Customer service automation: efficient and effective customer support

Who hasn't experienced the joy and, let's face it, occasional frustration of automated customer service? You've certainly been there - punching numbers into your phone or chatting with a bot to solve your problems. Well, buckle up, because things have evolved in the world of automated customer service, making it a thrilling ride for both customers and businesses!

We're talking leaps and bounds in voice recognition tech, AI interpreting customer feedback like a charm, and chatbots morphing into wise sages answering questions instead of simply passing them off to humans. These advancements have given a fantastic makeover to the customer's perception of automation. No longer a robotic interaction, it's now seen as a personalized, turbo-charged pathway to swiftly resolve issues.

At Grasp, we're not just going with the flow. We're constantly innovating automated solutions that place the power in the hands of customers while simultaneously giving you precious time back to your support team. We're on a mission to deliver a perfectly tailored experience to every customer - providing what they need, exactly when they need it, right at their fingertips. 

The best part? It's a celebration for all:

• Customers are absolutely thrilled with automated customer service as it helps them find solutions at lightning speed.
• Support teams are equally overjoyed. It smoothly and rapidly resolves routine customer queries, liberating them to concentrate on the more intricate issues that require a human touch – a crucial element to ramping up customer satisfaction and retention.

Wondering how you can supercharge your business with this personalized, automated customer service? Let’s dive in!

Automated customer service: the game-changer

So, what exactly is automated customer service? It's your loyal, tireless support champion, powered by automated technology such as AI-powered chatbots. It's a lifesaver when customers need speedy answers to recurring queries, status updates, or assistance finding a specific resource.

One of the most beloved and efficient automated customer service warriors is chatbots. Our chatbots at Grasp are equipped with machine learning, treating customers with resources like knowledge base articles and FAQs. They masterfully route customer conversations to the perfect team to handle their questions and even answer customer queries like, "How can I add more users?"

But that's not all! Our chatbots have leveled up and now possess the power to swiftly and efficiently tap into data outside of Grasp, offering even more self-serve answers for customers. 

With such an advanced level of intelligent self-service at your disposal, you're set to deliver resolutions at record speed for your customers, whilst reducing customer inquiries for your team – all without compromising the fantastic customer experience.

5 reasons to integrate automation into your customer service

Over the past decade, live chat has reigned supreme as the go-to for companies striving to offer top-notch support. It's a winner because it’s speedier than email, more personal than traditional knowledge bases, and much less frustrating than grappling with an automated phone system.

For customers who prefer swift and efficient interactions, automated support options like chatbots are the answer. They offer support irrespective of the customer's context – whether they're juggling tasks, deep in their workday, or on the move.

“Automated customer service is a boon. It takes care of most routine tasks, freeing your support reps to invest their time and energy in handling complex queries that require their empathy and customer service finesse.”

Automated customer service isn’t just advantageous for customers. It's a gift for your support team too. They're freed up to focus their skills and empathetic touch on resolving complex queries. 

Here are the most transformative benefits of automated customer service that allow your customers and support team to maximize their time and productivity:

1. It empowers customers to multitask

Customers can fire off a question to your chatbot and check out the response in their own time, whether it’s between meetings or during a coffee break. There's zero pressure to act immediately.

2. It lets customers choose what suits them best

Everyone's different - some customers relish delving into help center articles, while others want a swift overview. Catering to both types is crucial. And if they need more help, your customers can connect with a support rep. With both live chat and automation in your toolkit, you can meet your customers wherever and whenever they need you.

“With automated support options like chatbots, you can support customers regardless of their situation – whether they’re multi-tasking, in the middle of their work day, or on the go”

3. It helps slash costs and save a fortune

Automation is a scalable solution. Regardless of your support team's size, it enables you to amplify your successes. Automated customer service means you can offer more support and resolve more queries without needing to expand your team or overwork your existing team. This way, you can ensure a stellar customer and employee experience while saving a bundle.

4. It ensures the right questions reach the right people

Automation rules are fantastic for directing customer questions that can’t be answered by a chatbot straight to the right person and team (like your sales team). This eliminates any confusion about who handles what and which questions have already been addressed.

