In the earliest days of Web-based customer support, the whole process was rather static and almost entirely on the customer’s end. Customers searched for frequently asked questions, or filled out a Web form, sent an e-mail or followed a link to another site with a list of answers. There was very little “interaction” in Web interactions.
Customers still like self-service…to a point. If they have a simple question to answer, they may look it up themselves. If that have a complex idea they want to research (one that they can’t articulate well), they may engage in some early research before they pick up the phone. When a customer has a specific question he or she can’t solve through self-service, however, they expect fast attention from a live agent who can resolve the issue. The customer may pick up the phone and engage in a traditional call center-based phone call. But if he or she is on your Web site, your agents must be ready and waiting there, too, according to a recent article by Anneke Steenkamp on Business2Community.
“Efficient and effective online customer support is crucial to keeping prospective clients engaged,” writes Steenkamp. “Without assistance your prospective customer might not get the attention and answers they need to convert into loyal ones. Customers become loyal to a brand when they feel their needs are being consistently met, they’re being guided in the right direction, and when they cement a good client to brand relationship. By adjusting the way in which your online customer support system is run, you can impact the overall success of your business.”
Many organizations have treated their Web sites like the front yard of their business. It’s decorative, but there’s no one there to help customers and it’s there only to be admired. In today’s business environment, companies need to be camped out on their Web sites, waiting for customer questions through chat, and even proactively offering chat sessions in a timely way to customers who have been browsing for a while. When customers do engage with agents in chat sessions, the ability to co-browse, or surf the site together with the agent in the lead to help the customer find what he or she’s looking for, is critical.
Co-browsing can enhance and transform customer engagement, a process that is highly beneficial when it comes to customer service and interaction. By helping the customer find precisely what he or she needs, the co-browsing agent can ensure the customer is logging off satisfied. This is particularly critical with high-value products and services, or transactions that have a lot of complexity (insurance and financial services come to mind, or customers shopping for new cars). At the same time, companies can ensure that customers are finding the right information so there won’t be any misunderstandings down the road.
One word of warning: keep it consistent. According to Steenkamp, when you are introducing another support channel you have to ensure that your brand has the same voice on every platform. Otherwise, your company will start to sound like a collection of dissimilar voices handing out conflicting information. And if customer engage in a chat and realize the agent doesn’t have access to his or her customer information, that customer is likely to log off, never to return.
Edited by Alisen Downey