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Subscribe- 23 percent of consumers felt that not having 24/7 service was a negative brand attribute
- 90 percent of customers felt that immediate responses were important with service questions
Let’s thus explore more ways on how to improve online customer service in the sections below:
The Benefits of Online Customer Service
To begin with, here are some business advantages of great online customer service:
Improved Customer Experience
Online customer service is one of the many convenient and flexible options your customers have to interact with your brand.
Reliable service leads to an increase in customer satisfaction scores, which demonstrates the brand’s customer centricity, leading to an admirable brand equity.
Increased Customer Loyalty
Customers are far more likely to stay with a brand that provides excellent service, especially online. This is because they feel that they receive personalized attention when they need it.
A loyal customer base also means glowing customer referrals, which is an important factor in generating leads and boosting conversions.
Increased Sales
A satisfied and loyal customer base leads to repeat sales over the years. Trained customer service staff will also discover many opportunities for upselling.
When customers trust a brand, they are more receptive to sales messages. Using several digital communication channels means a brand can deliver sales pitches in many ways.
Competitive Advantage
Superior online customer service and support is a clear brand differentiator in a crowded marketplace. In an environment when product features are similar across companies, this is a valuable way for businesses to reap benefits.
Customers are more willing to stay with brands that address their issues efficiently and quickly.
Characteristics of an Effective Online Customer Service Team
How can online customer service teams be efficient, and effective? Here are some pointers:
Be Accurate and Prompt
Speed should be a priority at all times. This can be ensured by the right technology and training. Teams should also be knowledgeable about the product and aware of common consumer concerns.
It is also important that they communicate in a clear and helpful manner that leads to quick resolution.
Use All Online Channels
The unbeatable benefit of online customer service is that it is available via many channels, and not just an online customer service phone number. Teams should use all of them effectively.
In some cases, email works best. At other times, there is live chat, online messaging, and more. Social media is another channel that should not be ignored.
Use Chatbots
Chatbots can quickly generate leads, automatically resolve common issues, and free up time for human agents. They are cost-effective and make the online customer service chat efficient.
They can automatically conduct satisfaction surveys and gather data such as names and email addresses. These virtual customer assistants can become even more productive with AI.
Get Feedback
The best teams always ask for feedback on how to improve online customer service. This has two advantages.
First of all, the consumer’s voice is heard, which leads to brand appreciation and loyalty. And second, feedback that is analyzed over time can be a source of valuable insights to make customer service even better.
Be Empathetic
Customer service teams should be trained in more than problem-solving and product knowledge. They should also demonstrate empathy. Putting themselves in the customer’s shoes leads to rewarding interactions.
It leads to faster complaint resolutions. Empathy is a hidden superpower that separates average customer service from superior customer handling.
How Customer Service Tools Make Virtual Customer Service Teams More Productive
Technology can enhance online customer service in many ways. It can save time and costs. Here are some tools that you should consider.
- The right customer service software can level up your online service. The best ones have features that include ticketing software, reporting and analytics, databases and integrations with existing platforms
- Live chat widgets and chatbots can capture leads efficiently. They save human hours and give consumers a sense of 24/7 support
- Self-service portals offers consumers the information and resources they need to resolve issues. These empower customers and heighten productivity. Resources such as a knowledge bases and FAQs are a solution for those asking how to improve customer service in e-commerce
- Creating and moderating online communities on platforms such as Discord is another powerful productivity enhancer. Consumers can come together on one platform and their needs can be efficiently addressed.
It is only with these tools that your virtual teams can become more engaged and productive. Read below to know which specific tools you need to focus on and the processes that they smoothen up for your widespread teams.
1. Enhance Team Collaboration
You can stay dispersed and still deliver impressive virtual customer service. Your remote customer service teams should efficiently collaborate amongst themselves. Efficient team collaboration is the reason behind some successfully running virtual customer service teams. But it also is challenging to ensure that all virtual agents are on the same page despite different workplace settings. A team collaboration tool should be an important inclusion in your set of tools for remote teams.
Slack
Slack is the champion when it comes to remote communication. You can primarily share files and integrate tools even when working out of the traditional office. Slack acts as the virtual headquarters for remote teams. You become more reachable.
Slack enables you to publicly communicate with colleagues via instant messaging and communication across its channels. You can discuss with teammates your issues and advancements. You can also share files, important status updates, or product updates, and that too with instant feedback. Share ideas and comments in real-time using Slack. Remote communication, be it for any team size, becomes so smooth with Slack.
