High-quality customer support will help maintain the loyalty of your customers. When your customers need help, they should be able to get it as soon as possible. In the past, customer support was exclusively offered on the phone. Today, it is available on various channels and platforms.
Every channel has unique benefits and may appeal to a unique audience. When exploring your options, you need to consider your customers and what they want. Here are a few communication channels to consider using.
Phone Support
Phone support is the oldest and most popular communication channel. Its main benefit is that it appeals to most demographic groups. Many customers may be unwilling to speak with a chatbot or write an email. However, they will likely speak with a representative on the phone.
A Customer Communications Overview suggests that 36 percent of respondents aged 56 consider phone calls the most popular communication channel. Those aged 40-55 consider it the second most popular channel. Younger customers appreciate phone support as well.
If you are looking for a second phone number to handle your phone support needs, here is the best app for second phone number. You don’t want to use your personal phone number for business needs.
Email Support
There are more than four billion email users. Therefore, email support is one of the most convenient support options. It is more ubiquitous than most customer service channels.
Email support promotes asynchronous communication. One representative can handle various conversations simultaneously, saving a lot of time. Support conversations that do not need much back-and-forth are perfect for email.
Social Media
Social media is more popular than ever. According to Statista, 47 percent of respondents love brands that offer support on social media. Establish the platforms that appeal to your customers and take advantage of them.
Stretching yourself over various platforms sounds good but may be too much work. It would be best to focus on one or two channels that appeal to your audience.
Answering questions publicly is a great way to engage with your audience. It could improve your visibility.
Mobile Messaging
Mobile messaging is not just for sending coupon codes to your customers. You can use it for customer support as well. Mobile messaging is more than just text messages. It could include WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Signal.
Even though mobile messaging could be informal, customers will love its immediacy. It is perfect when dealing with temporary or timely matters.
Live Chat
Live chat brings you the best of phone and email support. It is convenient and doesn’t take much time. Your customers won’t have to listen to hold music or wait through a long phone tree. In addition, live chat is much faster than email support. The convenience and speed of this support channel could contribute to better customer experiences.
Video Chat
Video chat may be necessary for certain support inquiries. Sharing a screen and browsing together makes it possible to handle technical conversations. Video chat can be a game-changer if you have tickets that need debugging.
Studies suggest that in the first three months of the pandemic, there was a 400 percent rise in video calls for customer support representatives in the banking sector.
Video calls played a significant role in maintaining a happy, secure customer base. They make it possible to avoid the back-and-forth of mobile messaging and emails. In addition, you can use non-verbal cues to improve the quality of your service.
While there are plenty of communication channels for your customer support team, they aren’t all right for you. Consider the needs of your target customers and adjust accordingly.
