How do you tell the difference between a good company and a great company? Good companies sell products. Great ones provide experiences. And you guessed it, the secret sauce that enables great companies to provide great experiences is none other than that of customer service. It’s what drives customers to keep coming back time and time again—for a lifetime even—if you do it right.
If a company with one good product only continues to sell to one type of customer, one of two things can happen: either the company runs out of customers entirely, or selling the product becomes more difficult—costing the company more money.
For growth to happen, the company should strategically develop its customer relationships to make buyers more inclined to return. But, how exactly do you make customers loyal? According to the Zendezk CX Trends 2024 report, 3 in 4 consumers will spend more with businesses that provide a good CX.
While the product and its price are what potential customers notice first, it’s the overall customer experience that ultimately makes them pull the trigger. When customers browse products, they’re looking for solutions to their problems. When a company continually harps about its product’s features without relating them to a buyer’s requirements, the sales pitch falls short. However, if a customer learns that your product fills one or more of their requirements, they’ll happily give it a go.
Going from browsing to buying isn’t so simple, though. In most cases, the company’s customer service team is largely responsible for bridging that gap. For example, a typical buyer’s journey involves them going to a store without any idea of what exactly to buy. The first step may look like asking where a certain item can be purchased, the directions to the store, and confirming its hours. Receiving clear answers to these initial questions offers a solid start to the customer’s journey.
Once the customer arrives, they ask which products can fulfill their needs. They compare which matches their budget and which offers the best value. Of course, having someone answer questions and provide information helps speed things up. Having a positive experience during this stage of the buyer’s journey will make 9 out of 10 customers come back in the future. Conversely, customers who aren’t met with assistance often turn elsewhere to get the answers they need.
Speed is essential in gaining customer loyalty, as nobody likes to wait. Receiving immediate replies to questions of all magnitudes is a great way to showcase a company’s dedication to customer service.
Positive customer experiences are the name of the sales game. That being said, as much good as they do for your company and bottom line, one negative customer service experience can offset all of that progress. Zendesk reported that a single negative experience is enough for 50% of buyers to turn to a new supplier. At the very least, it can push long-time clients to badmouth your brand on social media.
As a result, companies are taking measures to ensure that customers receive excellent customer support even when their stores are closed. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions provide 24/7 customer service to keep customers happy and informed.
SaaS is cloud-based software that works on a subscription model. It’s completely different than on-premise solutions, with its chief features including the following:
At the start of the pandemic, customer service remained a top priority with companies eager to maintain relations with their customers. When offices shut down for health and safety reasons, SaaS was instrumental for customer service teams who began working from home. Access to cloud-based applications enabled agents to continue interacting with customers without skipping a beat. These agents continued to enjoy access to their customer relationship management (CRM) tools, helpdesk, and knowledge base. Clients were equally grateful that, despite the COVID-19 standstill, CS representatives still had access to their records.
Even outside of the pandemic, SaaS offers customer service teams fast and convenient access to customer files. In addition, having all of their tools available in the cloud means less time fumbling around looking for what they need. This greatly reduces the chances of customers being put on hold while an agent scrambles for information.
Companies themselves also appreciate the convenience of using cloud-based applications for their customer service requirements. For one, cloud systems require less overhead to operate, which means lower costs to keep customers happy. Apart from a more cost-effective subscription model, companies also benefit from reduced IT costs. SaaS developers assume the responsibility of managing and maintaining their cloud software’s operability, further freeing up their clients’ budgets.
Customer service is one of the biggest beneficiaries of SaaS solutions. A cloud-based contact center means that it can set up operations almost anywhere. Beyond a stable internet connection, operating a contact center won’t require complicated setup processes and highly-specific hardware demands.
A cloud contact center means improved flexibility in operations. Even when shutdowns from health and safety issues occur, agents can continue working from home simply by logging into their accounts. Having all of the data and tools instantly accessible from the cloud means that agents have everything they need to address customer concerns and respond to inquiries faster.
Cloud-based CRM solutions are easy to integrate with other software solutions like ERP, productivity, and communication software. This means agents can seamlessly move from one task to another without switching programs.
SaaS solutions often feature analytic and insight-generating capabilities. The platform automatically captures user data and consolidates it with other sessions to produce insights. Having this information readily available helps determine if agents are meeting industry standards. Insights can also help shape future directions as they show customer trends and patterns.
Customer service involves a lot of moving parts that often work in tandem. Using a cloud-based system instead of an on-premise setup can support this teamwork. These counterparts include:
SaaS has proved itself as a legitimate alternative to on-premise software solutions time and time again. Its ease of use, lower overhead costs, and improved integration is making many companies reconsider their usual practice of purchasing licensed software for their operational requirements.
Many small and medium-sized companies are now subscribing to SaaS applications instead of heavily investing in software that offers more than they can actually use. The SaaS market is already expecting continued growth as more companies switch to this software model. Gartner foresees the SaaS market to peak at $482 billion. This figure represents a 21.7% growth from the estimated $396 billion customers paid to cloud services.
Similarly, developers are enthusiastically innovating even more SaaS solutions in hopes of supplementing every imaginable office task. Years ago, even heavyweights from traditional software makers such as Microsoft and Adobe shifted some of their popular applications to SaaS versions to recuperate their dwindling shares. Currently, image and video editing titan Adobe holds the largest share in the SaaS market at $315 billion. Meanwhile, leading CRM cloud developer Salesforce reported a nearly $100 billion growth between January 2020 ($161 billion) to September 2021 ($251 billion).
SaaS solutions offer a cost-effective way to improve operations at a time when remote and hybrid work systems remain viable options. Furthermore, the shift to cloud-based applications provides a nimble way to serve customers with fewer interruptions. This is especially true for customer service departments that want to continually improve customer experiences.
For an even more efficient, uninterrupted customer service system, consider outsourcing your support team requirements. Helpware is a company that aims to uplift startups and budget-conscious companies by providing excellent customer experiences at a fraction of the cost. We offer back-office support to alleviate the pressure and demands of everyday work so you can focus on growing your company. Helpware also outsources digital customer service to ensure your clients can seamlessly navigate through the buyer’s journey.
Helpware is eager to learn more about your company’s unique needs and specific outsourcing requirements. Contact us to learn what SaaS and outsourcing can do for your business today!