5. It turbocharges your support team's efficiency

Automated customer service, when implemented effectively, allows businesses to help more customers at scale without needing to expand drastically. This gives your support team more time to apply their customer service skills to more complex queries – such as emotionally-charged complaints, VIP queries, and intricate troubleshooting issues – that demand a human touch. The speed and cost and time savings can catapult your business to new heights, but only if you deploy these solutions thoughtfully.

Caring for customers customers through personalised automation

Did you know a 2020 study by Smart Insights revealed that a serious 63% of customers would abandon a brand that lacked personalized care? That's why at Grasp, we've made it our mission to infuse automation with personal touch, creating an experience that is seamless, efficient, and remarkably personal. We're mindful not to overstep the line - nobody likes to feel intruded upon or spied on.

At Grasp, we’re working to the fine art of combining automation and personalisation, revolutionising two key aspects of customer service: resolving customer issues and customer routing. Get lightning-fast solutions, instantly

When a customer reaches out, the most precious thing we can gift them is time! Our cutting-edge automation does exactly that. Let us give you a sneak peek:

• Meet our star performer, AI Suggest. It answers your questions promptly, even before you hit the send button. As our customer, you get the convenience of solving your issues at your pace, with the most suitable solutions at your fingertips. However, if our solutions do not hit the mark, worry not! Our support specialists are only a click away.

• Furthermore, we’re now working on a bot that takes cues from your queries and offers relevant articles - only if it detects that you haven’t visited the Help Center in the previous 15 minutes. We don’t want to rehash information that’s already been provided - that’s not how you provide good customer service!

• Did we mention our custom actions and custom objects? These clever tools allow you to access live data, make modifications in your external systems, and mold your customer data according to your unique business needs. It's all about giving you the autonomy to self-serve in the most efficient way!

Making Room for Human Touch

We love our chatbot, but we recognize their limitations too. Certain conversations demand human intervention, and we ensure these are promptly redirected to our support reps. We're here to serve you, not leave you stuck in an endless loop of unhelpful automated responses.

Adding a Multilingual Twist: For our globally dispersed customers, we've added a multilingual edge to our Service Bot! It offers solutions in 12 different languages, providing a personalized experience that resonates with our customers. After all, who wouldn't appreciate service in their mother tongue?

Streamlining customer routing

Next, let's talk about our smart customer routing. We use advanced automation to direct conversations to the right place. This ensures that customers are matched with the best-suited support representative based on a multitude of factors, including keywords, products type, business type, URL, and customer lifetime. In essence, we provide personalized routing that respects your time and ensures your concerns are addressed by the most qualified individual.

Automated customer support yields impressive outcomes

Our automation game plan has led us to score big! Here's what we've achieved: 

• Our customers boast a Rate of Automated Resolution (ROAR) of up to 4%. So these customer issues get solved without any human involvement;
• Out of these automated resolutions, up to 65% come from our Service Bot, while up to 20% are via suggested articles;
• Up to 55% of their conversations are routed correctly on the first attempt.

These may seem like modest numbers, but this translates into significant cost savings and high customer satisfaction.

When Automation Steps Back

We're proud of our automation, but we recognize that it isn’t the solution to every problem. In situations where personalized service is impossible due to limited customer context, automation may become an obstacle rather than an aid. We're aware of this, and we always strive to avoid situations where customers feel frustrated.

The 3 'no-automation' zones

Automation isn’t recommended for: 

1. Customers with sensitive issues
2. High-touch customers 
3. New customers or trial users

To ensure these customer categories receive the best service, we maintain a 'No-Automation List.' For example, customers with pricing queries or those identified as high-risk are promptly routed to our team members for immediate assistance.

Summing up: Automation, a vital component of your support strategy

With Grasp's automation, you can scale your customer service, ensuring customers get the answers they need promptly. However, it is only one piece of the puzzle. Automated support must be reinforced by a strong knowledge base and ready assistance from your support team. With these in place, we guarantee major wins and a rewarding return on your investment.

Our end goal? Happier, loyal customers, and a more efficient team!