Customer support brings about many emotions for customers and heavily affects how they view a business. When a customer has to contact a company for the first time, it’s often done with dread. They worry about how long the experience will take. How many different ways will they have to contact the company before they find the answers? Will this be one 20-minute experience, or will they still be getting in touch with this company weeks from now?
Providing great customer support that uses well-branded language for your company, creates an easy experience for the customer, and handles the issue in a way that makes them feel cared for, can create repeat customers down the road.
Below, you’ll find five ways your support team can meet customers where they are and provide an experience that will make you stand apart from the competition.
1. Create Resources Where Customers Can Help Themselves
This may be a knowledge base or help guide for your products. It could also look like a community forum, where your customers can speak to each other. By providing customers the ability to find their answers, you cut down on the number of staff you’ll need to handle your customer support. You also make it simple for the customers likely to avoid contacting a business on their own, while still providing a positive experience for them.
2. Live Chat Support
When looking for a fast and easy way to get the answers they need, many consumers love access to a database of information like a Microsoft help forum with free live support on business websites. This option makes it easy for them to articulate their problem while still doing other things in their life, like waiting in line at the grocery store. The convenience of this cannot be overstated. You can provide this through a live chat support button directly on your website that makes it easy for customers to get in touch with you right away.
3. Use an Online Ticketing System
Sometimes, customers won’t want to talk to someone directly right at that moment. Some will prefer email support they can use at their leisure. For this, you can provide an online ticketing system. Customers can file their report and then your support team can reply to emails with consumers within the next 24 to 48 hours.
4. Voice Support
Do you have a phone number customers can call? As convenient as most online resources now are for customers, many will still prefer an option for a phone call, especially if an issue needs escalation. In terms of building trust with consumers, having a phone number available on the website can go a long way. Consider putting a number on the main page of your website. Even if you don’t have a full voice support system yet, letting customers leave voicemails that a small team can reply to later may be better than nothing. If necessary, you can set proper expectations by making it clear that other support channels (live chat, email) are faster.
5. Mobile Support
Whatever options you set up for customers, consider how the experience will work with mobile. More customers than ever are deciding to deal with customer support through their mobile devices. Your live chat system should work with mobile. If you have an app for your business, the contact method through there for customer support should be simple and obvious.
By making customer support as easy as possible for your customers, you prove that you care and gain trust with them in the long term.
