As any reader of CXM knows, Customer Experience is a key business differentiator.
Businesses working in every sector, from IT to healthcare to retail, needs to deliver fast, effective, and memorable customer service to stand out from the crowd.
Consumers are fickle, and with positive, memorable experiences now driving their choices over which brands to engage with, they won’t be afraid to shop around if a business fails to meet their expectation.
Yet while CX is a top priority for business leaders, the task all too often falls elsewhere – to the customer services team. Ensuring the drive of the leadership team is mirrored by those on the front line who are interacting with customers first-hand, is critical.
The right technology will empower frontline workers to deliver the best experience possible, even when they’re spanning different geographies and time zones. Without it, the disconnect between a brand and its workers can damage relationships and make it more challenging to attract and retain the best talent to drive successful CX.
What do customers expect when communicating with brands?
Knowing that customers want fast responses and resolutions, here are five ways that cloud communications can better empower customer services teams and deliver experiences that delight customers every time:
1. Access to the right agent at the right time
In traditional on-premises systems, customers must be dealt with by whichever agent is present and available in the contact centre at that time. In contrast, a cloud-based system removes these limitations, meaning that the most experienced or relevant member of the team can be connected to customers even if they’re not in the office
2. Any device, any location
Switching to the cloud means frontline workers can log in and access the same dashboards and communication applications from any location, using any device. This not only opens up a huge opportunity to bring in remote agents, but also ensures that everyone is working with the same information, providing a more unified interaction with the customer.
3. Improved availability
The cloud enables better support of different time zones and language requirements, allowing businesses to expand their skills pool to attract specialists. This support can also make the business more accessible and attractive to international customers.
4. Managing workflows
By switching to a cloud-based system, businesses have the flexibility to bring in remote agents as soon as a queue starts to build. At the same time, analytics dashboards can allow businesses to pre-empt such queues before they even happen, ‘switching on’ additional agents when needed. This feature is ideal for companies with seasonal peaks and troughs where the business requires ‘all hands on deck’ one week then a skeleton staff the next.
5. Consumer-like experiences
Lastly, switching to the cloud ensures companies can provide a consumer-grade experience with ongoing upgrades to keep technology fresh and relevant. This makes it easier for agents to interact with colleagues and customers in a way that feels familiar and easy.
Digital workplace transformation is happening across the business world to support the increasingly fluid nature of modern workforces and an ever-demanding customer base.
In these highly collaborative environments where workers are logging in from outside the office, the seamlessness of cloud-based communication platforms will enable businesses to keep up with this pace of change, ensuring customers always receive the experiences they want and deserve.