8 Customer Service Improvements Driven by Digital Transformation

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Times have changed. Since the turn of the millennium, digital transformation has seen technology take its place at the heart of business and marketing. Integrated systems that combine human intuition with computerized data can now bring new insight and opportunities for growth and success. 

In today’s competitive market, 55 percent of the businesses that don’t utilize digital transformation believe they have less than 12 months before they start to lose market share. That’s a significant number.  

From call center quality assurance best practices to customer-relationship training, your business and workers need to be up to date and au fait with the ways tech is here to help. This is non-negotiable if you want to remain competitive. 

The rapid rise of technology shows no signs of slowing down. Vxchnge found 20.4 billion communication devices were connected to the internet in 2020. With that number increasing each year, it’s a good idea to read this guide on how digital transformation can improve your customer services. 

What Is Digital Transformation?

In a nutshell, ‘digital transformation’ refers to the integration of digital technology into all aspects of a business. Whether it’s sales, marketing, or customer service, utilizing tech is the way forward and the key to success. 

At a time when the customer comes first, digital transformation has enabled businesses to be truly consumer-centric. The intelligent use of tech tools allows businesses to better communicate with buyers, provide seamless communications across multiple channels, and produce a more tailored experience. 

Interestingly, digital transformation is not driven by the tech itself or the people creating it. Instead, it’s the customer who’s in the driving seat. 

So what does this mean?

Today’s consumers have more options than ever. Whether it’s booking a holiday, contacting a customer service department, or purchasing insurance, users expect a seamless, hiccup-free experience. Technology bridges the gap and connects businesses to their buyers. 

Almost half of businesses today say improving customer experience and satisfaction drove them to start their digital transformation.

Going digital requires planning and a good strategy. Here, we will look at eight customer serviceimprovements driven by digital transformation. 

Eight Key Customer Service Digital Transformations 

Deciding to go digital is step one, but knowing where to start can be a challenge. The following list will give you tips on how going digital will improve your customer service. 

1. A More Cohesive Customer Service Team

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Imagine a football team with just one superstar player. Are they going to win the league? Probably not. Teamwork makes the dream work, and it’s no different in business. 

Communication is better, faster, and more wide-reaching in the digital world. Utilize tech to encourage sales, marketing, and customer service teams to collaborate and share data. In doing so, a new level of efficiency and customer insight can be achieved. 

Remember, providing great customer service requires a team effort that stretches beyond individual people and departments. 

2. Storing Data Online

Keeping data in filing cabinets full of written records or on computer discs is a thing of the past. You can only imagine the time wasted if admin assistants had to sift through thousands of pages to find what they needed. 

Today, storing data online makes it easy to locate from anywhere. It also gives customers their own access to certain information, such as order history and payment details. 

Allowing a customer to amend an order or update their payment details online means they have a better experience and you save time. These improvements are – naturally – driven by modern digital transformation capabilities. 

3. Automation

Automation can improve many aspects of your customer service.  For example, scheduling and making phone calls can today be handled by a chatbot, FAQ page, or even a virtual phone

Accenture found 84 percent of respondents preferred the automation of phone calls and messages over human interactions. Speed and efficiency are the key reasons why automation is so useful and effective.

To begin implementing automation, start with the basics such as automated follow-up emails and ticket prioritization. Your customers will thank you for it. 

4. A Tailored Experience

You can use customer data to identify your ideal customer and provide a relevant and high-performing service. The more relevant you are, the better your results will be. 

Good examples of this are the ‘recommended products’ on sites such as Amazon and the personalized ads you see on YouTube. Tailoring your content and services to individual users lets you tap into their emotions and create a connection. 

5. Identifying Customers 

Businesses today have huge data pools to help them research their customer base. Analyze your data and ask yourself questions such as: 

  • How old on average are my customers?
  • What tools do they use to access my service (mobile apps, computer, etc.)?
  • Where do they live?
  • What are their desires and needs?

Utilizing this data will supercharge your insights. However, you must keep user privacy firmly in mind – 87 percent of customers believe it’s important that they can review and control their data. Remain transparent to project the honesty of your business. 

6. Providing Value

While implementing your digital transformation, keep your customer at the center of your decision-making. This way you can make sure you’re providing a valuable service. For example, don’t just make an app because you’ve seen another business do it; ensure it’s necessary for meeting your customer’s needs and expectations. 

Perhaps you’ve already implemented certain technology but haven’t seen the results you expected, or your shiny new app isn’t ranking in the download charts. Maybe your latest Twitter meme received no likes.

Go over it again and make sure it’s actually providing value to the customer rather than just serving as a gimmick. Data analytics will help you with this. Remember, if it provides value to the consumer, it provides value to your business too. 

7. Consistent Customer Service Across Channels

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Whether it’s phone calls, email, chat, or social media, all channels should be optimized and tailored for your users. Digital transformation can deliver this, ensuring you have the benefits of a center of excellence whenever and wherever you need them. 

Tying all of these aspects together to create a seamless experience can boost your success rates and inform your future decisions. 

8. Social Media Engagement

Regularly engaging on social media, tailoring your content, and developing a recognizable brand will make your customers feel at ease with your service and allow them to build a more meaningful relationship with you. 

A 2021 survey reported that 75 percent of B2B buyers were influenced by social media when making purchases. This means businesses need to be using the digital tools at their disposal to keep abreast of the competition.  

What Are You Waiting For?

The digital transformation is well underway, so make sure your business is up to speed and ahead of the game. You can use these tips to help you get started and implement a successful customer-focused strategy. 

Jenna Bunnell
Jenna Bunnell is the Senior Manager for Content Marketing at Dialpad, an AI-incorporated cloud-hosted unified communications system that provides valuable call details for business owners and sales representatives. She is driven and passionate about communicating a brand’s design sensibility and visualizing how content can be presented in creative and comprehensive ways.

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