Why Your Business Needs an Automated Customer Service

Time is a luxury that not only business operators, but customers value. When a customer buys a product and grows impatient with understanding how the product works, you should anticipate an email, phone call, or worse—negative feedback on social media. These days, customers prefer to utilize the customer service channels for inquiries, complaints, and suggestions. 

Following a Statista survey, we learned that a dearth of collaboration between departments is the leading cause of bad customer experience. While 39.9% points to little or no synergy between the business’s units, the respondents voted agent capability as the second major challenge. A customer service agent unable to personalize interactions with customers or provide appropriate solutions will force customers to switch brands. 

When Covid-19 emerged, businesses struggled to keep their doors open to the public. Most businesses opted for remote work and this decision impacted frontline staff like customer service. In 2020 alone, more than two billion people made a purchase. That same year, businesses recorded USD 4.2 trillion in e-retail sales. 

Imagine the level of pressure mounted on the customer service department to keep up with complaints and inquiries. An agent can resolve a mild issue, but when it’s a complex matter, a ticket is created and the matter directed at the necessary channel. Zendesk reports that about three out of five customers expect good customer service because it builds their loyalty towards the brand. 

Businesses constantly innovate to meet customers’ needs and deliver good experiences. One of such innovations is automated customer service. The rest of this article underscores the prospects of a digitally transformed helpdesk.

Understanding an Automated Customer Service 

From an anthology of customer service quotes, Lisa Masiello’s words ring the loudest. According to her, “Happy customers are your biggest advocates and can become your most successful sales team.” To satisfy a customer is one task, and to make them ambassadors is an entirely different task. While it’s difficult, using the necessary strategies increases your chances of customer success.

Ever visited a site and a small box pops up with a greeting, adding that it, the pop-up menu, will answer your questions? That, dear reader, is a chatbot. It’s one of the ways by which customer service is offered today. Other methods include interactive voice response (IVR), email automation, self-service help centers, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and automated workflows. 

Automated customer service is a system dependent on technology and serves as an alternative to the human customer support agent. It’s not to be seen as a robot takeover but as an invaluable assistant to the client-facing staff. With the proper business automation software, customers no longer have to endure long wait periods to speak with an agent. 

Automating your customer service is a great way of ensuring that customers get quick solutions. A Zendesk study shows that 41% of sales leaders affirm that their customers prefer digital communication as opposed to speaking to a human worker. Provided that businesses implement the right automation strategy, client success will no longer be an illusion.  

The Relationship Between Automation and Job Loss 

Like other innovations, people view automation with suspicion. There’s the age-long fear that robots will replace human workers as word about their efficiency continues to spread. 

In 2022, Zippia released an article on automation accompanied by over thirty-six statistics. 25% of jobs in the U.S. currently face disruptions because of automation. By 2030, automation is projected to remove 73 million workers from their jobs. 

Yes, fears concerning automation are valid. CEOs and other C-level staff are expected to enlighten employees on the benefits of a computerized workflow. Tasks can be completed in fewer moments, and machine operation should become a relevant skill. 

Four Reasons Why Your Business Should Consider Automating Your Customer Support 

Now that you’re familiar with the anxiety about mechanization in the workplace, let’s discover four arguments backing a partial or complete self-operating customer service. 

1. Human Error is Limited 

Customers expect prompt answers upon their first encounter with a customer service agent. Once a ticket is created, it should contain the information gotten from the interaction between customer and agent. Some agents may not create tickets, or when they do, may mix up one inquiry with another. 

The above situation is unthinkable when automated customer service is used. Upon talking to the customer, the chatbot records the details and either directs the customer to an article explaining the issue or refers it to human staff. 

2. It Helps Build a Signature Customer Experience

Businesses want their customers to enjoy every touchpoint, so they should invest in techniques that support a good customer experience. Automating a critical business process such as customer service helps brands to communicate with customers in the same calm, professional manner. 

A Hubspot research establishes that 93% of customers expect to return to companies with a proper customer service infrastructure. 

3. It’s a Convenient Approach 

Customers appreciate brands that offer multiple channels for inquiries and other forms of exchanges. According to Business Wire, 40% of consumers tagged “multiple options for communicating” as a non-negotiable attribute of customer service. Today, not everyone wants to get on the phone with a support team member. Having multiple channels like Facebook, WhatsApp, email, and so more helps build a bond between business and buyer.

4. Customers’ Needs are Always Met 

Instead of subjecting human staff to long work hours, consider opting for automation software. On one hand, it offers human workers the chance to catch a break, and it actualizes the possibilities of 24/7 support. 

Chatbots are built to always be available, a trait that will allow staff to address other issues. When human intervention is needed for a complaint, the bot simply notifies any available staff. 

Choose a Digital Solution Today 

If automation is your next investment, we advise that you survey the available software. While many business automation tools exist,  finding the one for your current needs is what’s important. Remember to incorporate your customer service staff in your automation agenda. 

CXstash is an online repository for information on customer experience and automation products. Check us out for a trusted result today. 

Related

voice of customer text analytics

VoC or the Voice is of the customer is the term used by companies for the process of listening to customer feedback…

Read more

When a customer tries your product for the first time, likes it, and goes as far as to recommend it to their network,…

Read more
nps survey questions

NPS Survey is undoubtedly one of the widely adopted survey techniques adopted by companies. Based on research done by…

Read more

Help us find great resources on customer experience

Newsletter

Learn something new! Stay updated with CXStash.

About

Customer experience (CX) is the key frontier where brands can truly differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive landscape. It helps businesses provide delightful experiences across customer touchpoints. This website aims to showcase a comprehensive collection of the best apps to boost customer experience.

Navigation