You can also integrate your Slack account with your phone system. You can thus keep track of all calling activities of your team – directly from your Slack channel.
Basecamp
Is your all-remote customer service team facing the common pitfalls in progress? Basecamp brings you an open-ended tool that serves beyond the goal of project management. A tool for entrepreneurs, freelancers, small businesses, and groups within large organizations.
Basecamp makes communication across the organization(both at a team and individual level) much easier. You discuss all your assignments and initiatives in one place. Teams collaborate better despite the distance. Productivity hikes, and no chaos. You can easily track projects and escalate issues to various departments with instant actions. Easy file-sharing options make it much user-friendly. Talk with agents or tag agents, give comments and reviews – all in one platform. Progress together.
2. Prioritize Customer Communication – Deliver Quality Service
Customers should never feel the distance. If you ever ask me what is the key to maximum customer success, I’ll answer that it’s how seamlessly you communicate with your customers at every point of their journey.
Proactive communication with customers improves the quality of remote customer service. Analysis of leading companies shows that smooth and active communication with customers increases engagement and wins lifelong trust. It can be via phone, email or chat support. And of course, calling is the most preferable means of communication as it’s quick and provides a humane touch.
JustCall – Calling & SMS
Justcall is a flexible cloud telephony solution that allows you to make and receive calls anytime, anywhere and from any device. With the number of your choice, stay connected to all your customers – whether on the move or stationed remotely. Its easy integrations with over 44 CRMs automatically save all call data, call notes, voice recording, voice mails directly into your CRM. This way you can integrate all other tools for remote teams with JustCall.
To forward calls from your number, use the Inbound Calling feature to set up the inbound caller ID as your JustCall number for all the incoming calls. This will help you recognize the calls you receive on your JustCall number.
Managing SMSes is even easier. Using SMS Bot, automate text replies to your customers based on keywords in their responses. Also, schedule an SMS campaign. Stay virtually connected with your customers using the JustCall IVR feature. Set up a digit-based menu to swiftly steer them to respective departments.
As responsible Managers, you can always monitor your remote employees’ performance. JustCall allows Call monitoring, barging and whispering during a call without the prospect knowing it. You can set your business hours as well as working hours. This ensures that no calls are assigned to you outside your working slot.
The JustCall dashboards provide you with insights into remote employee’s performance. For businesses wanting to get rid of landlines, porting is now easier with the outbound caller ID feature.
Get set with a cloud phone system following these quick setup steps of cloud phone system for your remote teams.
Upgrading Your Virtual Call Center? Do it Right With JustCall
Helpwise
With Helpwise, every member has access to a single shared inbox- no matter where you are. In this way, you eliminate all confusion You can assign, chat, and tag team members and have stress-free collaboration. All files are accessible. Plus, no compromise with security. And the best feature – it is an easy-to-use shared inbox for your Whatsapp business & SMS inbox as well! Managing customer conversations is now so easy, even if agents are dispersed across locations.
An advantage for remote workers is that the shared inbox is easily accessible in their iOS or Android. They can very well be part of any conversation or thread without the requirement of any one-to-one interaction. Setting up workflows is almost painless. What makes it unique for remote work is that you get multichannel support and very smooth integrations with other business tools.
By integrating your phone system with Helpwise, you can keep a track of all your calls and SMSes made from your phone app directly on your Helpwise account.
3. Efficient Remote Helpdesk For Ticket Management
Remote helpdesks are gaining importance. Although remote agents are delivering virtual support, queries of customers should be solved with the same speed and accuracy. No matter which location your agents are working from. An efficient remote help desk is an important tool that efficiently meets customer expectations and improves level of service.
Freshdesk
With FreshDesk, delivering remote support is hassle-free. The best thing for remote teams is you can choose location-specific business hours. This prevents employees from different time zones to be penalized incorrectly.
It also enables cross-team collaboration. Teams can work on troubleshooting customers’ queries while keeping the other remote teams in the loop. Every email, chat, call or feedback that drops in can be converted into tickets in Freshdesk. You can also use keywords to prioritize every ticket. You can attend the most important issues first by filtering tickets. Assigning tickets to an agent or a team is so easy. Steer clear of any confusion.
