It’s hardly news to say that the internet has revolutionized the way businesses and customers interact. Not only has it opened up countless channels in which to do business and turn a profit, it’s also made customers more autonomous while increasing their expectations.
In our 9-5’s and beyond, we’re operating at warp speed and expecting any issues that arise to get resolved as quickly as they crop up. What’s more, customers are less and less willing to wade through long lines or listen to a business’ instrumental hold music. Some 60% of them prefer to tackle the problem themselves, sans company representative.
What started with Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at the bank and Self Check-Out lines in the market has emerged into multi-billion dollar sharing economies populated by companies like AirBNB and Uber. Even industry giants like Amazon, Google, and Facebook have risen to success based at least in part on their ability to master the art of self-service software.
It’s been shown that a well-rounded customer service software which has a strong self-service element is a great way to ultimately increase your business’ profitability. Perhaps that’s because it is substantially cheaper than both phone and email options. In fact, according to Forrester Research, “The cost of the average web self-service session is $1, compared to $10 for an email response and $33 for a telephone call”.
Other company benefits of customer support software include the ability to provide 24-hour customer care without continuously paying employees through the graveyard shift, how easy it is to collect information about customers who use the support ticket system, and it’s potential in driving global reach.
Self-service also covers customers’ top non-negotiables when resolving an issue such as feeling that their problem is being taken seriously and their business is a priority of the company, transparency of subsequent steps, speed with which it gets resolved, and ability to come to resolution with only one point of contact.
When it comes to help desk software, customers generally base the quality of their experience on a few main factors including convenience and accuracy of information. For example, generic FAQs or knowledge bases which fail to interpret or answer customer queries are frustrating at best. Instead, successful companies are embedding help desk support functions at every step via multiple channels. Done right, each page on a site will make it obvious where and how to get help while offering customers the option to choose the most convenient method that works best for them at any given moment.
Ultimately, a help desk software isn’t solely about businesses cutting costs or deflecting. It’s about putting the power back in customer’s hands with rapid access to accurate information that is specifically tailored to their queries. This readily available service alone can increase customer experience multi-fold, and it’s quickly becoming a must for any websites that promise responsive customer-centric service.
