How to Choose the Right Text Tools for Customer Service Automation in Text-based Channels
8 min read
Jan 17, 2024
Customer service software is crucial to improve customer experience. Everyone would agree that customers love personalized and immersive experiences while interacting with a brand. They want to feel loved and a major part of the brand. Hence, you need the best customer service automation to be on top of your game.
Choosing the right text tools is the first big step. This is a guide on the basics of customer service automation in text-based channels and its benefits to your business. It also details the right text tools you need to provide optimum customer experience to your service users. Follow closely.
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How automation in text channels transforms customer service performance and satisfaction
Customer service automation refers to a type of technologically enhanced customer service that small and large businesses can employ to resolve their customer complaints. This process can be with or without an agent. Automated customer service can reduce labor costs and provide customer support around the clock.
Since every business prioritizes customer service performance and satisfaction, one can take advantage of automation to improve customer interactions from start to finish or be an auxiliary tool for live agents. Most top companies resolve customer complaints using service automation. It allows agents to focus only on issues that need human effort.
Here is how it works. Let's assume a customer just purchased a product but is not able to install it for their use. They want to communicate with a live agent on how to resolve the situation. If your company is using customer service automation, here is how the process might go:
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The customer accesses your website.
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They click on the support page where an AI chatbot attends to them. They describe their challenge to the customer.
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The chatbot picks certain keywords and directs the customers to some articles in your base.
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The chatbot asks further questions to know if they got the help they needed.
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If yes, they will drop the rating of this service. If not, the bot will refer the customers to a live agent.
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If the customer sends an email to your support, they receive an already-written reply to assure them that a support ticket has been generated and will get a response soon.
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Your agent can attend to the ticket when they return to the office. Since your customer support software has a ticketing system, the agent can see the customers have carried out some troubleshooting steps.
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Finally, the agent suggests other solutions that can help the customer.
The importance of timely responses and personalized interactions in customer-facing operations
Everyone loves timely responses. It makes you feel prioritized as you can get quick solutions to major challenges you may experience. Similarly, customers have busy lives, and only timely responses can provide a positive impression of your services.
In addition to timely responses, other benefits of automated customer service are:
Full-time support to customers
Speed is integral to delivering quality customer service. Everyone loves to get whatever they want as soon as possible. If you cannot catch up to this, customers may seek other businesses that can provide the same. Furthermore, they may discourage other potential customers with negative reviews.
The good news is that automated customer service can provide 24/7 support to you. They are readily available to provide answers to customers' needs. That way, you can always have more customers on your side.
Reduces cost and agents' time
Automated customer service helps to show full-time support to customers. Automatically tagging tickets can help the agents know what they can do differently. The service considers channel, skill, availability, and priority of agents unlike manual ticket routing.
Team members can be faster with their service as customers' complaints are directed to the appropriate quarters. Workflow is properly managed so that automation can close already-resolved tickets. The AI chatbots can resolve recurring issues without the need for a live agent.
Having more insights
With customer feedback, you can gain more insight into what you can do differently. That is where text analytics comes in. You can improve business with repetitive requests. You will always know what to do differently, even as you grow visibility with constant customer interactions.
Practical tips for selecting text software that aligns with customer service goals
Since you will employ text software for your daily operation, you need to choose the right tools that suit your business goals. Before you make a choice, here are some practical tips to consider:
Reliability and security
Customer service software deals with personal data, sensitive customer information, and personal data. Ensure your software has all necessary compliance certifications supporting on-premise and cloud-based servers. These should include data, application, product security, and network with single sign-on (SSO) and two-factor authentication (2FA). The security features will prove that you are reliable.
Time of value and cost of ownership
You need software you can easily set up and use for maximum benefits. Hence, it reduces the implementation and training costs. You want to spend less on the total cost of ownership to enjoy a good return on investment (ROI).
Product scalability
The software must be able to expand your business. It must have an infrastructure that operates smoothly even with your business's constant needs. It must be suitable for a growing or fully established company while you integrate new software or systems.
Use free trials
Take advantage of free trials to be sure the software is the perfect fit for your business. During the free trial, explore all its possible features and observe its impact on your growth. If it is exactly what you need, consider a long-term investment. Helping customers get the best of their investment in you begins with making the right choice.
Features to consider when selecting text software
Text software comes with powerful capabilities that align with customer service goals. Major features to consider before selecting any include:
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Natural language processing - Ensure your software can understand and analyze written text. That way, you can encode certain goals you want to see in your business. Similarly, your software can generate contextually relevant and coherent responses.
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Multilingual support - Your clients can be from anywhere in the world. If you are big on global impact, then multilingual support is a must. Your software must be able to understand text in several languages from the global audience to ensure optimum reach across varying cultures.
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Personality adaptation - There are different writing styles you would want your text software to mimic. Consider the moods, tones, and even emotions since the goal is to offer personalized experiences to customers.
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Variety - You want your software to be able to generate all kinds of content — from news articles, technical documentation, creative stories, and marketing copy.
Easy-to-use text tools designed for customer service teams without extensive technical knowledge
The software's ease of use is important as it helps users effortlessly navigate its features. User-friendly controls, intuitive menus, and clear instructions all determine the overall experience of these features. Here are some text tools you can consider;
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Intercom - Best for messaging and automation.
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Salesforce Service Cloud - Service process automation.
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Tidio - Best for email and communication management.
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Front - Best for live chat.
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Text - Best for all-rounded customer service operations:
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LiveChat - To connect with customers
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ChatBot - To automate customer service with AI
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HelpDesk - To support customers with tickets
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Knowledge Base - Guide and educate customers
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OpenWidget - To boost your customer engagement
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Bitrix24 - Best for collaboration.
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Kustomer - Best for AI support.
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ProProfs Help Desk - Best for email ticketing.
Common challenges and solutions of implementing automation in text-based customer service channels
The benefits of customer service automation are obvious, but it also has its challenges. However, if you know the challenges, you can take the necessary measures while implementing automation in text-based customer service channels. The challenges are:
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Compatibility with existing systems
You need to consider your existing systems, like enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM), before integrating automation. Non-compatibility can make the entire implementation process time-consuming and difficult.
Solution: Ensure you identify the processes of integrating with existing systems. This may include knowing the kind of data you want to collect. Map the customer's journey and decide the perfect flow across your systems.
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Data privacy and security concerns
Security concerns and data privacy are big issues in this information age. More data are collected, and it becomes easier for fraud and cybercrimes. Even in decentralized systems, there have been security concerns.
Solution: Organizations should take necessary measures to secure customers' privacy and data.
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Reluctance from employees and customers
Employees are always wary of new technology. The fear of being replaced or lack of understanding of the new technology can make them reluctant to the new changes. Even for customers, some prefer the old-fashioned approach and may not be welcoming to the new change.
Solution: Companies can organize employee training sessions and share videos with customers.
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Budget
Financial is the biggest constraint of automating customer service. It can take a lot of financial resources to integrate this system into one's daily routine. Also, the cost of maintenance and management can be difficult for customers.
Solution: Organizations should evaluate the benefits and costs before investing in the technology. The bigger challenge with finances is maintenance and not merely installing it.
Connect with customers
LiveChat is a complete customer service platform that delights your customers and fuels your sales.
Trusted by 36,000+ companies
Measuring success in customer service automation
You can measure success based on customer service automation. That is, you can determine performance based on their feedback. However, it does not end there. You must be ready to integrate these changes into your business to ensure maximum customer satisfaction. The most important reason for customer service automation is to be a better organization.
Get the right text tools, and you will be the best in what you deliver.
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