CUSTOMER SERVICE TO INCREASE CUSTOMER VALUE: BEST PRACTICE EXAMPLES

Customer service is another source of competitive differentiation for businesses and therefore, it should be enhanced to increase customer value. Consumers have access to an increasing number of customer service touchpoints; traditional telephone support, email, digital channels like live chat, social media and mobile. 

Delivering good customer service does not necessarily come cheap but as stated by eMarketer, consumers have demonstrated they are willing to pay more if a retailer acts in their best interest, helps them to get more value out of the products they purchase, creates convenient new ways to shop, and let them know when to expect delivery of an order.

As stated by SkillsYouNeed, we tend to remember positive and negative experiences more vividly than average day-to-day ones. It is essential to make every customer’s experience a positive one that they’ll remember and talk to others about. Nothing is more powerful than going out of your way to give a customer something that they were not expecting or anticipating from you. Every contact between customer and company is a new opportunity to create an unforgettable experience.

It is important to know which are the preferred touchpoints and improve them to deliver the best customer service. According to a study from eDigital’s Customer Service Benchmark, from all the customer service touchpoints available within a company, live chat has the highest satisfaction levels (73%), followed by email (61%) and app (53%). SMS (41%) and phone (44%) can be found at the bottom of this list. 

Given that customers appreciate it, and it has shown to be helpful as a sales driver, I can see the use of live chat becoming more popular in order to increase customer value.

As we can see, those companies that understand how to use the latest digital channels to help customers will be rewarded with loyal customers who spend more and advocate for the brand. No matter the size of your business, if you wish to increase customer value, it is important to provide good customer service to all types of customers, including potential, new and existing customers.