customer-service

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 →

#CS Lessons: Samsung Sinks, then Swims, with its Customer Service Strategy

By Jordan Maxwell on November 5, 2019

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What do you do when you unveil a new smartphone or app that’s not quite ready to be released, even though you had a firm release date that 100% must meet? This challenging business situation is one Samsung recently found itself in when it botched the launch of its shiny new Samsung Galaxy Fold.

The company designed the Galaxy Fold (a smartphone that uses multiple new technologies and materials to create a display that is flexible enough to fold) and was excitement around it was building up prior to its release. The announcement of its release drew praise from Samsung users and lovers of technologies alike. Due to launch in April 2019, the device was viewed to be one of its potentially greatest products yet.

But a harsh reality set in, and early: Customer feedback delayed the launch and people begun to doubt the product.

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How to Prepare Your Call Center For Spikes in Call Volume: Credit Unions

By Drew Wilkinson on October 31, 2019

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Credit unions’ commitment to serving their members is reflected in their healthy growth: these financial institutions now count more than 110 million people as members and hold deposits totaling $1.1 trillion. When a growing sector builds its reputation on customer service, customers themselves can feel the strain of growth when that reputation is no longer met or exceeded. The bottom line is that keeping customers happy during an expansion is no easy feat.

Credit union call centers face a unique set of challenges beyond brisk growth. Traditionally smaller in size, credit unions often lack the resources to implement “best-in-class” technologies, making it especially tricky to tackle surges in call volume that come from rapid growth. With 76% of customers viewing customer service as the real test of much a company values them, long wait times can leave brand new members (and existing ones) annoyed and frustrated.

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Brand Spotlight: How Glossier Uses Customer Service to Perpetuate its Business

By Janki Lodhia on October 30, 2019

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If there is one modern-day company that is re-inventing the ropes of customer experience, it’s Glossier. Having completely shattered the standards of how to run a beauty business, Glossier continues to be the fastest growing beauty company that is predominantly focused on e-commerce.

It’s not surprising: One of the brand’s differentiators is its customer service offering. In fact, most businesses could learn from Glossier’s customer service structure as they leverage a modern approach to customer support, which promotes overall brand success. Glossier proves that it’s possible to innovate in the realm of customer service. Here are some insights into their successful, unique approach.

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Are You Prepared for Unpredicted Spikes in Call Volume? [Slideshare]

By Drew Wilkinson on October 24, 2019

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While today’s tech-savvy consumers are using more non-voice channels to connect with businesses, the act of picking up the phone to quickly and verbally resolve an issue (complex or otherwise) isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The problem with this? According to an Accenture study, consumers’ top two complaints were:

Having to contact customer service multiple times; and
Being kept on hold for too long.

This consumer pet peeve is exacerbated by the fact that contact centers routinely face expected, and unexpected, spikes in call volume. Expected spikes can be a result of seasonality and promotional events, and unexpected spikes can stem from product recalls or natural disasters.

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How To Provide Exceptional Customer Service Throughout The Holiday Season

By Jessica Suezin on October 22, 2019

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! For most retail companies, the fourth quarter of the year is the busiest and most crucial part of the year for business. This can put a lot of pressure on customer service workers who are not only dealing with a higher volume of tickets but also, potentially, a more stressed shopper.

It’s important for retail companies to have plans and strategies in place when heading into the holiday season to ensure that customer service workers have the tools and resources they need to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction despite the influx of calls, chats, and emails from consumers looking for the perfect holiday gift (often, at the last minute!).

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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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How to Prepare Your Call Center For Spikes in Call Volume: The Financial Industry

By Drew Wilkinson on September 26, 2019

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Like most companies competing in the modern marketplace, the financial industry is subject to spikes in call volume due to seasonality. Despite the increased offering of digital channels for handling customer service requests, surges in call center activity for financial institutions are a regular occurrence. The reason for these surges varies: They may be the result of unexpected crises (such as a data breach) or more predictable events like annual mortgage renewals or tax season. Added to this are the challenges brought forth by the digital era, which have the financial sector rushing to adapt to meet the increased demands of contemporary customers.

As banks close their physical branches, with more services being offered through their digital channels, customers take to the phones to have their questions answered. 30% of customers calling in are doing so with “moment of truth encounters” that “have higher emotional stakes for the customers.” These become key interactions in maintaining – or losing – customer loyalty. When call volumes spike, the stakes are even higher as customers deal with frustratingly long hold times.

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