Whether you run a B2B or B2C business, one thing remains an undeniable fact: Customers are always right if their concerns are true and the expectations are realistic. No need to hurt their feelings if you want them to stay loyal to your brand. Companies have their strategies on how to deal with complaints, feedback, etc. All this is being done to avoid miscommunication that can cause more harm to the business than anything else.
Companies that can not only provide services or products but also communicate well and transparently with their customers are prone to gain trust and clients who will always return. Especially today, when social media has become a giant microphone in front of every person, miscommunication can become a reason for massive rumors.
However, the way businesses keep in touch with clients or potential customers depends on the business type and characteristics. Below, we will talk about the 4 best strategies you can currently use to succeed in customer service and satisfaction. Take into account that you don’t have to use all. Before making a decision, always look for the customers and situate yourself at the spot where your target group is.
Live Chat
This is the best tool that most customers will appreciate, and there are several reasons. The biggest one is timing. The idea of a live chat assumes that the customer support team is always, or at least during the working day, available for inquiries.
There are many good live support platforms to integrate into your website, and that would be a successful step in terms of public relations. However, some business types require live support options. For example, an online poker site which is very popular, or an online casino, plus betting companies must consider keeping in touch with their customers via live support, since those services are dealing with accepting and transferring money, and people might always need some help if technical issues arise.
Financial companies, on the other hand, could benefit from having direct contact with their customers. Some might think that providing a phone number on their website is enough, but that’s not true, especially since the business operates worldwide, and calling from one country to another can be a problem for people. Remember, live chats are one of the most preferable, free-of-charge, and quick channels for customers.
Chatbots
If the company is small and has small human resources, it can consider the integration of chatbots into its website or social media platforms. If a few years ago, chatbots were just a means of quick response to some basic inquiries, amid the progress of artificial intelligence, they became far more useful technologies, that can easily replace human assistants.
Hiring a few professional engineers in the programming field may help you to develop a brilliant virtual assistance project, that will last longer, and will never complain about the number of daily inquiries.
If you want to provide the best experience, it’s always preferred to combine technology with human resources. Some companies keep a virtual assistant for the clients’ common inquiries, and if they need more help, they always have the option to ask to transfer the conversation to a human operator. Don’t forget, that people prefer human touch and it makes them feel that their concerns are addressed. This is a must, especially for financial companies, banks, etc, because people might need to provide sensitive information, and talking to a human is more secure and trustworthy.
Video Tutorials
Better to show once than to tell twice. Again, depending on the business type, you can create a library of tutorials on your website, where the customers can see some easy tips on how to use your product, how to fix technical problems, and much more.
Video tutorials are widely regarded by educational institutions, and college students appreciate tutorials as a good method o learning. It’s not surprising in the age, where many internet users’ first guide is YouTube.
Customer Feedback
To improve customer support services, sometimes you need not look for better technologies or platforms but rather evaluate the current status of your services. Use customer support, no matter how you provide it, as an abundant source of customer feedback. Effective communication always shows that clients are heard and their worries are addressed.
There are customer satisfaction metrics that can be used to analyze your data, after which you can provide a comprehensive picture of customers’ issues, opinions, etc. to your marketing and customer support teams. When the assistants understand what the clients think, they become more aware of their problems, hence can provide excellent support.
Always look for new customer support strategies, and follow the technology news. Whatever platforms become trendy, you need to be there first, before your customers, so when they arrive there, they find your support.