4 Amazing Types of Customer Service to Try Right Now
67% of people believe that customer service as a whole is improving worldwide. That means people are paying attention to types of customer service that stand out.
It also means customers know what types to look for. Any time they have a question, they’ll be looking for one of these 4 trusted types of customer service:
- Self-Service – fast and flexible so users can automatically find the answers they are looking for
- Help Desk – helps agents and representatives resolve their support tickets quickly and efficiently
- Chat – allows users to avoid unproductive phone and email conversations
- Social Media – allows you to support and engage with customers through direct messaging, comments, and group discussions
And when they don’t find it, they may not trust you.
For customers to trust you, you have to listen to them. Part of listening to customers is knowing what kind of customer service will support them best, so find what aligns best with your customers’ needs below.
No matter what types of customer service you use, you want to make sure that they are improving with everything else.
There are many types of customer service that can be implemented, and even more that could be added to the list below. We’ve narrowed it down to the best:
As a customer service system, self-service can be the perfect way to help customers help themselves. A self-service customer service system has no wait time and allows users to automatically find the answers they are looking for.
In terms of speed and flexibility, self-service gives customers the most options.
Knowledge bases as a self-service system, for example, have many features that present users with a library of knowledge. That way they can find information on whatever they need just by searching for something specific.
It allows you to store product information, organize customer help articles, share past resolutions with future customers, and analyze the impact of your help articles.
A knowledge base can also allow users to give feedback and interact with your company without having to go through a representative. Some examples of a knowledge base as self-service are:
- ChipBot – collects questions, reuses past answers, and provides an array of extra self-service help features
- Helpjuice – delivers instant knowledge to both users and employees, allows you to add and edit content, and is always available self-service to customers
- HelpScout – has the ease to allow people to hop in where they need help and get to a customer resolution as quickly as possible
A help desk is a form of customer service that supports agents and representatives. It allows them to keep track of their support tickets quickly and efficiently.
Instead of having many different platforms with all of the information, a help desk brings it all together.
No matter where the request comes from, it is stored and processed in the same place. That way, your agents can categorize and answer questions more productively.
With a help desk, it is easy to keep track of requests and answer questions as soon as possible. However, users still must go through a representative in most cases.
This promotes collaboration among your support team. You can even turn resolved tickets into knowledge base content if you have an add on.
It is easy for users to interact with your company with a help desk because everything is in one place. Some examples of help desks that have these features are:
- Zendesk – collect and manage support requests from any source, host community forums, and collect feedback on one platform
- HappyFox – convert emails into tickets, pull metrics, and keep track of member inquiries in one place
- LiveAgent – focuses on helping organizations streamline the processes of ticket intake and service provisions
Chat may be the next closest thing to self-service support. While some chats are maintained by a representative, they (supposedly) give users instant access to customer support.
It is a very popular support method because, like self-service support, it allows users to avoid unproductive phone and email conversations.
Live chat is a preferred method of customer service and has a very high satisfaction rating. It is an actual human interaction for your customers, and it is quick and easy.
However, if your site is swamped, your team may not be able to answer everyone right away. Sometimes customers have to wait, but live chat has a human touch that both chatbots and self-service don’t have.
Chatbots, on the other hand, are computer-generated responses, so customers receive answers right away. They are also available 24/7 on your site, so they have the upper hand on live chat, but they don’t always have all the answers.
If there is a question never seen before or not programmed for the chatbot, it will either give a random answer or not provide an answer at all. The user will then be redirected to live customer support or have to seek it out on their own.
Bots are usually able to solve the majority of questions from customers, and types improve your customer experience and support. Some examples are:
- LiveChat – begins with a survey that asks customers for email, order ID, and any other crucial info so representatives can easily keep track; features include chat transcripts and archives, multilingual chat, and report creation
- Tidio – an all-in-one solution that combines chatbots with live chat; communicate with your users in real-time, capture leads, and create personalized offers for your customers
- Crisp.Chat – uses chat windows to support customer messaging and feedback gathering; ability to send drip marketing campaigns from the program based on data gathered
Support over social media is similar to live chat. Companies sometimes defer to twitter or add Facebook messenger on their site so they can quickly answer questions their users have. For major brands, customer support can come in very public tweets.
Social media is not only helpful for answering questions and providing immediate support, but it also allows you to support and engage customers through direct messaging, comments, and group discussions.
Supporting your customers is not just answering questions they may have, but also building a community/atmosphere where they feel comfortable and welcome in your company’s hands.
Your users most likely have at least one form of social media, so implementing it into your site could help you to create a larger network of support for them. And a larger network of customers for you. Some examples include:
- Twitter – allows you to display support hours, enable direct messages, and turn on the “support” option so customers can see the account is customer service friendly
- Facebook – messenger is direct, efficient and private
- Instagram – reply to customers quickly and in real-time via direct messages
Not only do you need to decide on the right customer service for your business, but you also need to create the right mindset for your customers.
Types of customer service drive conversions, but mindset drives customer loyalty. The mindset in providing customer service must revolve around the customer.
Your own type of customer service is the support you build with your customers in mind. It can be one of the types listed above, a combination of any, or your own rendition of one. The important thing isn’t what you use, but how you use it.
You need to be proactive instead of reactive. If you are always keeping your customers in mind when building your own type of customer service, you won’t have to react as much when customers need help.
You will have already predicted this outcome, and therefore will be able to help to the best of your ability right away.
Lay the foundation. No matter what your customers are asking or what the outcome of their request is, you need to build a foundation on which they can stand on their own.
If you are proactive, their needs will be first, and they will be able to get the support they need while feeling confident in your brand.
© 2024 ChipBot, Inc. All Rights Reserved.