It's a well-known fact that customer service is the foundation of any successful business. As evidence, consumer research from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) revealed that 86% of people are willing to spend more money on brands that provide high-quality customer service.
One way that companies can enhance their customer support is by leveraging live omnichannel service that empowers people to get the answers they need when they need them. In fact, live omnichannel support is emerging as one of the top strategies brands are employing to deliver superior digital customer service to their consumers.
Is your company looking for ways to launch or upgrade the live support experiences you offer? Read on to learn all about why omnichannel support is essential in today's environment.
Here are some of the key reasons why businesses can flourish by offering live omnichannel service to their customers.
One of the major reasons live support is so valuable is that it is a convenient way for customers to ask questions and resolve issues. Today, customers can connect with brands using their preferred channels, including phone, email, chat, messaging, and social. Also, customers can reach out via any device, at any time—day or night. As a result, customers have grown to expect prompt service and can be disappointed with brands that don't meet their needs.
One trend that is reshaping digital service is the emergence of live chat as a go-to contact channel for many customers. With live chat, agents can engage with several customers simultaneously, so wait times shrink significantly. Plus, customers can save transcripts of live conversations and refer back to these chats if they need to review what was covered. There's no doubt that live chat is fueling customers' increasing desire for convenient customer service.
According to a Gartner report, nearly 85% of businesses will shift towards live chat support by 2022. That means you should act now to add live chat to your omnichannel customer support mix.
To shink costs, many companies have turned to self-service to help people find the answers they need without contacting customer service. It's a smart move, but it doesn't eliminate the need for live assistance. According to Gartner, only 9% of customers report solving their issues completely via self-service. The rest are still reaching out for live support.
Why is this happening? Gartner says customer journeys are complex, and some needs can best be met by interacting with a person. Self-service works well for straightforward issues like password resets or order tracking, but people prefer support from a person to untangle more complicated or sensitive concerns.
Today's companies must understand that customers use multiple channels to interact with a business, and you need to meet them where they are with true omnichannel live service. Self-service and chatbots will always have their place, but easily accessible live support remains essential.
Even though live omnichannel customer service is becoming more and more popular, many business websites and online stores still don't have it. This means that offering live omnichannel support can help you differentiate yourself from competitors and stand out as a service leader.
When your potential customers see that you offer multiple live contact options, they will recognize you as an innovator who makes it easy for them to express feedback or resolve issues. As a result, they can develop a positive impression of you, leading to repeat purchases and high loyalty.
Every service organization feels the pressure to engage with more customers while keeping costs in check. As a result, strategies to boost productivity and always welcome—and live omnichannel service should be at the top of your list.
If you need to add live support channels in your customer support operations, you can start by evaluating your first response time and the time it takes to resolve customer issues in your current landscape. Then, you can see how live omnichannel support would help slash those windows significantly.
Another major reason you should leverage live customer service is that it promises higher sales and profits for your business. Naturally, when customers have multiple options to get in touch with your representatives and get all their questions answered quickly, they are more likely to make a purchase.
According to Aberdeen research, multi-channel customers spend 82% more per transaction than customers who only use one channel (such as in-store). This explains why omnichannel engagement is a profitable endeavor for businesses.
Without a doubt, live service can go a long way toward increasing conversion rates. This, in turn, will lead to higher sales and a lot of repeat business, which is the icing on the cake for any business.
The key to success for any company is to build long-term relationships with its customers. When you have customers who are loyal to your brand, they will be more likely to make repeat purchases and refer others to your business.
However, more than 50% of people have reported switching brands due to poor customer service. When you offer them an omnichannel customer support experience, they will feel more heard and valued. They will appreciate that you want to provide convenient, accessible support that they can use on any channel from any device. As a result, customers will feel confident that they can work with you to resolve any concerns in an efficient way.
In fact, research validates that omnichannel service yields measurable improvements in customer retention. According to Aberdeen's research, companies with a well-defined omnichannel program achieve a 91% higher year-over-year (YoY) increase in customer retention rate. So the investments you make in live omnichannel service today can pay off in the years ahead.
Live service is one of the best ways to enhance customer support and make your customers feel more valued. Companies that have implemented omnichannel service into their support operations have reported instant gains while also achieving cost savings.
When it comes to providing top-class customer service to your customers, you shouldn't always have to keep things in-house, particularly when you have Helpware to support you. We are a People as a Services outsourcing company that enables businesses to provide a digital customer experience through state-of-the-art technologies. There is no doubt that live service will accelerate your business growth, and Helpware will provide you with the expertise and resources you need.