22 Nov
Paying attention to your customer experience directly impacts your bottom line. Companies that are “customer-centric” are 60% more profitable than those that aren’t. In this digital age, customers also expect more from those they do business with. In today’s world, people can order something on their phones and see it on their doorstep the next day. Keeping up with expectations means leveraging the right technology. As 2023 is on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to improve your customer experience. Thanks to cloud technology, you don’t have to spend a fortune to do it. Just put in place some of the applications below. These apps focus on making leads and customers happy.
1. Online Survey Application
Doing an annual customer satisfaction survey is a great way to check in with customers. Successful businesses take the feedback they get and use it to make their company better. But doing these surveys through a Word document attached to an email is so last decade! Use an online survey application to make the process seamless for you and your customers. Online survey tools are available widely online. If you have Microsoft 365, you’ll find one included. These allow people to fill out surveys on any device and not worry about sending them back in an attachment. On the receiving end, there is no long process of collating data. Just open your form survey tool and see the results instantly.
2. Smart Chat Bot
Most businesses have a limit on how many hours a day they can pay staff to answer questions. Customer service hours are typically the same as business hours. And staff can get busy, which means answers may take longer to send back to an inquiry. Putting a smart chatbot on your business website can improve customer satisfaction. It allows people to get an answer right away. They can also get that answer any time of day or night. 68% of consumers like chatbots because they give them fast answers to questions. While they can’t answer every single question, they can handle quite a few. For example, in healthcare and banking, chatbots can take 75-90% of questions.
3. Business Mobile App
People tend to live on their mobile phones these days. They carry them with them everywhere. Mobile apps are often the preferred method of connecting with data and businesses. More Google searches are now done via mobile devices than by desktops. Think about creating a business mobile app. One that allows customers to connect with you to order products and services. You can use it for customer support, to initiate virtual calls and more.
4. Facebook Messenger Support
Facebook Messenger is the 2nd most popular iOS app of all time. This Facebook-connected application makes it easy to communicate with friends, family, and companies. Many businesses now use Messenger to connect with leads and provide customer support. When you use an app that is so popular in this way, you make it easier for customers to reach you. The ability to get a quick answer through Messenger can boost a customer’s opinion of your company.
5. VoIP Phone System with Microsoft Teams Calling
When customers must juggle different numbers for your staff, it gets confusing. Should they call your sales rep at their desk line or mobile number? Using a VoIP phone system simplifies the entire process. Employees can have a single number that they use when at their desks, at their home office, or anywhere. Make sure the VoIP service integrates with a system like Microsoft Teams. One that is easy for employees to use. This ensures they can easily handle customer calls using their smartphone, laptop, or office phone. It also keeps them from reverting to using their personal number.
6. Text Notification Apps
SMS is becoming the new email for many companies. Retailers like Takealot have customers opt-in to text messaging. Customers like this for shipping notifications and to get sale and coupon alerts. There are several services online that you can use for this purpose. Offering text updates can significantly improve your customers’ experience. Use them for appointment reminders, sale notices, or shipping alerts.
7. All-in-One CRM & Sales Platform
One thing that frustrates customers is a disconnect between sales and support. They may have had a conversation with a salesperson to customize an order. Then, find that customer service knows nothing about it. To streamline the information flow, look for an all-in-one CRM/Sales platform. These are cloud services that offer a CRM module and a sales module, and both connect. There is a single customer record, so all notes from the sales and customer support side are in the same place. Both teams can view all customer interactions. This improves the customer experience and results in fewer dropped balls. Efficiency and productivity improve as well because everyone is on the same page.
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Article used with permission from The Technology Press.
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