Some argue that customer service should be the number one priority for businesses. After all, if your customers receive poor customer service, they are more likely to do business with one of your competitors.
On the other hand, great customer service can lead to word-of-mouth advertising for your company as well as life-long customers. Today, one of the best ways to increase customer service is to simply offer 24/7 support.
High Customer Expectations
You know it… that loud dial-up sound of the 90s followed by a long wait for an internet connection. Thank goodness those days are over! However, with the passing of the “be patient for service” era, comes a new “I need it now” era.
Technology has advanced enough to offer an instantaneous connection. Not only that, but the loading of webpages is also an instantaneous thing too. This has created a “now” mentality where people expect to be able to get information or answers right now.
This “now” attitude has crept into all areas of life, including customer service. Due to the advancement in communications and technologies, you are now able to offer your customers 24/7 support: and you should be. Customers that are not having their expectations met will shop around your competitors to find a company that will meet their needs.
Business Benefits of Offering 24/7 Support
The largest benefit of offering 24/7 support is the opportunity to increase customers and ultimately, revenue. In fact, 68% of customers will pay MORE for a product when great customer service is provided. You can add self-help customer support channels to de-escalate issues before they turn into a frustrated and lost customer.
Your customer service representatives and efforts can also help transform leads into customers. If these efforts are only available during normal office hours, you could be missing out on a huge income opportunity.
How to Offer 24/7 Support
As you know, no two customers are exactly alike. This means you should offer a variety of customer service options in order to provide the most customer satisfaction. Through a blend of avenues, you should be able to increase your customer service satisfaction rates.
In-House Support
Offering a live person to answer questions via phone is always the best practice. There are many people who prefer to speak directly to a specialist, not an automated attendant. While offering phone support does give one of the highest customer satisfaction rates, you do need to keep in mind that staffing can be an issue. If you plan to offer 24/7 support through phone calls, you will need to watch your budget, as you will need to staff around the clock.
Live Chat Support
A lot of people turn to the internet for answers, especially now that most people carry tiny computers around in their pockets. Offering 24/7 support through a live chat feature on your website or through a messaging app can connect your customers with the assistance they need instantaneously. Some features of live chat that customers love are low wait times, quick resolution times, and the ability for customers to get answers without physically speaking to anyone.
Automation
Automation is one of the easiest forms of customer service to offer your clients 24/7 support. There are many times a customer needs a simple solution or basic information. This is where automation can be a lifesaver. Once you have established the correct programming and responses, automation will take start the process and fix a lot of problems your customers may have while leaving your customer representatives available to help with more complex issues.
Automation can be done with online chat, voice calls, and text messaging. Online chat automation offers automatic responses that lead customers to help themselves. It can even help suggest products and services, increasing sales and turning leads to customers. Voice automation can offer phone menu options that lead clients to the correct customer service representative.
Text message automation can also offer vast options for messaging. Not only can you offer automatic responses, but you can also use automated text messages to set up appointments, send reminders and help decrease the number of no-shows.
Time to Capitalize on 24/7 Support
If you are interested in offering 24/7 support to your customers and you still have questions, GreenStar Marketing would love to help you out. Not only can we further discuss ways for you to offer support for your customers, but we can help you with voice recordings, video tutorials, and outsourcing as well as several other services. Contact us today to discuss just how GreenStar Marketing can help your company take the next step towards success.
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