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According to a recent report by Microsoft, 56% of people worldwide have stopped doing business with a company because of poor customer service experience.
Imagine a scenario, where a customer urgently needed support late at night, but unfortunately did not get it because the company does not provide 24/7 service. This delay can lead to frustration, loss of trust, and even a lost business. But what if your business is always ready to help, regardless of the time? 24/7 customer service is a solution that ensures your customers can access support whenever they need it, building loyalty and enhancing satisfaction.
Businesses need to be on their toes to understand evolving customer expectations. All customers expect an unbelievably good customer experience. In many cases, customers want businesses to address their queries right away. Hence, companies need to ensure that the overall customer experience is good; otherwise, they will switch to other brands. Knowing what customer service is and investing in 24×7 support services can be beneficial for businesses in the long term. Keep reading this space to know more about it.
24×7 customer support means when businesses are able to engage their customers whenever they need by deploying digital channels like live chat and chatbot. Delivering support to customers when they are in need of it is an absolute delight to customers. This is how clients react to customer support.
Customers generally do not like to wait, and they expect prompt responses. When there is a support team available 24×7, customers would get their issues resolved with proactive customer service assistance and clarity. Happy customers tend to remain loyal and would not want to switch brands when they are satisfied by the quality of support they get.
Depending on the nature of your business, it is possible that your customers simply can not afford to wait for their problems to be fixed. If you have a customer-centric approach with a service team available at all hours of the day, you will be able to offer faster solutions. Here are the benefits of 24/7 customer service to look into.
What if your customers are browsing your website and need assistance in making purchase decisions? This is the moment when they should be notified that you are available to deliver real-time support 24/7. Trust me it will significantly improve the buying experience and create long-lasting relationships.
Lack of proper service, on the other hand, might be discouraging for your clients – who might not close the deal and never return.
50% of consumers say that having a live person answer questions in the middle of a purchasing decision is one of the most important features a brand can offer.
Responding promptly is one of the key aspects of improving the conversion rate by reducing the sales cycle. The faster you respond, the more repeat customers you will have and the more sales you will generate. Addressing sales queries reported by customers quickly helps them in quick decision-making. Thus, the availability factor acts as a catalyst in increased sales conversion and better customer retention.
Research shows that 59% of customers are more likely to buy when brands answer their queries in under a minute. It means long hold/wait time is what annoys every customer and impacts the decision to retain the business or not.
Investing in offering 24×7 customer service is an excellent customer retention strategy and a great way to improve lifetime value. Customers become loyal to your brand and stick for a long time period. If customers have a great experience with your support teams, they will return for more. Also, chances are high that happy customers share their positive experience stories with others.
When a customer has a consistent positive experience with your brand, it creates magic known as loyalty. It could be 24×7 support, quality products, or any other aspect, the customer begins to associate the brand with high-value and chooses it over others again and again.
34% of consumers said that providing exceptional 24×7 customer service is the best way a company can build loyalty with them.
The focal point of every business should be delivering a great customer experience. Availability of customer support 24×7 and instant resolution are the key elements of good customer service that directly impact the satisfaction level of your clients.
When customers reach out to you with issues, the priority should be to identify the nature of the issue and use the right tools/processes to provide an effective solution.
Time is the main essence of offering great support and expected response times are shrinking by the day. Customers expect real-time answers.
Ensuring 24×7 availability indicates to your customers that you are in the “NOW” business and hyper-receptive to their needs. Happy customers can help you build credibility and bring in more business. 77% of customers are likely to recommend a company to a friend if they have a positive experience.
What makes your business stand out in a crowded industry? When you stay one step ahead of your competitors it ensures that customers and potential clients see more value in your brand than others. Offering 24/7 customer service gives you a competitive advantage over other brands, especially if many companies are not providing this level of support.
We have discussed the key benefits of offering 24/7 customer service and the advantages are huge. If you are convinced to offer the same to your customers and enjoy all the advantages we have discussed in the previous section, now its time to know how to do it. So, here are the best tips to offer round-the-clock customer service.
Live chat is the leading digital contact channel for offering real-time assistance to customers. 46% of customers prefer to live chat to reach out to businesses. REVE Chat is one such great AI-powered omnichannel customer service software that lets you offer instant assistance on your website, mobile app, and other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram, and WhatsApp.
With REVE Chat, agents can monitor visitors on the website and reach out to them to offer assistance before they even ask for it. It offers a 14-day free trial to try out all its unique features. So, SIGN UP today.
Businesses that need to engage their customers around the clock are greatly relying on chatbots. $5 billion will be invested in chatbots by companies to provide their customers with better and faster service.
