Automation of you customer service while keeping the human factor

Automation of you customer service while keeping the human factor

автоматизацията клиентски сервиз customer service automationWhen it comes to contacting customer service, most people are used to speaking to a real human, who can answer their questions and help them find solution to their problems. But every once in a while we stumble upon a software which sends us automated emails and helps us find solutions on our own. This automation is not for everyone – some people prefer talking to a real person, others – communicating with software.

Of course, automation can’t replace real people, but then again, this is not its purpose. After all, customer service automation is necessary – bigger companies can’t pay personal attention to every caller, when the calls volume is big. In such cases customer service automation is not just a good idea, but a mandatory thing.

But customer service automation should be executed the right way for maximum effectiveness. Many people think, that this means replacing the human factor, minimizing the personal touch. This is not the purpose of automation.

Why should you use customer service automation?

It opens up new possibilities.
Human customer service is basically passive and reactive – agents rely on the customer to contact them. Automated customer service, on the other hand, is always on the look for “problems” and reacts when such is detected. After detecting a problem it connects customers and agents or directly sends data for a solution to the client. A process, that is physically impossible for a human being.

Benefits of automation

Customer service automation can help you with:

  • Notifying the proper agent for a problem – sometimes, the automation is used to conduct a human intervention. For instance, sending an SMS to a given agent, when an active customer suddenly turns inactive due to inexplicable reasons;
  • Improving communication, conversations and referrals – by improving you customer service (with automation) you improve the customer experience. Automated customer service can help you create and retain customers. The improved customer experience leads to more word-of-mouth marketing, gives you competitive edge and a possibility for creating loyal customers;
  • Preemptively preventing customer problems – by sending instructions, tutorials and additional information, automated customer service helps your customers protect themselves from common problems and such that other customers have experienced;
  • Reducingof the load on customer service – by preventing future customer problems, the volume of calls to the agents will drop. This way your staff will have some spare time to develop the department as a whole – by finding ways to reduce reaction time, increase the effectiveness etc.;
  • Reducing the time for finding a solution – again, by preemptively preventing customer problems you reduce the chance those problems will grow to become angry calls, unnecessary stress and negativity. The faster a problem is solved, the less negativity it builds.

Customer service automation can contribute to the overall efficiency of your company, without losing the human factor, if done properly. Both approaches have their benefits, but the best things is they can coexist together, doubling on the positive effect. And if you need more information about customer service automation or help with its efficiency – take a look at our services and contact us.