How to develop a customer service automation strategy

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customer service

If you own a business, no matter how big or small, you might already be aware that automation is one of the hottest emerging trends at the moment.

There is a good reason for that, too. Automation allows powerful AI software solutions to take care of some of the more repetitive aspects of a job while freeing up human resources and letting people take care of other aspects of work where a human touch is more needed.

If you need AI capable of handling customer service, the good news is that powerful AI chatbots can handle that aspect of workload for you. 

All you need to do is develop a successful customer service automation strategy. Keep reading to learn how to do that.

What is automated customer service? 

Automated customer service (CS) is customer support provided by software/AI solutions such as chatbots instead of humans.

Initially, it works best when the customers need help with repetitive, straightforward questions, links to a particular resource, or status updates. However, many chatbots can learn and adapt, so the more they are in use, the better they get at answering user demands and anticipating their other needs and questions.

Thanks to this ability to learn and adapt, customers no longer see modern chatbots as a nuisance that they have to deal with. Instead, current automated customer service has become a source of personalized ability to meet each customer’s needs.

Automated CS software can run 24/7 and provide support whenever it is needed.

Know what you want 

In order to get the most out of automation, you need to know exactly where and how you want to implement it.

If your demands are limited to standard customer support, the chances are that there is already a ready-made solution that will suit your needs. However, if your requests are unique, your best course of action is to speak to programmers and developers of CS software and see how they can meet your needs.

Custom software can improve your business operations. It can be programmed to include the specific features you want, perform its functions the way you want it to, and even offer tailored services that improve the user experience.

See where your business is lacking 

Once you identify your needs, it is time to discover your current customer support system’s issues.

Your marketing team should have an insight into each individual customer’s demands and the areas they struggle with. Sometimes, several customers will have the same problem, and those are the areas that need to be dealt with.

Remember, a frustrated customer is an unhappy customer. And, if they voice their frustration out loud in person or online, that can hurt your company’s reputation.

That is why it is always better to be proactive when dealing with potential issues instead of waiting for them to pile up and become a full-blown problem.

How to benefit from customer service automation 

With automated CS, customers can ask for help at once and check out the answer (in the form of a helpful link or another resource) at their own time and convenience instead of having to absorb all the new info during a phone call. 

Some people will like this option, while others will prefer a more guided approach. So make sure to offer different options.

Secondly, for best results, mix automated support with support from a human representative. Once again, it is all about offering your customers the option to choose the help that best suits them.

Thirdly, even if you are dealing with automation alone, make sure that the service feels personal. 

A study by Nextiva has demonstrated that roughly one-third of customers abandon a business or a service if they feel that it lacks a personal touch. 

Fortunately, AI is also capable of handling vast quantities of data that you can use to build a unique profile for each of your customers based on their purchase history, their searches, and other things that pertain only to them. Then, you can use that info to provide personalized service that will improve customer experience and brand loyalty.

Next, be proactive in solving your customers’ needs. When dealing with a customer, the best way to let them know that you value them is by respecting their time. This means that you should be able to offer an answer to their question as soon as possible. Today’s intelligent chatbots have extraordinary predictive abilities and can sometimes guess the users’ query even before they finish typing it.

Other benefits of automated customer support 

Automated customer support is an excellent solution for small and medium-sized businesses as it makes it possible to offer top-quality support at a reduced cost.

Also, wherever people are working, there is a chance of human error. With automated CS, you reduce the opportunity for human error by having bots deal with the most tiresome and repetitive tasks. For example, suppose a bot is not able to answer a question. In that case, it can learn to redirect the question to an appropriate support representative, thus wasting less time and, conversely, money for your business.

With a well-implemented automated CS solution, your business will be more efficient with a lower headcount. This means more opportunities to grow and use the available human resources more coherently.

One more significant advantage that automated customer support has over other types of online support such as email and even phone support is that you do not have to wait for the customer to make the first move before offering them support.

Chat – and, by extension, chatbots – offer a unique tool for proactive communication. They can provide customer support instantly without the tiresome back-and-forth that is typical for communication via email. 

Live chat is the support that is always there for those who need it and exactly when they need it. With some fine-tuning and cooperation between you and the software developer, it can become a mighty tool for customer engagement, retention, and most importantly, improved satisfaction.