Customer service has always played a huge role for both the business and the customers continued relationship. Every time a customer encounters an issue regarding a product or service, or have any concerns about warranty, sales or repair, they communicate directly to the company. And this is mainly the reason why customer service matters – it’s communication between the company and its customers.
Over time, different types of medium has been used by companies to provide customer service. But with the rapid development of digital marketing and the wide acceptance of social networking by people, a new medium for customer service has taken shape. Today, online customer service is fast becoming the most efficient and effective medium for customer service for many companies and the reasons are very clear.
Here are the key benefits of an Online Customer Service:
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It’s Less Costly
With online customer service, you do not have to spend a lot for phone lines and other manual line- monitoring devices. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. Plus, the most popular social media accounts can be created for free.
In addition, unlike the traditional call center set up where one operator answers to one customer at any given time, online customer service allows for one answer to be seen by several people. This instance maximises the efficiency of online customer service as it greatly lessens the chance for another customer to ask the exact same question. This kind of set up also requires fewer head count to create a strong customer service team.
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Improved brand exposure
It cannot be said enough that “Social Media is the new platform for word of mouth.” This is very true. Investing in an efficient online customer service enables your brand to be exposed to everyone online – existing customer or not. Social Media enables happy and satisfied customers to easily share your products and services to their friends and family and ultimately to the general public. You also get free milage from mere “observers” who are still undecided about your product but see how you handle customer concerns through your social media engagements – this points out the importance of having an efficient customer support team to answer concerns.
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Better customer service
There are 3 basic elements of a good customer service: Immediate response, empathy, and solution. The 4th one is for the better customer service, and that is “going the extra mile.” A simple acknowledgement of the customer on your social media wall is a good step in going the extra mile. You are suddenly not just solving their problems but also building a relationship with them. Also, with online customer service, there will no longer be any hold time as what usually happens in call centers. You can respond to them simultaneously affecting customer satisfaction easily.
Here are the different platforms used for customer service:
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Snail Mail
Do you still remember the time when you had to write to the company to report your concern? Not much convenience there, right? Apart from the hassle of producing a pen and paper, you will still have to drop by the post office to send it. You’d be lucky to get a response in a week or so.
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Hotline
Hotlines enable customers to easily get in touch with the company over the phone. Typically, customers are answered by a machine, asking to key in choices through numeric keypad. It usually takes a few more keying in before the customer gets to talk to an operator. Not to mention that It takes long most of the time if there ar long queue of calls. Definitely more convenient that snail mail but still takes a few minutes of your time.
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E-Mail
Yes! Thanks to the e-mail, customers now do not have to listen to repetitive music and endure long holds over the phone! Customer service through e-mail is more convenient since customers can type their message and send it to the company – in seconds!
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Social Media
Social Media has allowed companies to reach out to their customers in ways like never before. Most companies, big or small, are now able to interact with customers through Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and other relevant social media sites in real time.
Though having a hotline or a call center is still important for customer service, it will be best to consider online social media as the primary avenue for customers to get in touch with you. It not only provides a convenient customer service venue for your company but also fosters relationship building between you, a direct customer, and customers who see your interaction.
How important is an online customer service to businesses?
Consumers are definitely more open, comfortable and direct when communicating with businesses online over social media. Any business that is sincere about building a relationship with their customers through excellent after sales service will find that an onine customer service is the essential type of customer service available now.
Get Hooked 360, Digital Marketing Agency Philippines