Speed in customer service is everything. So much so that 90% of customers rate an “immediate” response to a service query as “important” or “very important”.
Because of this weight of expectation, businesses must streamline their internal processes to reduce friction for a fast resolution.
No more roadblocks. No more complex workflows.
And whilst action can be taken to make it easier for a customer to self diagnose, or access resources on demand, there will still be occasions when they need to interact with a member of your customer service team.
It’s at these critical moments that your internal efficiencies can make or break the customer experience.
Why Internal Efficiency Matters
Internal efficiency is intrinsically connected to customer experience.
As such, if your organisation is a mess behind the scenes, the knock on effect will be felt most heavily by your customer.
Managing both internal processes and external experience is critical for your long term success.
Without above average approaches to both, you risk losing the majority of your revenue.
“Your customer service agents might be hard workers, but if systems are preventing them from being productive, hard work might not equate to efficient work.”
Zendesk
Customers become more loyal when communication with support is simple and straightforward. The reputation forged in customer service will never be forgotten.
When internal processes get in the way, your reputation can be compromised. Time is lost navigating company hurdles that would be better spent finding a solution.
The key to faster responses, solving problems quickly and increasing customer satisfaction is directing queries to the right customer service agent first time around.
Making sure that either all staff are adequately trained or customer issues are handled by the most appropriate person will decrease wait time and ensures efficient use of agent resources.
When internal communication lines are complex, or non-existent, you’re fighting fires with both hands tied behind your back.
Awesome Customer Service Automation
Companies that invest in their customer service department will generally see an improvement in their bottom line over time.
And investing in automation, to lighten the load, can drastically reduce customer service costs.
When your agents have the ability to be efficient and proactive, they can prevent issues before they arise. Solving issues as soon as they occur.
The end result? Happier customers.
“When it comes to business processes, 60% of occupations could save 30% of their time with automation.“
How To Effectively Embrace Automation
Automation helps take pressure off customer service teams.; doing so by helping them focus on more critical support issues, saving both time and money.
This can be achieved either through adding proactive support emails at predefined stages in your workflow or providing an on demand library of resources covering all manner of common FAQs.
Not only is this beneficial for your business, it helps meet the high expectations of customers that require service when and where they want it.
Be Careful Not To Over-Optimise
There is however a tipping point.
A moment when over optimising internal efficiency comes at the detriment of customer service.
“Customers are no longer willing to allow their experiences to be degraded because organisations are pursuing internal efficiencies.”
Gerry McGovern
When changes are made that only have efficiency and performance in mind, no consideration is given to the knock on effect for customers trying to access your support service.
A chatbot may free up your team, but if it isn’t able to answer queries instantly it will only increase the negative feelings brought about by the initial support issue.
So whilst internal efficiency is critical for customer service, it must, at no point, come at the expense of customer experience.
Ready to explore how Anthill can elevate your customer service internal efficiency? Schedule a demo today.
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- June 16th, 2022