Customer service is perhaps the most important element of online business because poor human interaction can deter individuals from completing the transaction. The secret to customer service really does come down to treating others with respect, knowing the subject.
For online business owners the real trouble comes when they wish to interact with their customers and leads to provide valuable support. The use of telephone and email simply aren’t enough for the majority of online shoppers, which is why this article presents three options for amplifying the experience through smart online choices.
1. Support Ticket Systems & Help Desks
The software in this category generally provides a variety of helpfulness to the customer:
- A knowledge base where customers (and leads) can post questions and receive answers
- A ticketing system that can import inquiries from multiple locations and devices
- A managerial back end to view reports, performance, and feedback
These items are generally billed per month or by agent (sometimes both), but in terms of costs it’s a very safe bet when it comes to offering robust solutions for online customer service.
2. Remote Access & Support
Remote access software is another fine choice for providing business support. This type of software often includes the ability to hold conference calls via audio and video, which is often used to tutor customers about their new purchase (which, depending on the businesses’ creativity, can apply to any physical or digital product).
Features that make this form of customer service so attractive include:
- The low cost of implementation and ease-of-access for users and customers
- Remote access to a computer removes the need to fully train the client/customer
- Online presentations presents an opportunity to upsell products and services
The ability to take control of the computer, for the user, allows your support specialists get right to the thick of the problem, which not only gets the user well upon their way but doesn’t force them to sit on the phone trying to figure out what the representative meant (when they’re not attuned to technical terminology).
3. Live Chat & Online Video
The third in our list of customer service options is one that shouldn’t be too unfamiliar — live chat. But there may be some developments to this platforms you haven’t quite known about over these last few years.
Newer versions of live chat may now come packaged with:
- Multi-user sessions, logging, and file transfer per customer
- Online video chat in place of traditional chat messaging
- VOIP communication via built-in hardware on both ends of the conversation
There are many inherent benefits of expanding the technological features of live chat. The most visible of these benefits is the fact that having a face-to-face, even if it’s through the use of online video, helps to build trust because the customers are directly interacting with the business.
Live Help also presents an opportunity to increase conversions. A simple coupon code or link to a landing page offering one before the customer leaves (or done so through a follow up call or email pulled from the chat logs and contact information) is an easy way to grab the low hanging fruit for the business.
Conclusion
In all, if you feel your online business is lacking in customer support it may not be your representatives. The issue may be that they aren’t well equipped with the modern resources to provide the best possible experience for those sending inquiries.
Consider the three options for your business. Explore the rich features of a help desk. Implement remote accessing software to aid in tech. Upgrade the outdated live chat system. Don’t miss out on another opportunity to satisfy your customers.
Image Credit: Dell Inc.
