You just started your business and you are struggling to keep up with the customer service requirement? Well, you are not alone.
Most of the business owners today try to underestimate the power of customer service. This criminal negligence leads to serious consequences and in some cases can even end with a complete failure of startup.
Two years ago when I started my small business, I was struggling to retain customers. My marketing budget was high, overall sales were low and it was quite expensive to lure customers with constant discount offers.
Just like most people, I wanted my business to convert into a solid brand so I could cut the marketing budget and make my business more profitable. One of the proposed solutions was to focus on customer service and convert complaints into quotable marketing experiences.
Creating an Automated Customer Support for Your Business
If you lack a marketing budget, struggle with customer service, or are worried about low sales, keep reading as we discuss some of the best ways to create a fully automated customer support on a budget.
What Do You Need?
Creating a customer service for your business means you do not just need people and some skills but also need to utilize technology. For budget-friendly and effective customer service, here are some of the things that you will need:
· Create a Strategy with Case Study
Research a good case study within your niche and see how big companies use customer service to their advantage. As a tech company, you can study Xfinity customer service as an example as they offer top-notch 24/7 support.
· Use a Solid Internet Connection
Running an online business without a solid internet connection is like running a marathon without shoes. While most people think that a good internet connection will be expensive, you can easily cut the cost by using residential internet. Once your business starts improving, you can then switch to a commercial internet.
· Research A Niche Based AI Tool
For every business problem, you will find a reliable AI tool as a solution. However, research and trial take a lot of time but if you invest time wisely in research this will eventually save you a lot of time later.
· Build Templates via Competitor Analysis
Building a template will help ensure that your customer receives humanized messages every time. To make a template, start with niche research and see how your competitors respond.
Step By Step Guide to Automated Customer Support
1. Chatbots for Live Chat
Chatbot plugins are a simple and easy way to automate live chat. Chabot comes with automated responses and they can pick positive and negative cues as well.
If you think that creating a Chabot or paying for it can be expensive for you, try a third-party subscription instead. Most of the big brands fully rely on third-party chat since they are cheaper and offer the same results.
2. FAQs for Reducing Response Time
Response time is one of the easiest evaluation metrics used by customers. If a business replies faster, it is serious and is interested in helping customers. Late replies, on the contrary, are seen as a sign of negligence.
However, when businesses have limited time or they have less staff, response time is longer. To either resolve this issue, big brands categorize their customer service based on FAQ types or simply add all the FAQ’s on websites. This is an effective way to reduce response time.
3. Real-Time Multilingual Reply
Making customers feel included is one of the best ways to attract a wider audience. However, when you are marketing to such a wide audience, you need to ensure that the message does not lose its translation.
So many different AI tools can fully resolve this issue. These tools do not just help you translate the messages received but also translate your response in the chosen language. The process is so simple and easy that everything happens in real-time, so there is no extra waiting time required.
4. Wait Time Monitoring Tool
Long waiting queues are one of the most frustrating experiences for your customers. If there were a hell out there, it would definitely lie somewhere waiting in customer service queues.
The time monitoring tool is the simplest yet most effective automation way to track the waiting time. This tool will not just help your business but will also help your customers. The time monitoring tool is useful for customers who are stuck in long waiting queues.
5. Opinion Mining Via Online Mentions
One of the most effective ways to learn about your brand without bearing the consequences is to improve your opinion-mining process. Opinion mining is a process that can help you understand what your customers like about your competitor.
For opinion mining, most people use online platforms, review platforms, and social media network mentions. This can take a lot of time if done manually, however, if you use an AI tool, this process can be fully automated. Anytime your competitor or your brand is mentioned, an AI opinion-mining tool will notify you right away.
Wrap Up
There is no doubt customer support is important for business but it can drain your budget in no time. In case you are running a small business with a limited budget, the above-mentioned tips can help you create solid customer service without costing you an arm and leg.