It is estimated that 72% of customers would be more loyal to companies if they had better customer service or more responsive messaging. Over half of today’s consumers say that a company’s customer care is just as important as their product range and quality. So what happens when your customers receive customer service? A study conducted in 2018 showed that companies lost about 13 billion euros to their competitors by failing to provide adequate service. Bad service ultimately means lower customer satisfaction, lower Net Promoter Score, and lower retention.
Why should you start using messaging apps for customer service?
Messaging apps are simple and fast – and implementing them into your customer service is equally so. It’s a win-win for you and your customers. They have a channel over which they can quickly and easily get in direct contact with your business. You and your colleagues can work more effectively: chat messages are easier to answer than e-mails, and you can use a variety of automation possibilities to make it even more efficient. The more casual tone also has advantages for both sides. Customers see that your company is future and customer-oriented and feel closer to your brand. Customer service employees receive more positive feedback and can answer more quickly and authentically. The best part? The quicker handling time and lower costs of messaging apps save your company not only resources but also budget.
Ian Jacobs, a customer service expert at Forrester, has said that “the single most important thing a brand can do to drive a positive emotional experience is to make customers feel that their needs and time are valued” – and by offering faster, more personalized, and more direct customer service via messaging apps, brands can dramatically set themselves apart from the competition.
Messaging App Customer Service Inspiration
Let’s review how messaging apps for customer service can be used.
- Curated shopping (Pre-Sales / Post-Sales consultation)
Curated shopping is a mix of automated and personal shopping advice. Chatbots or hybrid bots can collect relevant data from the customer pre-sale and then hand it over to a personal consultant who immediately knows what the customer wants.
- Click & Collect
From a verified purchase in the online shop, right up until delivery at the shop closest to the customer, customers can receive push notifications with information about each step for in-store pick-up orders.
- Complaint management
If a product is a defect, the customer can first send a photo via messaging app, confirming that a repair is required, and then send the product directly to the repair. The customer can receive status updates during the repair process and about the delivery of the repaired product!
- Return processes
In 2018, every sixth online order was sent back to the retailer. A chatbot can support the return process via messaging apps. From multimedia content (images, video, text) to automated label creation, and notifications when the returned packet is received and processed, this can simplify returns for both the customers and the companies.
The hi.guru Advantage
Keep your communication with your customers strong and personal and most importantly, engage with them in THEIR channel of choice. You can easily do this using the hi.guru conversational platform and ultimately enhance customer experience by using responsive chatbots and other tools. It all starts by consolidating your existing communication channels into one and ensuring a better response time, a better resolution and a happier customer. Ask us more about creating a bot that’s just right for you.