Unique Challenges of Online CRM Customer Support

For the customer relationship management, or CRM, industry nothing is more important than getting in touch with your customers. This has been the case ever since companies handed out manuals and pamphlets out to people so that they would better understand their services and products. Eventually, phones came into the market and companies evolved by adding customer support lines and automated services. The next evolution took place with the implementation of the internet. Here, companies broadened their horizons like never before and created new ways to support clients online so that issues were resolved quickly and efficiently.

511610_workingIn fact, the biggest challenge for CRM customer support is knowing what clients want and how to address every issue that might arise. Some might want to know how to retrieve certain files or documents for clarification while others want to speak with a manager to address a specific issue. By having the right tools online for CRM customer support, customers can quickly find the answers they are looking for with little to no effort on their end.

Some methods that are used for companies and how they provide customer service can range from chats with agents to call centers where representatives speak with customers regarding certain issues. There are also automated systems or IVR’s that can be utilized to help filter calls before an agent is reached. Other methods include sending an e-mail to a representative or checking the forums for useful information. Each of these provides a different type of service to customers, letting them choose the best approach for their needs.

Some of the listed examples can actually become methods of self-help. Self-help is when a customer is able to search around on a site’s page and find the necessary information to their questions without having to talk to an actual representative. By having the right tools at their fingertips, customers and clients are able to take care of their own matters. It’s a preferred method that many major companies are implementing for a number of different reasons. One of the biggest reasons, however, is because it can save the company a fortune.

How to Tackle the Challenges

People might wonder how taking the customer service aspect away from a company and placing it into the hands of the customer would be beneficial, but there is a clear link between the two. Customer care phone calls will be drastically reduced because customers can take care of the smaller issues without having to speak with a representative. This in turn lowers the number of phone calls a call center gets, meaning that fewer representatives will be needed or that the higher-level calls can be filtered easier. Less money has to be spent on customer retention because the quick solutions will be taken care of practically automatically.

Customer support is the foundation of any business, and it’s no surprise that so many companies utilize it to the fullest. Microsoft Dynamics has an “ask the community” section as well as a customer service center and a trust center for several different possible solutions. On the other hand, Zoho CRM provides a user guide, videos, blog, and community so that there is no shortage of possible information. It’s very clear that customer support is a important pillar that holds up the CRM structure.

Customer Engagement Tools

Technologies that Can Help

Not surprisingly, there is a new technology that companies are adopting to help push self-help even further. It’s known as WalkMe, and it’s a new technology that blends self-help with top tier customer service. WalkMe is an interactive online guidance solution, and one that is very easy to implement into the CRM customer support market. Customers are free of confusion because they are guided every step of the way, similar to how a GPS works. Buttons are highlighted and tip balloons pop up to guide customers as they work themselves through the solution process. It’s a great new features that can tackle simple solutions, or even more complex ones. The level of capability simply depends on what the company needs.1149868_army_of_dollars_2

The online world has changed how customer service works, but that doesn’t mean the industry has to come to a standstill. Self-help is something that customers expect now, and companies that don’t adopt this will be left behind by others that do. With the implementation of WalkMe and self-service, CRM customer service, companies are able to save money while taking care of customers at a much faster rate. Think out of the box and adopt these groundbreaking new strategies to ensure customer satisfaction as well as an increase in revenue.

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is Specialist in Customer Success and chief writer and editor of I Want It Now, a blog for Customer Service Experts. Follow her @StefWalkMe