Automation is becoming more than just a way of processing data without the need for people. It’s now being applied across a range of businesses to actually support staff and customers alike. But what are the highlights of this developing, people-focused tech?

Many businesses use customer service automation to increase the effectiveness of their support staff, which in turn provides their customers with a more complete level of service. So what exactly is customer service automation, and how can it help your staff, your customers, and your business?

What Is Customer Service Automation?

Consumer service automation is a particular use of automation technology that aims to support customers by providing them with ways of communicating with a business – without the need to speak with a person. The general goal is to make information more accessible, but also to reduce the amount of impact on your teams from customer inquiries.

Some examples of the technology include chatbots, which you’re likely to have seen pop up, usually in the bottom right-hand corner of a web page on some sites or even in apps. These bots have a connection with a knowledge base and provide answers to questions from customers based on their messages.

There is also the slightly older, but rapidly developing, technology of IVR (Interactive Voice Response). When you call a company, you’re often sent through an automated lobby where you have to say words that relate to the nature of your call so that you can be funneled to the most appropriate operator or at least brief whichever person you are passed to about what your call is about.

3 Big Benefits of Customer Service Automation

Give Your Team Time

You hire people to make your business better – not  to get them to push buttons and carry out tasks that a bot can do. Unfortunately, that’s what many customer service people end up doing. Customer service automation is a great way to free up much of their time to focus on delivering true value to your business. With more time, they can focus on delivering the highest quality in every customer interaction, as well as solving more complex customer queries that bots aren’t capable of dealing with.

Prevent Errors

Automating customer service workflows and processes reduces the possibility of human error and speeds up the process of connecting consumers with the appropriate help. This is because customers can be guided via a workflow that includes FAQs, a self-service center, an interactive speech system, and finally onto a human support team member if necessary rather than being passed from one customer service team member to another. This reduces the likelihood of human errors when passing customers from one operator to another.

Boost Time To Value

By giving customers ways to get information on your products and services 24/7, you’re helping to unlock the potential of those offerings. It doesn’t matter whether a query is technical or billing-related, giving customers that information in the quickest way possible, reduces the time it takes them to get the full value of your products and services.

This has a positive impact on customer satisfaction, which cascades into brand loyalty, and in turn CLV (customer lifetime value). That means putting support bots in place to deal with basic queries in a timely manner can generate more revenue for your business in the long run.

Keen to discover how bots can boost customer satisfaction. Contact PAteam today!