It is the customer who decides if you are providing good customer service – or not. And if the customer experience is good – or not. It’s your customers’ perceptions of you and your company that count. Not yours. The only thing you can do is hope that your goals for their perception becomes their reality.
Today’s customers use multiple channels to connect with companies, but even though some of the overall experience, not just the customer service, is provided through digital platforms with less human interaction, the best brands are still creating a connection with their customers. For example, most of the customer experience for an Uber customer is done through its app, even customer service issues. The experience is easy, fast and intuitive. And, customers love the company.
While I’m not going to say it’s ever been easy to manage customer service, I will say it used to be easier. There were basically two channels: in person and on the phone. But in recent years, customers have been introduced to various new channels of communication. While that’s great for our customers, it creates some challenges for us. We’re in a digital world, and the customer service we provide must now exist in both worlds, the traditional and the digital.
I had the chance to connect with Alan Masarek, CEO of Vonage, a leading provider of cloud communications for consumers and businesses. I remember my first introduction to Vonage, in the early 2000s, when it was able to reduce my phone bill by switching my service to Internet-based versus traditional phone lines. Vonage has come a long way since then and is now a leader in the digital customer service world. Masarek shared some insights into how to digitize customer service. Here are a few of them (in italics) along with my comments.
1. Modernize The Call Center
As mentioned, the phone is now just one of many channels the customer can use to communicate with us. As such, we should stop referring to the call center as a call center. It is a support center. With the digital revolution, companies are moving toward cloud-based systems that eliminate the need for on-site hardware and provide easy, flexible customer connections.
2. Meet Customers When And Where They Need
In addition to the different channels we are using to communicate with our customers, we must be available when they need us. That might mean around the clock, seven days a week. With cloud-based communications, inbound communication, which includes calls, instant chat, email and more, doesn’t have to be centralized. The work can be spread out over agents across the country or around the world, to meet the customers’ needs anytime and anywhere.
3. Streamline Across Platforms
Traditional phone communication won’t go away, at least in the foreseeable future. However, it is declining, and may eventually be only the final mode of support – a last resort. Non-traditional channels of communication are becoming more the norm. Customers are connecting through websites, mobile apps and on social media.
4. Provide Custom Support
Customization and personalization are hot topics in customer service, marketing, and sales. Putting this into action in the digital support center, if a customer has called before, the system will identify the caller through inbound caller ID. For example, when I call the number that American Airlines provides me as a frequent flier, the phone is answered by a digital assistant, calling me by name. While it is digital, it’s still a personal touch. I’m given the latest information on my upcoming flight, such as any delays or gate changes, and then asked if I need further assistance. If I do talk to a live support person, the phone is answered using my name: “Thank you for calling American Airlines. Hello, Mr. Hyken, how may I help you?” The support rep also has my data on the screen without having to ask me for any further information.
5. Place More Information At Agents’ Fingertips.
Technology has given the support center access to a tremendous amount of information. The agent now has all of the customer’s information including purchases and support calls. What’s more, the agent also has the ability to quickly find answers to difficult questions through robust databases of information.
All of this means a better experience for your customer. The goal is to be accessible on the customer’s terms, deliver the information and solutions customers need, and perhaps most important, be easy to do business with.
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