You can also integrate your phone system with Freshdesk. There are several features that your Freshdesk account will have with the cloud phone system.
4. Schedule Your Tasks With Team Calendar
Missing meetings or discussions with distantly placed teammates? Forgetting important online appointments with customers? The right team calendar will easily schedule and manage all meetings, discussions and to-do lists in one place. With an efficient calendar tool, you can easily manage all your appointments whether with agents or with customers.
Google Calendar
Google calendar makes scheduling events and getting in touch with remote agents way too easy. To start with, you can set up separate calendars for every little task you want to be reminded of. Right from scheduling repetitive reminders to managing the non-repetitive yet important tasks, every action can have separate calendars. Like, tagging important conversations that you need to answer as per time zones.
Fixing meetings with people across time zones, who are mostly keeping busy, is now no longer difficult. Google Calendar gives you the freedom to choose the times when every remote agent or member is available without any conflicts. It also notifies you if you are scheduled for a task outside your working hours.
5. Set Virtual Meetings With Video Conference
Among the list of tools for virtual customer service teams, video conferencing tools keep you connected, be it your remote employees or your colleagues. Whether working from a remote setting or following the work from home strategy, this tool keeps everyone connected live.
Zoom
Zoom is the savior during the remote working times. It is a pain-free web video conferencing tool. Teams can have easy face-to-face video interactions. You never feel away from the office. With Zoom, you can hold meetings, theme discussions, webinars as well as larger conferences. Everybody can show up to discuss and set weekly targets, and point out loopholes that need to be mended. You can virtually celebrate over milestones achieved.
You can have participants up to 100 by default in every meeting plus up to 500 for large meeting capacity. The best feature is that you can record and store meetings as well. Screen sharing and voice calls can go simultaneously. You thus feel as if you are attending a live office meeting- even from your off-office setting.
Best Practices for Managing Online Customer Service Teams
Here are some of the management methods for supervisors to get the best from their teams:
Clear Definitions and Objectives
Teams should be told what is expected of them. They should also be provided examples of great customer service that they can follow.
Simulations and mock calls on a regular basis can help with this. In addition, their objectives should be defined through precise and clear metrics.
Team goals and individual goals should be spelt out as well. Once they know what performance parameters to aim for, they can go ahead with confidence.
Brand Guidelines
Strong brands have a distinctive tone of voice. This style of communication should be carried though across mediums, from advertising to customer service.
Online customer support teams should be trained in how to reflect the brand in their interactions. A lot depends on the nature of the business and whether it is B2B or B2C.
Some brands are professional and efficient, while others are more conversational and friendly.
Customer service representatives should aim to capture the distinctive style of the brand they work for.
Create the Right Roles
Customer service should not be seen as a one-size-fits-all approach. This is because,often, consumers have different needs and issues.
Depending on the brand, the online customer service team can be assigned roles so that the people skilled in specific aspects address only those enquiries.
Some online customer service examples: technical issues can be handled by one group, after-sales services can be handled by another team and financial matters can be tackled by yet another.
A system of triaging tickets can route enquiries to the right people. This leads to quick resolution and greater satisfaction.
Feedback and Understanding
Asking for feedback and developing empathy are essential qualities when dealing with consumers. They are as important when it comes to managing teams.
If performance standards are not being met, checking with the people and teams about the reasons can throw up solutions. Online customer support jobs can be demanding. The manager should show empathy towards service representatives.
Workloads can be distributed so that chances of burnout are reduced.
Team building activities can go a long way in creating the right workplace atmosphere. These tasks can also be handled remotely in case of teams that are not on the premises.
Training and Technology
We have already touched upon how the right technology can help to satisfy consumers. Customer service teams should be trained in the right platforms and processes.
A company device policy should be put in place to check if teams are working on the right computers. Software updates, upgrades and robust Internet connections should also be taken care of.
These steps will reduce frustration. They make is much easier for virtual customer support teams to perform well and with less stress. After all, as the saying goes, a worker is only as good as their tools.
In Conclusion
Virtual customer service plays a vital role in creating brand success. It is a cost-effective and productive way to boost loyalty, engagement and sales.
Virtual teams should be accurate and prompt in their dealings with customer queries. They should ask for feedback, show empathy and use a variety of channels.
To enable this, teams should be equipped with the right platforms and devices. Their roles and expectations should be clarified, and they should be viewed as valuable brand assets.
