Customer Support has evolved in leaps and bounds.
It had to… with e-commerce, and armchair shopping gaining such prominence.
By 2021, it is estimated that 2.14 billion people worldwide will be purchasing almost everything online.
Hence, every customer interaction that follows the online selection and buying process is naturally expected to be just as smooth and effortless.
Another aspect of the prevalent Customer Experience is the range of choices in every regard. A buyer can purchase the same product via a variety of apps, he/she can choose to pay through at least 3 different modes and communicate with the seller through even more than 5 different channels!
This makes it imperative for every business or brand to be able to ‘catch’ its customer on whichever platform he or she chooses. This is known as Omnichannel Customer Support and here is why it is the future of this industry.
Top Communication Channels for Customers
Though there are a variety of communication channels in customer support, all the channels are not used for the same purpose or by the same people.
Live Chat
This mode is largely used by customers who need immediate solutions but don’t have the time to discuss matters over the phone. Customer Support responding over chat need to therefore be prompt, to the point and sometimes patient. Often chatting customers are multitasking while contacting a customer care agent over live chat.
Phone calls
Some prefer to speak to a customer care official rather than type out the story over chat or email. They are more comfortable on the telephone or mobile making phone calls, a widely used medium still. They are especially effective,only when the assistance offered is simple, polite and in the customer’s native language.
Social media
Gartner recently released a report saying that 64% of the millennial population prefers to use social media as a medium for Customer Service.
So, you can guess which segment of society this mode is most popular with. The report also mentions that unresolved issues are often shared by upset customers over social media, making this an important channel for brands to cover pro-actively.
Read: Why Companies Should Focus More on Customer Service for Gen Z’ers and Millennials?
Video calls
Earlier, there was a system of posting or sharing photos or videos of damaged products or similar issues. This was normally done over email or via the shopping website. Today, technology allows live video calling between Customer and Support teams to help and resolve problems with ease. Customers may also request for video calls to know more about a product or its usage.
Audio Calls
Some of the websites and apps do provide calling over the Internet for their Customers to reach out to the Client Service team. Audio Calling from browser or app has made the lives of Customer so easy instead of them typing the complete story in Live Chat, and also the advisor can know the complete context of a query with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence dashboards based on where the call is originated.
Emails
Customers utilize emails to either write a detailed order of events or just because they are more comfortable with this medium. Every business should have an official Customer Care email id that (a) works, no bouncing back and (b) delivers prompt replies. It is also expected that email replies should provide proper solutions and be well written.
Ticketing
Raising a ticket is done via an online form. People with a technical bend or those who like to maintain a strong paper trail rely on the ticketing model. Customers, who raise tickets though serious about the matter they have raised, don’t really expect instant reactions. They prefer if the issue is presented to the right people, mulled over, worked on and then responded to with the best possible solution. Ticketing is also fundamentally easier for Customer Success Team to resolve.
Conclusion
It is therefore vital to be omnipresent via multiple platforms in today’s competitive market to deliver the best Customer Experience!
Investment in technologies that provides multi-channel systems to communicate over above discussed channels and human resources that cater to an ever-increasing customer base can be very difficult. That’s the reason why many businesses, especially SMEs and Startups prefer to outsource their Customer Service to a well establishedBPOorganization that has skilled staff and omnichannel system that supports Phone Calls, Emails, Chats, Social Media Response, Tickets, Audio & Video Calls, etc at a single portal. The result will be value for money and a happier customer base. What else do you need?
Syrow – Your Omni-channel Customer Service Partner!
Syrow is one of the top Customer Service Outsourcing companies in India, offering a complete suite of 24 x 7 Customer Care Services across the globe.
Our customer care center works on behalf of our Clients, to manage the tasks efficiently using quality processes & services. We utilize phone calls, VoIP, audio calls, video calls, live chats, chatbots, email, social media, and ticketing services. Syrow offers every tool for free including integration with third-party applications like SalesForce, Zoho CRM, Freshdesk, NetSuite, etc. Syrow also provides Customer Satisfaction scores to know how best we are doing, and Net Promoter Scores for long-term loyalty indications.
For guidance or services for your Customer Service requirements, contact us today or call us at +91 80 4611 3003 or +1 415 813 6373. Our teams are waiting to hear from YOU.