Customer service is a must-have for businesses in the modern era, but the types of customer service available depend on the company's needs and the customers' demands. In-store service departments and 1-800 hotlines are just two of the many ways companies provide customer service. However, phone and email support isn't outdated. Companies like Zappos rely on telephone support for customer service because they believe it allows them to create a personal connection with their customers.
Email customer service is a great option for B2B businesses where keeping customers waiting is not an option. However, you must maintain a good first response time, even if it takes longer to resolve the issue. We live in an age of instant gratification, and customer service is no exception to this pressure to provide services quickly. Buyers want brands to recognize their problems as soon as possible, and companies have responded accordingly because the alternative is riskier.
A negative 140-character tweet can cause a brand to be thrown into a whirlwind of bad public relations if they don't address their customers' issues. Customer service through communities and forums is ideal for companies that have (or want to create) a community of followers around their brand that can self-regulate. It is especially suitable for B2B companies whose target market is based on collaboration and peer evaluation. Although self-service has become increasingly popular, 59% of customers still prefer their customer service to have some kind of personal contact. So, regardless of the type of customer service you decide to include in your service strategy, always consider how you can ensure that your customers are connected with highly qualified and knowledgeable agents. Not being able to understand a customer service agent is considered to be the most frustrating part of a customer service phone call experience.
By choosing an offshore service where this is likely to happen, you risk losing 51% of your customers who won't want to do business with you again after such a negative experience. In a contact center, representatives receive the necessary tools and training they need to make calls, run live chats, and provide technical support by email. A contact center also provides access to a wider range of trained specialists. It's a clear advantage for partnering with a contact center over partnering with a call center.
