Each period in customer service is dominated by a communication channel. In the 1960s, when the first call centers appeared, phone was the one and only ruler in Support. A few years later, email became a popular way to chat with customer service. Nowadays, we have chatbots and self-service.

Although each period has its communication channel, this doesn’t mean any of the past ones have become obsolete. We still use phone and email support and they play important roles in customer service. In fact, phone is the most used communication channel and email comes in second place, with 34% of customers preferring to use it.

Yet, technology has enabled different actions in customers service. It automated processes, making it possible to have 24-hour support and for customers to solve problems on their own. Basically, we are living in an era of chatbots and self-service. Each of these has its own strengths and managed to solve some issues that were not possible in the past.

Let’s look at each of them and see how they brought a new era in customer service.

Chat with customer service chatbots

When we speak of chatbots, we think of automation. They have made certain support processes faster and easier. Also, they come with a great set of benefits for both customers and businesses.

Customer benefits

Chatbots can offer customers exactly what they are looking for: precise answers in real time. From actual explanations to how-to videos, tutorials, and other documentation, support bots can provide several resources for customers. In the end, consumers receive useful information, a pleasant experience and leave satisfied.

Business benefits

Chatbots are great support representatives and what’s even better, they can do all the work you need without needing any training. Chatbots can:

• Deliver answers in real time and using a friendly personal tone
• Help multiple customers at the same time
• Speak multiple foreign languages
• Operate different communication channels

These actions show chatbots are not only incredibly helpful in customer care, but they are also time and cost-efficient.

Customer care novelty: self-service

The idea behind customer service is that you have somebody who is always ready to help you with your problems and answer your questions. Self-service changed this and created a new possibility for customers to be able to find answers themselves. Consumers needed a place where they can look up frequent problems, questions or a channel where they can discuss with other customers. We’re talking here about 3 well-known self-service elements:

• FAQ sections – contain frequently asked questions about products, services and different situations related to them
• Forums and customer communities – platforms where customers can ask others for answers, feedback, and recommendations related to products, services, and companies
• Product documentations – a detailed presentation of product or service features, with clear explanations

These 3 self-service options represent an alternative to contacting support representatives by email or phone. They can bring benefits for both customers and business owners.

Customer benefits

When having a problem, customers generally want to find a solution to it quickly. This may not happen if all support agents are busy and may take some time. Waiting for an available representative to take your call or respond to your ticket can be really unpleasant, especially when confronting with an urgent matter.

With self-service, all of this changes. Product documentations and FAQ sections cover a great number of aspects and can be easily accessed. They are usually found on companies’ websites. Also, forums and communities are great for personal interactions and, sometimes, an experienced opinion is really valuable.

Business benefits

As a business owner, you need to offer customers diverse options for customer support. Self-service can create great experiences for them and make work easier for your support representatives. They don’t need to answer to all small repetitive questions customers have and can concentrate on more complex support tickets. This way, they become more efficient and can deliver great results.

Chatbots and self-service have changed the way we chat with customer service. They brought everything to a new level by improving certain processes and helping businesses grow.

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