The antiquated idea that automation will someday replace the human worker has long since been replaced by the realization that automation will not replace but rather enhance the employee experience. Fear of automation has transformed into demand. Because we now know, automation isn’t coming for our jobs – it’s helping us to do our jobs — more easily, more quickly, and more effectively than ever before.
Nowhere is this more apparent than customer support. Today, we know that creating the best customer experience possible goes well beyond simply the interaction between a customer and a support agent. It means being able to intelligently and automatically surface relevant data in real-time in order to better route customers to either the right agent or the appropriate self-service option. It means being able to leverage the entire contact center ecosystem by connecting numerous tools and technologies in order to automatically share data, generate smarter reports, and streamline operations in order to transform customer support from a cost center into a revenue driver.
Traditionally, when we think of automation in customer support, we think of chatbots. And while chatbots, when done right, can be a great tool for providing a great customer experience, there are many other ways in which automation is helping brands create one-of-a-kind experiences for their customers.
Automate the Mundane, Focus on What Matters
When support agents are pulled in too many directions, efficiency and effectiveness will likely suffer. This, combined with the possibility of burnout and low morale can result in high agent churn. However, when customer support can automate simple or repetitive tasks, agents can focus on what really matters, providing a one-of-a-kind customer experience with a personalized touch.
Your best customer is the one that keeps coming back – and an optimum customer service experience is one of the best ways to ensure this happens. Here are some agent tasks that are ripe for automation:
– FAQs – There is likely a long, ever-growing list of common questions that are posed to your support team on a regular basis. Whether your support professional has been there 10 years or 10 days, he/she should have the ability to respond, quickly and consistently. Automated response tools, such as TextExpander, enable the support team to share and send the most current and correct information to customers. Support staff can even proactively email your customer base, notifying them of potential issues and recommended remedies, before they become problems.
– CRM Integration – Whether it is an internal CRM or a third-party system such as Salesforce, Zendesk, or Microsoft Dynamics, CRM’s should be integrated with the customer support platform in order to automate the collection and storage of information such as purchase history, voice recordings, chat transcripts, and other important customer data. Eliminating the need for the customer to repeat themselves during subsequent dealings with support agents improves efficiency, reduces frustration and leads directly to a much better customer and employee experience.
– Self-Service Content – Enable your customers to help themselves, by providing access to a robust content library that can automatically respond to customer queries, with appropriate information. Customers can self-satisfy their queries, freeing your customer support agents to focus their time on more serious and complicated issues.
Wag! – Leveraging Automation to Create Joy for Its Furry Clients, and Those Who Love Them
Of course, automation and self-service shouldn’t mean losing touch with the customer. Of this fact, 5-star dog walker, boarding and care service Wag! is well-aware.
Wag! Walk, a service that connects owners with pre-screened and insured dog walkers, gives owners the peace of mind they need to safely let their dogs out for walks and exercise. After owners select a preferred date and time, a walker arrives and takes the dog out. These walks can be tracked through the app and Walkers are able to send photos and videos to owners throughout the day. Extended Wag! services also include overnight dog sitting, long term boarding and Wag! Tag dog tracking.
Recently, Wag! chose to integrate a new customer support platform that seamlessly combines personal touch and automated options. Its goal: to further its mission to deliver an intuitive, customer-centric experience, including fully integrated support. Since deployment, Wag! has enjoyed an in-app voice service level agreement (SLA) improvement of 17 percent. In-app voice average wait times have decreased by 50 percent, as customers are now connected to agents even faster through custom queues. And, these improvements have helped decrease overall call abandonment by 7 percent.
By offering instant access to experienced and trustworthy dog walkers, boarding hosts and sitters, Wag! provides pet owners with the flexibility to manage everyday life, and is creating joy for its furry clients, and those who love them.
Automation – The Power to Meet Today’s Customers’ High Expectations
Today’s customers have higher expectations than ever before, and if a business wants to grow, it has to be able to predict those expectations, in order to best meet – or better yet, exceed them. A customer support platform that enables automated collection and access to a robust catalog of customer data can help you to accomplish this in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible. Customer purchase history, demographics, photos, texts, NPS and CSAT surveys all provide a wealth of information that will enable you to offer a more personalized, customer centric approach to product and service development and delivery, as well as support service along the entire customer journey. Bottom line, by ensuring the optimum customer experience, your business can reap the benefits of securing the most compelling competitive advantage, and the resulting financial rewards.