data is funneled into one convenient spot.
4. Customer Feedback Systems
Even if you think you’re providing great customer service, it doesn’t really matter if your customers don’t agree. You can learn what’s working and where you can give better customer service by making it easy for customers to give you their feedback.
Consider systems that allow you to request feedback via text message or traditional email survey systems. If you have a brick-and-mortar location, you may even consider installing a touchscreen kiosk for digital satisfaction surveys.
Take Steps to Improve Customer Service Today
These four tips are some of the best ways to improve customer service, but just reading about them won’t do you any good! Choose at least one and commit to implementing it today. Trust us, you’ll be glad you did.
Before you go, scroll through a few more of our blog posts. We have many valuable tips to help you grow your business and succeed despite the crazy changes in today’s business world.