Improve Customer Service with Communications Technology

Customer service is an incredibly important part of any business. Your customer support team is responsible for how well your clients’ needs are addressed and take care of. Often times the quality of your customer service can become compromised when your employees have inadequate communications technology to match their needs.

Many Modes of Communication, One Goal

While customers reach out in many ways, the goal is always to provide the best service possible. Most consumers report that they want the ability to communicate with companies in the following ways:

• Telephone communication: It's no surprise that clients like to be able to pick up the phone and talk with someone directly. Developments in IT have provided advanced phone options to do away with convoluted phone systems.

• E-mail: The use of e-mail has increased dramatically, and now it is one of our main forms of communication. Making sure that your employees are trained on the advanced functions of their email software will ensure that they are not wasting time sorting and labeling emails. This can be automated to save time.

• Website Communication: Many consumers like to check out a company's website to see if there is information available before they reach out to speak with someone. A great new way that a company can interact is though a pop up chat window that allows the client to immediately message a representative.

Cloud Computing Offers Cohesive Information

New technology is giving companies the chance to answer their client's needs more efficiently and in better time. Another new advancement is the integration of cloud computing in to the office. Companies that function on the cloud have a huge advantage, because client information can be easily viewed and shared in real time with employees in the same office or remotely. Traditionally, each employee would have his or her own files and notes, saved on his or her own computer, but the cloud allows a more communal approach.

Good IT Equals Great Service

When a customer service representative has a client on the phone it is incredibly useful to have a full spectrum of information at the ready. Having one place to go for it all is key. When a client calls in, the representative should be able to easily verify when the last time that person had communication with the company. Ideally, there would be notes regarding the context of each time that client has been in contact. Frustrations can arise when this information is not easily accessible.

Unified Communications solutions also make it easy to transfer a customer from one customer service representative to another; or to bring your best sales closers on the line to close the deal. Better communications technology in the office is the key to improving your customer service quality.

Take some time to review how your customer service team is able to do their job. With a few tweaks you might be able to utilize technology better to improve the quality of service that you provide to your clients.