How Customer Service Software Can Alleviate Customer Stress

In the world of the “new normal” caused by the coronavirus pandemic, all businesses, big and small, have to plan a long-term strategy around lockdowns and social distancing. Customer service should be an integral piece of that strategy. As more customers resort to doing their business online, your customer service plays a bigger role in representing your brand. 

The basic premise is simple: People call customer service because they have a problem. If you can solve that problem above their expectations, you potentially gain a lifelong customer.  The revenue from a returning customer is higher because of its low cost per acquisition ratio. Keeping the ones you have by having a positive experience with your company gives you an edge in these days of lockdown and new normal.

Customer service software that works (even during the pandemic)

Ultimately, your customer’s positive experience depends largely on their interaction with your human agent. An empathetic, efficient customer service representative can soothe their anxieties, while quickly solving the issues at hand. However, during this pandemic, companies have been laying off personnel including these valued frontliners. You might find yourself in the unenviable task of reducing the number of your own customer service reps.

Technology cannot replace your human agents (not even the best chatbots, at least for now), but it can lighten their load. In the process, customer service software can provide the answers that the client needs, which in turn lower their stress.

Here are some examples of software that you can tap: 

Customer relationship management (CRM) software  – Not just for sales, CRM can be the cornerstone of your customer service operations. It keeps tabs on the tickets issued to customers who need your help. It updates you on the progress of the service being given them. It can even record and summarize the complaints that you have received, giving you an overview of what you need to improve on. A CRM reduces any time lag that happens due to unintended human neglect. By streamlining the ticketing process and response time, it makes your customer feel attended to and valued. It reinforces their perception that you will always be there for them. That perception, in turn, will keep them coming back to you.

Customer service and sales analytics:  The more advanced forms of customer service and sales analytics will give you critical information that will help you anticipate your customers’ needs. A profile of their customer preference and behavior can give you insights about the products and services they value. An updated record of their communications with your agents will highlight their frequent challenges as well as the complaints they keep bringing to you.

With all that data in mind, you would be better equipped and informed the next time you respond to their call. Instead of encountering a friendly if impersonal voice for the nth time, your client will find himself chatting with a friend who understands his situation exactly—and will do everything in his power to help them. A very real human connection will be established, one that will stand the test of time and many transactions down the line.

Chatbots:  As stated earlier, these AI bots who simulate human voices and conversations are still a long way off from replacing human agents. However, especially during crunch time like now, they can perform the basic services that will assist the customer, while removing a lot of that load from the perpetually busy human agent. Chabots frequently pop up on websites and mobile devices. They have become the first line of defense, replying to the customer’s questions, guiding them through the site and even ‘listening’ to and taking note of their complaints. The bots’ 24/7 availability also ensures that every customer is taken care of. No hour is too late or early, and no location is too distant for a call not to be taken and addressed. 

Customer service statistics 

Studies show that consumers are more likely to stay loyal to a brand that delivers exceptional customer service. Just check the following statistics:

• Poor customer service experience is one reason why a huge share of the American buying public does not continue with a purchase. (American Express).
• If a brand gives a customer one bad user experience, they need to compensate it with 12 good ones  (Ruby Newell-Legner’s “Understanding Customers”).
• A brand needs to spend 6-7 times as much time, effort, and investment in attracting a new customer, compared to just retaining a loyal one.  (Kolsky).
• 70 percent of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated (McKinsey & Company).

Providing exceptional service in a time when others would or could not elevate your brand, especially during times of uncertainty. Software, in the meantime, presents a strong helping hand.