Customer service is a key factor in maintaining customers and enticing potential ones. Even if your products and services aren’t as good as your competitors, just good customer service alone will be enough to make consumers sway to your side. As such, customer service is an indispensable part of any business.

Moreover, there’s a spike in good customer service expectations among consumers. They know what they deserve, and they’re out to get it. More and more businesses are realising this, and so competition in this field has been growing rapidly. The question now is, “how do you improve your customers’ experience with your business?” Well, for me, the answer lies in technology.

How to use technology to improve your customer service?

Business technology has grown exponentially over the years and it has enabled even small businesses to compete with large companies. Customer satisfaction can lead to more sales and profits. It can also grow your customer base from mere followers to brand advocates.

1. Invest in chatbots

As years go by and technology gets more advanced, people’s demand for instant gratification increases. If long ago it’s okay for people to wait for hours before they can get a hold of a customer representative, today, if you let that happen, you will lose your customers. People want to raise an issue and get it resolved within the shortest time possible.

This where chatbots come in, and it makes so much business sense investing in them. They allow businesses to pre-program FAQs (frequently asked questions) so that the bulk of requests or queries can be responded quickly without the need for human intervention. After all, a considerable percentage of consumers (40%) don’t really care if it’s AI or a real human who helps them. As long as they are getting the answers and solutions that they need, your clients won’t mind.

2. Personalisation works

Generic marketing schemes don’t work anymore. You need to get to know your customers. Who are they? What do they need? Data analytics will be your friend in this aspect. It can be used to evaluate a customer’s behaviour and interests across all touchpoints. This will enable you to reach out to them in a more personal way. Recommend them items similar to what they have purchased earlier or what they have viewed on your site. When done right, this can be a great way to introduce customers to new products and services which can increase your sales. The secret here is to ensure that your customer feels like they’re just talking to a friend that they can trust and rely on. Doing this can increase their satisfaction and level of loyalty to your business.

3. Be present in as many channels as possible

If you restrict yourself to one customer service channel alone, this can lead to many bottlenecks and delays in the process. You need to have many sources available to give your customers several options for contacting you. Have email, web, chat, phone, and social media support available. Then, these sources need to be unified to create a seamless experience for your customers.

The Key Takeaway

Customer service can be a powerful determiner of your business success. It can give a heavier impact rather than the actual quality of your products and services. With good customer service, you can get better traction and bigger sales.

As such, you need to take this aspect of your business seriously. Technology will be of great help to you, so use it wisely to your advantage.