Part 2 in a series.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Today\u2019s customer has a foundational expectation based on speed. Remember the beginning of COVID-19 when essentials like toilet paper and face masks were in short supply? If a customer went to two vendors, and one vendor delivered those goods two days faster than the other, and with less hassle, where do you think the customer\u2019s loyalties lie now?<\/p>\n Being that winning provider requires a call center or platform that allows customers to locate the right product quickly, obtain all the necessary information, compare pricing and\u2014most importantly\u2014receive high-quality customer service that delivers the product or information they need. You can be that company by developing a better understanding of who your customer is and deploying the right technology to make the most of that data for a seamless customer experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before diving into technology, however, you must first understand your customers by building a data-driven customer profile. You have likely gathered a lot of data through your social media, web, direct marketing, email interactions and more. The trick is knowing what data is most important, and then grouping and analyzing it to develop customer personas that allow you to build a better experience for your customers.<\/strong><\/p>\n Once you have developed your personas, you must communicate them to your agents, so that they have adequate tools and resources to provide a seamless experience. However, details matter: The differences between personas can be subtle. Make sure your agents understand the nuances of each persona.<\/p>\n Here are three questions to ask yourself to make sure you invest the time needed in your customer profiles for the current climate and beyond. The answers will help ensure your organization\u2019s call center and digital platforms provide the expected level of service:<\/strong><\/p>\n Even while you are answering these questions, you can move forward on technological solutions that will help you better serve your customers and differentiate from your competition, no matter where you are in the process. Here are a few solutions you can implement immediately.<\/p>\n AI bots provide a suite of tools based on each customer\u2019s profile and persona to help your agents find answers without sifting through multiple systems. AI bots also allow your agents to access automated scripts, updates, and important communications that can increase their value to the customer and make the best use of their time.<\/p>\n This may seem like a no brainer, but how effective is your customer data? Many organizations have mounds of survey data but no process to analyze it and determine the right action to take. Or, they may have utterly useless data because there are no valuable insights they can gain or use.<\/p>\n Whether you are using a Net Promoter Score (NPS) metric or another set of questions, remember the goal of your customer service data is to make appropriate changes to how you service customers. One method is to understand your existing customer journey, know the desirable state, and ensure your surveys capture how well your organization is doing in each area.<\/p>\n In other words, it\u2019s not enough to simply have a positive rating. You need data that allows your managers and employees to know where to spend their energy and effort.<\/strong> For example, you should prioritize identifying what drives your repeat customers over finding new ones, because obtaining new customers can cost five times as much as retaining existing customers<\/a>.<\/p>\n For call centers, reducing the time to service customers is key. Customers won\u2019t get as frustrated, and agents can handle more calls in a given amount of time. RPA automates repetitive, operational and routine tasks prone to human error. Your call center professionals would instead focus on customers\u2019 problems and complete tasks that require human intelligence. RPA can access multiple applications, push out updated information, and eliminate the need for agents to ask customers the same questions over and over, all of which shortens call durations and enhances communication.<\/strong> Fortunately, if your organization does not have an RPA strategy, implementing one is not a large IT undertaking, and you can execute it quickly.<\/p>\nBuilding a Customer Profile for Better Customer Service<\/h2>\n
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Moving Forward with Customer Service<\/h2>\n
1. Use artificial intelligence<\/a> (AI) bots to accelerate agent-to-customer interaction.<\/h4>\n
2. Use customer data effectively.<\/h4>\n
3. Implement a Robotic Process Automation<\/a> (RPA) strategy to increase efficiency.<\/h4>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n