Technology is impacting every single business out there, and the internet of things is changing every industry from production to customer service. The faster technology advances, the more data we gather. Therefore, the more intelligent our customer service software is, the better businesses can serve their customers.
From automated chatbots to website personalization, to customer follow up, to reputation management, the customer service industry is evolving. New software and hardware advances mean businesses can do even more to ensure their customers are more than just satisfied. Here are a few vital ways that technology is changing the customer service industry for the better:
Customer Support Software and Efficiency
What is customer support software? Think of it as an automated help desk that helps you connect the dots between you and your customer’s interactions. For example, that customer who called you on the phone or chatted on your website, and then reached out on Twitter or Facebook about the same issue.
This type of software helps you track customer requests across multiple platforms and communicates with customers. It will also handle other customer support-related issues like frequently asked questions and order tracking automatically.
This makes your customer service team much more efficient by taking these mundane tasks off their hands. It also helps by alerting them of the customer’s contact history. There is nothing more frustrating to a customer than having to repeat their issue over and over to different members of different departments. Being able to avoid these pitfalls increases customer loyalty.
At the same time, customer support software allows management to track team member performance. Are answers fast and accurate, and do they satisfy your customer? Such data can shape training programs and inspire collaborative conversations about how to best ensure this type of performance.
The technology behind customer support software automates many tasks, makes your team more efficient and collaborative and, as a result, increases customer loyalty.
Industries Rely Entirely on Technology
There are certain industries that have become so automated, their processes rely almost entirely on the use of technology. For example, the accounting industry relies almost entirely on technology for everything from calculations to data entry. In fact, Maryville University predicted that by the end of 2017, up to 90% of accounting businesses would be using cloud services and software.
What effect does this have? First, there is less chance for human error. No more miskeyed entries or missed numbers to throw off calculations. Most banks and other financial providers work with the import functions or major accounting software, automating the process. This guarantees no forgotten transactions since it seamlessly enters the data.
Secondly, there are no calculation errors. If formulas are correct, the derived answers are also correct. This nearly eliminates the possibility of human error as well, as this is also automated. This makes calculations much faster, and the process of verifying data much quicker as well. Bank and other financial errors are easier to spot and correct.
Security is also better, as much of the accounting data is encrypted and stored in the cloud. Physical files are often not even stored on the client hard drive. Additionally, two-factor authentication and other security measures make unauthorized access much more difficult.
Finally, artificial intelligence and machine learning make things like cash flow predictions and other calculations easier as well. The software can predict behavior, report trends, and help companies balance their working capital to work more efficiently.
In short, the near entire reliance on technology has made the accounting field much more efficient at serving its customers and ensuring accuracy, speed, and legal compliance.
Marketing on the Go
Customer service begins before the customer is your customer. A big part of customer service is anticipating needs and wants and showing customers the right solutions at the right times — essentially marketing. From the moment an individual discovers your product to beyond the purchase and creating customer loyalty, marketing has an impact. And technology is shaping the future of marketing in several ways.
The first is that, as users perform more searches and shopping on mobile devices, marketing must also happen on those mobile devices. Technology allows marketers to know where a customer is, when they are near a store, and even if it is the right time of day to show them an ad, notify them via an app, or even send them a text message.
For instance, the Starbucks app will open automatically when a customer is in the vicinity of a store. It will also show the user potential coupons or specials at that store. So, do many retail store apps, including the Apple store app.
Secondly, ads on mobile need to be unique and not intrusive. Content needs to be optimized for mobile, and it needs to load quickly. Google’s mobile-first indexing means those sites that are optimized will appear higher in searches on mobile devices — a huge advantage.
Lastly, along with location, social media marketing and many other techniques give marketers a lot of data about customers. This data helps reach them at the right time and place.
In short, technology is transforming the marketing part of customer service to an engaged, ongoing activity that is collaborative and personalized.
Conclusion
Technology is doing more than ever in making sure that customer service is personalized, fast, efficient, and consistent. If the customer support software has the right features for a specific industry, it makes a huge difference in the customer experience. From marketing to accounting, companies are using customer support software and other technology to stand out from the competition and change customer service for the better.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay user geralt