Automating customer service in retail
9 March 2023
The quality of customer service a company provides defines its image to the public and can greatly affect its sales and revenue.
Today, most businesses are present online, allowing customers to choose goods and services without leaving home.With companies just a few keystrokes or a click away, selling to customers should be easier than ever. However, this ease of sales has led to a glut of competing offers all fighting for the same customer base.
Today, most businesses are present online, allowing customers to choose goods and services without leaving home.With companies just a few keystrokes or a click away, selling to customers should be easier than ever. However, this ease of sales has led to a glut of competing offers all fighting for the same customer base.
How can you make your company standout in such a competitive landscape? The best option is to upgrade the level of customer service, thereby increasing loyalty and brand awareness.
The first step to increasing customer service quality is to offer a chat option on your company website for customers with questions or who need help with their purchases. You can augment this service by engaging with users on social media and being active with a variety of messengers for customers seeking assistance.
Once you have this foundation set, you will need to implement an organized strategy for all your communication channels, streamlining the processes for ease of use and automating any repetitive tasks.
The first step to increasing customer service quality is to offer a chat option on your company website for customers with questions or who need help with their purchases. You can augment this service by engaging with users on social media and being active with a variety of messengers for customers seeking assistance.
Once you have this foundation set, you will need to implement an organized strategy for all your communication channels, streamlining the processes for ease of use and automating any repetitive tasks.
We organize communication without unnecessary expenses
In times of crisis, it may seem that it is better to lie low, reduce communication, and cut advertising budgets. But this approach is more likely to negatively impact your brand rather than help your customers. In times of crisis, it is important to be open and available to your customers. This is how you demonstrate to people that they are valuable to your company.
As the number of customers increases, the number of requests and the load on the support service increases, which raises the question – 'How can we provide our customers appropriate support levels?'
Contrary to popular belief, there is no urgent need to expand the staff and rent an office for a large, new contact center. It is much better to use this situation as an opportunity to analyze your work processes, introduce new ideas, and remove what is no longer working.
As the number of customers increases, the number of requests and the load on the support service increases, which raises the question – 'How can we provide our customers appropriate support levels?'
Contrary to popular belief, there is no urgent need to expand the staff and rent an office for a large, new contact center. It is much better to use this situation as an opportunity to analyze your work processes, introduce new ideas, and remove what is no longer working.
Where to start?
There are several effective ways to organize and automate communication with clients without the need for large investments.
#1 Chatbot
The first thing that retail should implement is a chatbot on the first support line.
The chatbot will reduce the load on agents by taking on simple and repetitive questions, while the user will always be able to switch to a live employee if they want to. Such a simple solution will significantly reduce the load on the team and allow it to focus on the most complex queries.
An after-hours chatbot is indispensable when agents are not online, and a user needs assistance. The chatbot will be able to:
Depending on the needs, you can choose different types of chatbots:
The chatbot will reduce the load on agents by taking on simple and repetitive questions, while the user will always be able to switch to a live employee if they want to. Such a simple solution will significantly reduce the load on the team and allow it to focus on the most complex queries.
An after-hours chatbot is indispensable when agents are not online, and a user needs assistance. The chatbot will be able to:
- Provide the user an estimation of when their request or query will be addressed.
- Collect customer data for subsequent communication with the agent.
- Answer typical questions.
Depending on the needs, you can choose different types of chatbots:
- A push-button bot that prompts the user to choose from several options and builds a step-by-step scenario for solving the problem.
- A prompter bot will help to clearly formulate a question while typing a message, and will even answer some questions with prepared canned responses.
- A smart bot is trained on the basis of artificial intelligence and mimics a live employee. Such a chatbot is more expensive, but will provide maximum benefits.
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#2 Omnichannel platform
Omnichannel means using several communication channels at once. For retail, this is primarily a way to improve customer experience and increase loyalty. It is convenient for someone to chat on the website, others in a group on VKontakte, and others may want a phone call.
Customers are used to convenience and will be unhappy if they feel restricted or are forced to use an undesirable communication channel. This forces businesses to be present everywhere at once, which can cause some problems, such as lost requests, poor-quality responses, long waits, as well as stress for agents from constantly switching between programs.
The omnichannel platform solves these issues, and at the same time helps to ensure uniform standards of service, regardless of where the appeal came from.
How does it work?
Clients write to your agents in different channels, but agents receive these requests and respond to them through a single interface. This allows you to save employee time, process incoming requests faster, and also implement additional tools, such as canned responses.
Customers are used to convenience and will be unhappy if they feel restricted or are forced to use an undesirable communication channel. This forces businesses to be present everywhere at once, which can cause some problems, such as lost requests, poor-quality responses, long waits, as well as stress for agents from constantly switching between programs.
The omnichannel platform solves these issues, and at the same time helps to ensure uniform standards of service, regardless of where the appeal came from.
How does it work?
Clients write to your agents in different channels, but agents receive these requests and respond to them through a single interface. This allows you to save employee time, process incoming requests faster, and also implement additional tools, such as canned responses.
#3 Additional Integrations
Do not neglect integrations with third-party programs. They can complement your processes with convenient functionality that will benefit the company and simplify the work of the team.
Start by integrating CRM systems. Then agents will be able to view the saved history of correspondence and information in the profile.
Make communication with customers more personalized.
Increase the average spend by making additional sales and offering related products.
Save time, because all the work will be carried out in a single window.
Start by integrating CRM systems. Then agents will be able to view the saved history of correspondence and information in the profile.
Make communication with customers more personalized.
Increase the average spend by making additional sales and offering related products.
Save time, because all the work will be carried out in a single window.
#4 Internal Chat Capabilities
You can optimize the work of agents using various chat functions. In Webim, for example, you can set up convenient canned responses so that agents do not have to waste time typing the same messages.
Transferring to colleagues inside the agent's workplace (RMO) will make it possible for team members to support one another and transfer clients to more experienced colleagues
Internal chat between agents is great for tips, news, and the training of new employees.
Rox.Chat also provides ticket functionality(call cards). If the application requires the help of another specialist, the agent can create a card directly in the RMO window and transfer it to the desired department. This way the user will quickly get to those who can sort out their question, and will not need to repeat all their data and details again.
Transferring to colleagues inside the agent's workplace (RMO) will make it possible for team members to support one another and transfer clients to more experienced colleagues
Internal chat between agents is great for tips, news, and the training of new employees.
Rox.Chat also provides ticket functionality(call cards). If the application requires the help of another specialist, the agent can create a card directly in the RMO window and transfer it to the desired department. This way the user will quickly get to those who can sort out their question, and will not need to repeat all their data and details again.
Rox.chat provides effortless connectivity with all of them.
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