4 Reasons Why Email Is Being the Best Customer Service Tool
It is crucial to offer excellent customer service to build a good reputation for your business regardless of its size. You often can be tempted to use all communication channels from social media to live chat, but you will spread yourself too thin by doing so.
To provide effective customer service, you do not need to use all communication channels. You should instead prioritize efficiency. As long as you can respond to customer queries on time, you do not need to bother about the communication channel you are using.
Although there are various communication channels, email can be your best bet. It has become more prominent and reliable communication platform when it comes to providing customer service. Here is how email can be the best tool to provide better customer service.
1. Flexible support hours
One of the best things for using email to solve customer queries is that it offers flexible support hours, especially when your audience is from different time zones. Even if you have a chat support system, your customers will have to wait until the office opens.
Contrary to phone and online chat support, your customers can reach you anytime conveniently. If you use the email communication channel, your users will feel like they have sent you the message to which you will respond as soon as your working hours begin. Users can feel relaxed at least after sending you the message, which is not the case with the phone or live chat system.
Further, you have some time to brainstorm the solution to offer to your customer if the problem is too complex to solve that is generally not possible with phone and live chat support. People know that you will take some time to respond to their queries over email. You can utilize this time to think about how you can solve the query of a particular customer.
2. Automation with personal service
Every communication tool offers some automation. For instance, when you use live chat support, it has specific questions that it asks everyone, for example, “how may I help you?” Similarly, a phone system also has an automation feature.
For some of the queries, you do not need to talk to the customer service agent. By pressing a particular number, you will get the answer to your question, but it is often annoying from users’ point of view to press 1 for this and 2 for that. When it comes to email support, you can automate the process without killing users’ precious time and trying their patience.
For instance, you can create templates to send to your customers if they come up with the same query. Do not forget to create an email template that informs customers to wait some time if you think it may take some time to get a new query.
Make sure that users can get such messages immediately whenever they send you the message. This will calm them down that you have got their message and soon their problems will be fixed.
3. Convey complex messages easily
Although there are various communication channels, not all of them are appropriate for sending detailed messages. When you have to answer the how-to query, it can be tough to respond on the phone or through live chat.
Here comes in email. It is the best tool to communicate long-format messages. However, users do not want to read such messages. They want to get to the solution quickly. This is why you may need to create visuals, and email is the best communication platform.
Try to create visuals with bulleted information. For instance, you have to provide a step by step process, and you can share info-graphic. You can also add a link to the video or FAQ if more detail is required. This is the best way to get information.
4. It can delight your customers
Email is the best platform to make your customers happier. You can share coupon codes and offer discount deals or freebies through email newsletters that are generally impossible with live chat support or on the phone. This kind of service can make the day of your customers. They will no longer be disappointed if you provide such deals at the time of solving their problems.
Communication strategy has to be strong enough when it comes to building a reputation in the market. Whether you have a small business or a large business, you should not fight shy of investing in email communication tools.
If you have just started your business, and you do not have enough money to strengthen your communication platform, you can take out loans from private lenders.