Benefits and drawbacks of messaging channels compared to traditional ways of communication

Customer service has evolved drastically over the past few years. Back in the old days, there was only a single channel of communication available, which was a call center (unless one counts snail mail). Some of us would probably recall long minutes we’ve spent on a landline phone. Until we finally connected to a support agent with a sufficient level of expertise on the issue.

Today it’s another story. On the one hand, there are customers who take omnichannel communication for granted and expect a quick response to their requests. On the other hand, dozens of competitors would gladly fill the place of the brand in one’s shopping cart. And that can happen simply because the company’s communicational standards don’t meet its clients’ expectations.

Tech-savvy customers now reach businesses through social networks, website or application chatbots, live chats, and phone calls. They are also in touch with support agents via messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, LINE, or SMS (which is not quite an app to be precise). One could wonder how a company can ensure seamless assistance to the clients with so many contact opportunities at hand. However, today all these means of communication are easily brought in line on a single platform such as Service Cloud Digital Engagement offered by Salesforce.

With such a variety of tools, companies can choose which of them to use and where to invest the most. While deciding on the best communication strategy, managers should take into account the following three factors.

1. Customers like the control that self-service gives them.

Today’s digital-savvy users prefer resolving simple issues themselves. They’d rather check-in online than stand in a queue at the airport. And they are more likely to book a hotel through a website than to call the reception desk. To sum up, they’d rather manage their order or subscribe to services with the help of a chatbot than by dialing the number of a call center.

That is why such customer service solutions as Einstein Bots are a must for businesses. They handle routine requests and help to solve the most commonly occurring issues. Firstly, companies need to determine the frequently asked questions of their audience and set appropriate automated support for such cases.

2. Even more than self-support, clients prefer ease of use.

It is a surprising fact, but 84% of customers value the ease of use over the freedom of choice. With the abundance of communication channels, forms to be filled out, and steps to be taken, users may become confused and overwhelmed. For that reason, they value the company’s recommendation on the best tools to solve their problem rather than taking their own path. That is why a business should direct its clients to the channel that it knows is the most efficient one and will take them the least effort.

3. One solution doesn’t fit all.

Not all issues can be resolved by the means of chats. Phone calls are still required if there is an outstanding problem, a complex product, or just older customers who have rich relationships with the company and would like to talk to a representative.

Therefore, every business needs to determine what means of communication its clients prefer when they ask for support. Then, it can scale assistance accordingly. For example, communication via SMS, Messenger, or WhatsApp in case of high mobile traffic, or real-time chats in the context of the rise in desktop traffic.

Artsiom Balabanau

Messaging For Effective Customer Service

Benefits and drawbacks of messaging channels compared to traditional ways of communication Customer service has evolved drastically over the past few years. Back in the old days, there was only a single channel of communication available, which was a [...]

Artsiom Balabanau