{"id":1852,"date":"2022-10-18T16:36:04","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T13:36:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.useresponse.com\/blog\/?p=1852"},"modified":"2022-10-18T16:40:18","modified_gmt":"2022-10-18T13:40:18","slug":"tips-for-customer-service-automation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/useresponse.com\/blog\/tips-for-customer-service-automation\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips to Get the Most Out Of Your Customer Service Automation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Customer service automation is essential for your customer service strategy. It helps to increase customer service productivity by reducing high call volumes, minimizing human errors, and speeding up the support processes. In some cases, you can even improve user experience with the right customer service automation tools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But customer support automation has to be done in a smart way. If applied incorrectly, automation is just an endless list of questions that seem to lead nowhere with unhelpful answers. So everything \u2014 from your scripts, messages, resources, and programming \u2014 needs to be well thought out.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although there are a few drawbacks to customer service automation, like the occasional inability to handle complex tasks and customer inquiries, everything that can be automated, should be automated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Customer<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Below are five tips to help you get the most out of your customer service automation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Do Not Try To Hide the Automation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although it isn\u2019t necessary to immediately tell the users they are talking to a bot, you also shouldn\u2019t hide the fact that automation is being used in your customer service<\/em>. You can give your chatbot a name and personal touch, but it should be apparent through the way the bot responds that it isn\u2019t a real human being. Reassuring the user that a human agent is available if needed is also a good idea (more on that later). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customer service automation should be professional while still being polite and user-friendly. Use your company\u2019s branding and tone guidelines to implement this effectively. Users expect a certain level of customer service automation, so focus on creating an excellent customer experience<\/a> rather than generating a human-like response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can give your customers a hint that they are speaking to a bot by giving the bot a clever name. Check this out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"chatbot
Source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The nameplate reads \u201cThe Beauty Bot,\u201d indicating to the user that they are speaking to an automated service. It\u2019s straightforward but subtle at the same time; you don\u2019t want your first message to simply say, \u201cHello, I am a bot,\u201d for example. Making it clear that the user is speaking to a bot allows customers to adjust their expectations. So, if customer service chatbot<\/a> can\u2019t answer a complex query, for instance, the user can automatically attribute it to the fact that it isn\u2019t human at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Ask For Feedback<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can get the most out of your customer service automation by using it to ask for feedback. When you ask for feedback, you can get the information you can use to improve your customer service process and other aspects of your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automated surveys and forms through your chatbots are great because they don\u2019t require humans to operate, are effective, and cost less. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is an example of an automated feedback form: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"feedback
Source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The form ensures that the automation has been effective by asking if the customer service query has been fulfilled. It also gives insight into how the customer feels about the interaction and brand. You can, however, use longer surveys to gather more information from the users, but beware, the longer the survey, the less likely it is to be filled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also a good idea to have an escalation hierarchy based on how a user responds. For example, if a user leaves a one-star rating as part of their survey, this can trigger a call or email from a customer service representative. You can also send bulk emails to all users who gave a 3-star rating or less. Insights from those most affected by poor service can be valuable in improving customer service automation or other aspects of your business.\u00a0Another option is to use voice-over IP telephone systems to collect feedback through the calls.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Use Automation Across Multiple Channels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your customer service automation shouldn\u2019t be limited to one channel. You need it across multiple channels, like the company website, support email, social media, live chats, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most businesses have customers of different ages and demographics, so having multiple channels accommodates different preferences. According to the report<\/a>, 86.5% of millennials use chatbots because they find them interactive. So if you only have email customer service, your millennial audience will be disappointed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But make sure you have systems to track a customer service query across multiple channels. You don\u2019t want to frustrate customers by leaving them with a chatbot that doesn\u2019t know how to answer their complex query. If a customer query is simple, an automated chatbot will most likely be the most effective solution. But complex questions often require human intervention from within the chatbot or in another channel entirely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look how effortlessly this chatbot hands over the customer to a human when a complex question is posed: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"chatbot
Source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the chatbot also gave an option to \u2018continue chatting\u2019, ensuring customers get the type of support they want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since human agents still play a critical role despite customer service automation, you need to ensure they provide excellent customer service and always leave an option to connect to a human operator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you target the most common questions asked and send messages directly to the customer. But again, always give the option to speak to a human agent either via live chat<\/a> or phone if the resources aren\u2019t enough. Your customer service chatbot has to be sophisticated enough to direct the user to the right resource. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Create Messages Linked to Helpful Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another way to get the most out of your customer service automation is to create automated messages that are linked to helpful resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use your chatbot to do this, as in the example below:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"links
\u00a0Source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

 You can also do this with your automated customer service email responses. Check out this example from WooCommerce:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"automated
Source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

However, it\u2019s crucial to ensure your resources are accurate, up-to-date, and relevant. If your resources aren\u2019t up to scratch, your customers will be left frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to ensure that your helpful resources are of high quality is to conduct a periodic audit. All articles that need revisions can then be updated. In addition, web-accessibility services can monitor your site for the content needing revision, making the process easier and more effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also a good idea to include video content. Video content is engaging, popular, and can be interactive. According to Wyzowl, 68% of people<\/a> would rather watch a video explaining a problem than chat with a customer service chat agent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Review Your Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Automating customer service isn\u2019t easy. It requires constant tweaking. As more customers use your service, you will encounter more problems, and the automation will have to adapt. The best way to improve your customer service automation is to review your performance constantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To review your performance, you need to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n