Chatbots enable you to provide instant assistance, even outside business hours or when all support agents are occupied. REVE Chatbot is a powerful AI-driven solution that can automate various business operations, including customer service. With it you can offer real-time assistance 24/7 on your website, mobile app, and other social media platforms.
A self-service knowledge base is an excellent way to provide 24/7 customer support without adding strain to your team. Here customers can easily find answers to their queries by themselves and will not buzz the customer service team for general FAQs. This approach not only reduces extra costs associated with keeping a large team of customer service agents but also ensures that customers get timely assistance.
An effective knowledge base includes valuable product information, such as videos, instruction manuals, guides, FAQs, and different informative articles, always available even when your support team is offline.
When you structure your support team or hire employees separately from different time zones, you can offer real-time support globally without requiring agents to work overtime. It ensures that customers receive instant assistance when needed, as agents from different regions can work in shifts during their local business hours.
You can easily manage offering 24/7 customer service through an AI-powered helpdesk system. It automates the whole support service when the support agents are not available. The helpdesk software automates the ticket routing to the concerned departments and makes sure that customers get regular updates on the same.
Make sure your support platform is easily accessible on mobile devices. Ensure that your live chat, self-service portal, and knowledge base are mobile-optimized so customers can reach out for help through their mobile phones. Also consider adding mobile app support if your business has an app, as this gives customers an additional way to seek assistance on the go. Mobile-friendly support improves accessibility and ensures you are always reachable to customers on their preferred devices.
24/7 support is not a one-size-fits-all solution. There are many ways companies can provide round-the-clock assistance. From live chat and phone support to AI-driven chatbots and self-service options, each type of 24/7 support has unique benefits and serves different customer needs. Let’s discuss!
Phone support remains one of the most popular types of customer service, as it allows customers to connect directly with a human customer support agent. Unlike text-based support options, phone support enables a natural, conversational way to explain complex issues, ask follow-up questions, and receive immediate, verbal assistance.
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Email customer support is another good option for offering customer service. Known for its flexibility, email support allows customers to reach out to brands at their convenience and receive responses directly in their inboxes. This type of customer service is mostly suitable for situations that require detailed explanations, careful documentation, or longer response times.
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Live chat and chatbots both are popular forms of customer service that offer real-time assistance on websites, mobile apps and other social media platforms. Such a support method is ideal for solving quick inquiries and instant help, making it a valuable tool for brands that aim for enhancing customer satisfaction and overall experience.
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Self-help customer service allows customers to find answers to their queries and solve issues independently, without directly interacting with a support agent. Companies prepare different self-help resources such as FAQs, knowledge bases, troubleshooting guides, video tutorials, and interactive forums to help customers find solutions to their problems.
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Social media customer support involves providing assistance and resolving customer inquiries through various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. As social media continues to grow in popularity more customers reach out to brands through their preferred social media channels.
So, offering support on various social media platforms allows businesses to engage with customers in real-time, address their concerns, and foster brand loyalty.
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Next, let’s look into some of the best practices to ensure your round-the-clock support is effective, efficient, and satisfying for customers:
Agents who lack proper product knowledge and are not so efficient in handling customers are more likely to make mistakes, leading to negative customer experiences, missed sales opportunities, and decreased customer satisfaction. To deal with such situations, arrange regular training sessions related to product features, new launches, updates, and advanced techniques to address customer issues with confidence and ensure they possess a thorough understanding of the product.
Think of integrating automation and AI to streamline your customer service. AI chatbots automate many of your operational services and help to manage everything in a better way. These AI bots can handle routine questions and provide instant support, especially during off-peak hours.
Nothing is better than anticipating and addressing customer concerns before they get escalated. For instance, if you notice recurring complaints about a specific product, it may indicate an underlying issue that needs to be solved on an urgent basis. By identifying this problem early, you can find out the root cause before it develops into a serious concern.
Aim to resolve issues on the first attempt when a customer reaches out for assistance. The longer you take to provide a solution, the more frustrated customers may become. Implementing effective strategies and utilizing advanced customer service tools can help handle issues efficiently. This approach not only benefits customers but also ensures they feel satisfied and have a positive experience.
You need to invest in the right tools to manage your 24/7 customer service efficiently. Do your research and choose the best live chat software that offers real-time customer service, a chatbot to automate other business operations including customer support and a ticketing system to streamline ticket management.
Though providing 24×7 customer support may sound a lot of work or expensive, however, it is a long-term play, and you are investing in building customer relationships. If done rightly, it will not only provide timely customer support but also increase customer retention, satisfaction and loyalty.
The integration of advanced technologies such as chatbots and CRM systems, can streamline your business operations and ensure quality service at all hours. While implementing 24/7 support may come with its challenges, but the long-term benefits, including improved retention rates and a stronger brand reputation, make it a worthwhile investment.
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