By James Ramey, DeviceBits
Assisting customers on a brand’s products and services has provided countless solutions to the number of daily customer inquiries. On the surface, it seems agents have everything they need to provide a valuable customer experience for the customers they are interacting with. Having knowledgeable and reliable agents creates a genuine connection between business and its customers. Leading to brand loyalty, a business can expect to gain long-time customers. However, there are many cases where agents can’t satisfy the needs of a customer and later, end up losing that customer’s business.
In today’s tech-savvy market, it cannot be stressed enough on how important customer service is for a business. In understanding customer service, we must understand what can cause the key speed bumps businesses are experiencing today.
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Two Sides To The Problem
As much as customer service is important to any business, it is necessary to look at what components make up the customer service experience: speed, knowledge, and materials. All three of these components are incorporated in the two main points of the interaction, the customer and the agent.
Because of how busy a call center can become, it usually takes a while for an agent to assist a customer. Customers can be left on hold for longer than expected and this causes the beginning stages of aggravation. Due to customers not being familiar with their device, they call for an agent and expect them to answer any question they have. This is where the stress of the agent begins. On top of dealing with numerous calls, when they begin to receive questions that are too complex, their traditional script to go by doesn’t help the agent nor customer, and the agent is left wondering why she doesn’t have the materials she needs to assist.
A Resolution
In dealing with tech-savvy customers and inquiries, how can businesses mold their customer care system into something new and productive for both the agents and customers? To appeal to how the market of consumers are more tech-savvy than ever, it makes sense to incorporate digital tools of self-support.
With the use of online self-support materials such as FAQ’s, interactive guides and tutorials, and knowledgeable product and service videos, it is a great asset for customers to use as self-support tools and agents to use as assists. Being able to provide an easy, digital-friendly service without sacrificing the need of agents, keeps call centers work efficiently.
How This Hybrid Solution Affects Agents and Customers
The use of these self-support materials greatly impacts the way customers can find the answers to their questions that they are looking for. With the access to self-support paths on their computers, the need to wait on hold with a customer service agent is slim. The quick and efficient service they desire is all in their hands. They can control what relevant information they need.
Customer service agents as well deal with the pros of this hybrid system. With more customers helping themselves, their call center receives a lower volume of calls, allowing agents to spend more time on a customer who needs the help of an agent on complex inquiries. Because agents also have access to these support tools, they can access the information needed outside of their traditional, outdated script, and communicate more effectively with a customer.
By reducing call volumes at call centers, customers using self-support materials at their preferred pace, and agents gaining more knowledge to information required for a brand’s devices and services, the hybrid solution is deemed a successful route in improving customer service.
James Ramey is CEO of DeviceBits, a software company that services clients through a predictive and personalized understanding of interactive tutorials, adaptive FAQs, Interactive Guides, and Videos designed to for self-serving consumers. For more info visit www.devicebits.com.
