A robust CRM can track customer preferences across many channels. If you are a large business who can afford to use such a tool great! Get the data entered and use it to serve your customers in their channel of choice. But what about smaller businesses who can’t afford the expense of this? You can still offer customers a choice of channels! Just make sure that you communicate what is available and how to access various methods of communication. The more you can automate this, the better of course.
What we do know is that customers are OK with simpler forms of communication like chat for simpler issues. When it gets complicated, they want to talk to a person live and don’t want to have to go through ten frustrating menu selections to get to the right person. If you haven’t called your own business lately… it might be time to do just that! See how quickly you can get help for a myriad of issues.
Knowing your customer journey is not optional in today’s service world. Make sure you know the points of contact, points of stress, and what channels your customer prefers at various steps on the customer journey. Whether automated or just the old fashioned way… ASKING… you will build better relationships by letting your customer chose his or her own path!
Teresa Allen has been listed on Global Gurus list of the world’s top Customer Service Experts for 8 years with two years at #1. She is often asked to share strategies for customer service success at meetings held across the globe. Teresa can be reached through her website at www.AllenSpeaks.com or via telephone 850-460-7105. This article may be reprinted if this credit box is included.
