Top 3 Things Your Customer Service Software Needs to Have
A growing number of businesses today focus on providing exceptional customer service. Thus, finding good customer service software is one of the main challenges faced by companies of all sizes, regardless of their profile. If you’re also wondering which are the ingredients that make such software worthy of your attention, you’re in the right place. We identified the top three aspects that make such systems competitive for your enterprise.
Omnichannel Communication
Not all customers have the same go-to communication outlets regarding corporate interactions. Thus, providing many readily available communication outlets is essential when searching for powerful customer service software. Look for a system that acts like a central hub for all your customer interaction platforms:
- Call Center: integrating call center capabilities in your service software is a good way of increasing your agents’ responsiveness and decreasing response time without investing in a traditional call establishment. In this scenario, all trained agents can quickly become call center representatives without leaving their desks. Besides, although digital channels are growing in popularity, many customers still prefer calling when encountering product or service issues. Providing adequate solutions to a larger pool of your audience is the best way of ensuring good levels of Customer Experience (CX).
- Email: Invest in customer service software that provides email client integrations with your CRM. Based on routing protocols, email templates, and SLA monitoring, you can transform your email client account into a full support desk for customers that prefer sending emails when interacting with your organization. Besides, such tools allow them to seamlessly transition from one communication method to another without your agents losing track of important details along the way.
- Messaging Apps: Many businesses and customers alike turn their attention to messaging apps when keeping in touch. This method is a quick and easy way to communicate with brands when issues or questions arise, so make sure your service software also features integrations with such communication channels. This communication method has gained popularity because customers don’t need to wait in lines or actively participate in the conversation within a given timeframe. When they find the necessary time, they can respond and reactivate the conversations on their terms.
- Social Media: Gen Z has already entered the job market and is slowly changing the way of doing business. The tech-native generation has a new way of interacting with companies, and social media is their go-to communication method. Although you may only be active on some social media platforms, you need to note that consumers expect organizations to have the option to get in touch with an enterprise using a social media outlet, at least as a last resort.
- Live Chat: 41% of today’s customers expect to find live chat options on companies websites. The reason behind this trend is easy to understand. Instead of searching for contact information on the web or your website, customers can quickly open a conversation with your enterprise. It is a hassle-free and facile communication method.
Self-Service Options
With self-service portals, customers can easily search your knowledge base, get questions answered instantly, and open cases for extra assistance without picking up the phone. Using self-service portals within your organization can minimize the caseload and resolve issues faster. When implementing self-service portals, companies can improve three aspects of customer experience at once:
- Customer Satisfaction: Customers can access online support 24/7 when self-service options are available. Through knowledge bases, step-by-step guides, and FAQ sections, they can quickly find answers to some of your audience’s most common questions and struggles.
- Cost Reduction: We noticed that when self-service portals are deployed, the overall inbound call and ticket volume decreases. As a result, the overall operational and infrastructure costs of having a physical call center department are eliminated.
- Resolution Time: thanks to self-service options, customers can find resolutions to their issues promptly. They don’t need to wait in line to contact a customer service representative. Finding answers with a couple of clicks or taps naturally improves resolution time.
Seamless CRM Integration
To successfully run omnichannel communications and self-service portals, you need seamless integration between your customer service software and your central hub, your CRM. Make sure that when you select your service software, you choose an option that perfectly fits within your CRM. You want to access customer data without leaving your CRM. A seamless integration will offer you the context to provide spotless customer service. A complete view of your account and contact information, with past interactions, frequency, and topics, will empower your customer service representatives to offer the best possible service, improving CX levels in the long run. Besides, a solid integration with your CRM will save them time by eliminating manual tasks and the time it takes to always search for information in multiple systems.
Closing Thoughts
Although many aspects can make or break a customer service software, ensuring you have access to the three above is a good starting point when looking to improve the overall CX levels your company provides and turn your customers into your brand ambassadors.
Want to learn more on what it takes to provide extraordinary CX? Read our 2023 CRM – Midmarket Emotional Footprint Report!
