It’s almost 2014. Chances are, the majority of your customers are very tech-savvy, and they expect to receive customer service that matches their mobile-friendly, technology-filled lifestyles. As you begin looking at your 2014 customer retention strategies, review the below technology trends and make sure that you’ll be keeping pace with people who depend on your customer support team.
Your website is mobile, correct?
If customers log on to your website via their smartphone or tablet, will the site accommodate their needs? Can they find the information they’re looking for (in an attractive, easy-to-navigate format), receive customer support, pay their bills, or access the help section? You may have a very intuitive, well-built website, but you’ll need a site that is adapted to mobile use, as well. Consider this statistic: More people will be accessing the web on mobile devices in 2015 than they will with desktop/laptop computers. Improve customer retention by first making sure that your customers can use your website – from their phones and tablets.
Speaking of mobile, how are your apps?
Since we’re discussing mobile and customer retention strategies, it’s a good time to talk about the rising popularity of mobile apps for customer service support. A well-designed mobile app can help customers bypass many of the traditional channels and get quick customer support. To really make your customer support mobile apps shine, integrate features such as QR code scanning, how-to-videos, and even context features that help you track customer history and location.
Social media, social media, social media
Social media is undoubtedly a part of most people’s lives these days, and customer support is no exception. Is social media a feature of your customer retention plan? If it’s not, it should be. It’s predicted that by mid-2014, 70% of companies will be using social media as part of their customer service strategy. Social media goes far beyond a place where customers can applaud/vent about your br
and publically; with the right plan in place, you can nurture a forum where customers can come to have their questions answered and get customer support without having to pick up the phone or send an email.
Embedded service capabilities
Multi-channel service was a hot topic in 2013, and it will continue to be a must-have in 2014. To implement a successful multi-channel service strategy, you need to invest in an integrated embedded system that filters your customers into the right channel. For example, go to Amazon’s “Contact Us” page, and the customer support page sorts the inquiries based on the type of service needed and the mode of preferred contact (email, phone, chat).
Increase first call resolution rates with the right analytics technology
Our final technology tip to improve your customer service strategy in 2014? Work on your first call resolution rates. With the right technology, you can analyze repeat calls and identify why customers keep calling back. Couple this technology with speech analysis, and you’ll begin seeing patterns that lead to calls not being resolved, and you’ll see where the missing link is in your customer support chain.
Your contact center should remain a vital part of your customer support plan – even with all of the web technology that’s emerged – so use technology that helps you perfect how customers are treated.
Make customer retention your mantra in 2014 with the right tools
In every customer touchpoint your company operates, keep customer retention as the focal point. Invest and use the technology tools designed to make customer service easier for you and your customers, and go into 2014 with confidence.
