Typical challenges consumers face and the need for small businesses to take note

It has happened to all of us at some point. There is a problem with our order or a service interruption, and we need help from a local company.

We dial the support number only to be met with a recorded robot voice that doesn’t understand or respond. We push endless buttons trying to narrow down our request and hoping that every time we push we get a real human being to talk to about our problem.

Or we turn to social media hoping to find someone who cares enough to respond to our problem only to receive automated messages and responses from chatbots.

Technology has helped small businesses grow and succeed in ways never before thought possible. But with that growth has come a demand for more personalized customer service experiences.

What is a business to do? Implement the cool features and functionality of AI, Chatbots, and other technological advances, or go back to a time when real human beings answer their phones?

No one can argue with the importance of customer service; after all, without happy customers, it’s hard to run a successful business.

The solution that many companies resort to is call centers. Years ago I worked in a call center and we provide a valuable service to businesses that needed someone to answer their phone day or night. We respond to many emergency service companies, such as veterinarians, property management companies, and restoration companies.

It was a win-win scenario where the customer’s phone call was answered by a real person and their needs were quickly addressed. Call centers are designed to handle customer contact requests in an efficient and cost-effective manner. They can be a valuable solution to many companies’ customer service needs.

But what about technology? At what point does automation become detrimental to your business? The relationship between business and customer is becoming less personal as more technology is incorporated.

When implementing your customer service systems and procedures, it’s great to invest in technologies that will help streamline tasks and reduce overhead, but it’s more important to keep your customer in mind and take into account all the potential interactions you’ll have with your customer. brand.

Will those interactions create an enthusiastic base of satisfied customers, or will they be so frustrated that they’ll take to social media to attack you?

The other day I came across a Twitter account that I thought for sure had been hacked. The account owner seemed to be VERY upset with a large corporation where several times a day, for many months.

When I asked the account holder about these repeated angry posts, it turned out that they were all intentionally added. Speaking of a dissatisfied customer! But the sad thing is that this company has not responded even once in an attempt to solve the problem this person experienced.

Whether it’s the use of call centers or simply the way your customer contacts you to place an order or want a problem resolved, when you deal with your customers, you need to be aware of how they affect these interactions to avoid irate customers like this person on Twitter.

Although we live in a world of abundant technological options to save money, a company needs to find a balance between the use of technology and direct communication with its customers. Start by considering all the available options and consider the customer experience with each one: will that option help or hinder your business?

I can tell you that one thing we have heard over and over again is that our customers are very appreciative that we answer our phones and respond promptly to all emails. In fact, many of our existing clients came to us strictly because their current web developer or marketer disappeared from them or didn’t answer their phone or respond to their questions in a timely manner.

What experiences have you found dealing with a company’s customer service systems and processes? Did it make you want to keep supporting them or go on social media and complain?