Technology

Checking In: JetBlue and Gladly Partnership Improves Customer Service

By Jordan Maxwell on November 28, 2019

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Airline services have been scrambling to improve their customer service strategies and initiatives, making key investments to elevate the overall customer experience. JetBlue is one of the companies that has been actively looking to add value to its customers, using loyalty programs and other means to draw passengers on an international scale. The company recently partnered with Gladly Inc. in an effort to shave time from its customer service call volumes.

By partnering with the technology startup, JetBlue instantly became more customer-facing, and in doing so differentiated itself from other, less than stellar competitors. The airline introduced its software on flights so that the cabin crew would have a bird’s-eye view of information about customers on-board.

And customers are ‘on board’.

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Having a Crisis Contingency Plan for Your Call Center

By Jessica Suezin on November 26, 2019

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Let’s face it: There are bound to be unpredictable, negative circumstances that any organization will bravely face at some point or another. It’s why it’s been said that you should always “hope for the best, and plan for the worst.” When a company or organization is facing any sort of crisis, whether that’s something as serious as a company data breach, a natural disaster, or even a power outage or water break in your building, it’s important to have an established plan or course of action for your customer service team or company call center to execute.

When crisis strikes, it’s critical that everyone is on the page, working together, and ready to take action to alleviate the problem and get back to business as soon as possible.

Here are some tips and tricks that can help your call center and customer service agents ensure that they bounce back quickly and efficiently after a crisis. Continue reading →

5 Brand Websites Doing Customer Service Right

By Ben Ringshall on November 21, 2019

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Zappos. Apple. Wistia. Netflix. Whatever your business or its size, the first place your customers go when seeking help is your website. And if they can’t find the information they need there, you’re going to lose them.

You don’t have to be reachable by phone 24/7, but you do have to give your customers a way to solve their problems or get in touch when they can’t help themselves.

Here, we look at some major brands that are doing customer service in all the right ways, but most especially on their websites. We take a magnifying glass to these websites and give you the means to up your website game, too.

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The Power of SMS Technology in Call-Back Communication

By Jessica Suezin on November 19, 2019

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People are busy, often going from meeting to meeting at work, chasing after their kids, running errands, or out and about with friends and family. Moments when they have to get in touch with the customer service call center of a company is met with dread, because they don’t have the time or energy to call, wait on hold, and be passed around from one customer service agent to another to solve their problem. Sometimes, even a simple phone call can seem inconvenient, and the best way to stay up-to-date, or to communicate with a company, is through a simple SMS, or Short Message Service, text message.

Here is why and how your company can implement simple, convenient, and effective SMS call-back technology into your customer service and call center strategy. Continue reading →

Eco-Friendly Sustainability: Give your Customer Service the Competitive Advantage

By Jordan Maxwell on November 14, 2019

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Where does your brand sit on the green-o-meter?

It’s worth asking yourself this, as more and more millennial customers are starting to pay attention to the environment, and holding businesses accountable for their services, company vision, and strategy to cut waste, pollution, and plastics. Customers seem to care about it – so perhaps you should, too.

For the food service and hospitality industry, this is definitely the case. Many governments and global companies are making moves to eliminate single-use plastic items from their inventory and are appealing to their customer base in doing so. The need for environmental sustainability is adding a new element of customer service demand to its customers in the industry and companies are developing strategies to not only keep customers, but also draw in a new labor force that is vital to a sector with a millennial audience.

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How Chatbots Can Support Your Live Chat Customer Service Strategy

By Jessica Suezin on November 7, 2019

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People often hear the word ‘bots’ and immediately think about some dystopian science fiction flick they’ve seen where robots ultimately take over the world and usurp humanity. There is still a lot of misunderstanding and miscommunication in the marketplace about bots, and artificial intelligence generally, which explains in large part the resistance some people have in adopting bots for their lives and businesses.

The truth is, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and messenger bots are a new frontier in technology that can be an excellent tool to support our businesses, particularly when it comes to customer service. When used and integrated into your call center and customer service strategy correctly, messenger bots have the potential to relieve backed up call center queues, assist busy customer service agents, and ultimately help serve more customers and increase sales and revenue for the long term.

This is how messenger bots can increase the efficiency of your customer service call center, improve customer satisfaction, improve the workflow of your customer service and call center agents, and increase the overall value of your company. Continue reading →

Calls Are Taking Longer, and That’s a Good Thing

By Shai Berger on October 29, 2019

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It’s hard to get clear, objective data about the overall state of self-service technology. Case studies about specific projects are plentiful, but, as the saying goes, “the plural of anecdote is not data.” In addition, you always have to account for bias in that reporting: Vendors are going to highlight the data that makes their technology look good. Projects that succeed will be touted, and projects that fail get buried quietly.

If we want hard answers, we have to get a little more clever. Data released last week allows us to do just that.

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5 Tips For Providing Quality Customer Service Training

By Jessica Suezin on October 15, 2019

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Great customer service starts with making great hires. But, that’s not where it ends. Providing excellent customer service has never been more critical. According to a recent marketing report by Gartner, 89% of businesses are now expected to compete on customer experience alone, compared to only 36% just a few years prior. No matter how talented your new hires are, they will not be successful without proper training.

So, how can you provide a great training experience for your customer service team? Here are five tips to help you get your team started on the right foot.

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5 Best Practices for Providing Excellent Customer Service on Social Media

By Jessica Suezin on October 10, 2019

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If you were to check your company’s social media mentions right now, there is a very good chance you would find customers trying to get your attention. According to J.D. Power, 67% of online users are leveraging social media to get in touch with companies for support. There is no question that ignoring them is a major customer service faux-pas. If your team is going to engage with customers on social media, there are a few best practices to keep in mind before you get started.

Here are five tips for cultivating successful interactions with your customers and clients on social media.

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Fonolo Investigates: How Retailers are Using Customer Data to Gain a Competitive Advantage

By Drew Wilkinson on October 8, 2019

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Back in 2017, The Economist boldly declared that “The world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data.” As we head into 2020, no one would bat an eyelid at this statement. Big data is now used to address an increasing variety of business problems, from product launches to fraud and compliance.

As retail contact center leaders gear up for the busiest time of the year, big data may be the last thing on their minds. However, effective use of customer data offers a significant competitive advantage. This data, gleaned from social media, web visits, call logs, and other sources, can help you improve customer experience (CX) and maximize the value delivered. For example, retailers can provide personalized offers, reduce customer churn, and handle issues proactively.

Achieving this data-centric approach to CX may sound quixotic. However, the reality is that big data is working in the retail industry, and gleaning insights from how other brands have already put it into practice can start you on your own big data journey.

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