Do you know that according to recent studies, customer support is one of the main pillars of a successful business, whether you run a SaaS company or have a digital shop.
More than 80% of businesses in both B2B and B2C sectors agree that well-maintained customer support team doubles revenue and drastically reduces costs on marketing. At the same time, almost 70% of clients who had a happy experience with the team agree that they would recommend the company to their colleagues, peers, friends, and relatives.
That’s not all; there are some other bombshell statistics, for instance,
- 3 out of 4 customers say that they will return to the company that provides excellent customer support.
- 90% of customers will choose a competitor if the support team disappoints them.
- Good customer support drives almost the same engagement as nurturing and retention marketing campaigns.
- The hyper-personalized customer support compels the engaged user to generate 3 times the annual value compared to other ones.
Therefore, it is no surprise that it is considered a top priority, and such companies as WOW24 that provide flawless 24/7 outsource customer support become increasingly popular.
Let’s find out what benefits first-rate customer support may bring to the company.
Top 7 Benefits of Providing Customer Support Team in your Website
There are many good reasons why customer support is crucial for the company to thrive whether the global economy progresses or stagnates or whether people are on lockdown or not. However, we are going to highlight the most important ones.
- First of all, it retains customers, and retaining old clients is much cheaper than acquiring new ones. On top of that, a good retention strategy may increase overall revenue 3 times, decrease churn rate, and open up new revenue streams.
- Second, it refers to others without you investing extra money into social media platforms and corresponding marketing campaigns. A good customer support team makes clients happy. And, satisfied clients are a great source of referrals. They spread rumors and recommend your company to others simply by sharing their experience and thoughts.
- Third, it builds your brand image. Brand image can be a decisive factor when it comes to winning over clients or bringing them back. Trust is the fundamental factor of profit and successful retention. The support team gives you control of your brand perception: you may advocate your philosophy and ideology, thereby creating the image that you need, to say nothing about reinforcing the existing one.
- Fourth, it inspires loyalty. Honoring requests in time increases trustworthiness and develops devotion to the company. Loyalty is one of those crucial factors that help retain customers and prolong their lifetime value. According to studies, chances to sell to the loyal existing customer are almost 70% whereas to the new one, are only 15%.
- Fifth, it generates necessary feedback and gathers reviews to improve your product or service. The customer support team is a two-way street that helps clients sort out their issues and helps the company improve its overall strategy and become more competitive in the market.
- Sixth, believe it or not, but excellent customer support increases business longevity. According to recent studies, every 1 in 5 companies fall in their first year, and almost every 1 in 2 businesses close by their 5th year due to poor customer support. Therefore, to move forward and scale your business, you need to keep your clients happy all the time.
- Seventh, it saves time and money. A good customer support team does lots of good for the company without spending extra money on surveys, social media, tools, and platforms. They retain clients, increase their lifetime value, and provide crucial insights on products and services.
Next year is predicted to be a post-pandemic period, which means that competition will become more onerous. Therefore, businesses in all sectors need to undertake some drastic measures to face the upcoming challenge. As studies show, you do not need to reinvent the wheel; all you need to do is invest in customer support. And we will give you some helpful advice on how to do this on your website.
How to Add Customer Support to your Website
To add customer support to your website, follow this routine.
Step 1 – Choose Between Outsourced Customer Support Team or In-house Support Team
There are two general ways to add customer support service to your website: use global outsourcing companies or hire an in-house team.
Outsourced customer support
The easiest, fastest, and cheapest way to add customer support is to use global outsourcing companies that know a thing or two about this stuff. It is also one of the trusted business models these days. It helps to achieve your marketing goals without spending a fortune and wasting your precious time on onboarding.
For instance, Wow24, the most popular company in this niche, has established itself as a trustworthy partner for thousands of companies. Not only does it gather the support team right for your business in the shortest time, but it also teaches them your ideology and keeps a close eye on their productiveness and effectiveness. On top of that, they offer various solutions, such as call-centers, SaaS support teams, e-commerce support, startup support, and others.
Hire In-House Team
Hiring an in-house team is an alternative to outsourcing customer support. It has been with us for ages; therefore, it managed to carve its niche. Although it is much more expensive and time-consuming nevertheless, it still brings its benefits.
For example, it gives you total control of the response time, quality of work, and activity. On top of that, if you have a large-scaled company like Amazon, then an in-house department is the only way out.
Tools that you may need if you decide to enact this scenario:
- Zendesk,
- Sprout Social,
- Hootsuite,
- Apple Business Chat,
- Mailchimp and others.
Step 2 – Choose the Right Way to Communicate
Depending on your budget, strategy, and philosophy, you may choose one or another option. However, whether you go for outsource team or an in-house one, it is vital to choose the right way to communicate with your clients. For the time being, the most popular choices are:
- Live chat;
- Phone support;
- Email support;
- Knowledge base;
All of them come with their own merits. However, as the tendency shows, online chats are getting increasingly popular and sought-after among users. Therefore, if you are forced to decide on just one option, make sure it is live chat.
Step 3 – Define the Best Time
According to studies, almost 60% of consumers say contacting the support team 24/7 is the number one reason they trust the company and shop with it. On top of that, round-the-clock support comes with numerous benefits: it helps to scale business, cover a broad target market, and most importantly, drop first response time and average resolution time that ensure good retention and customer satisfaction.
However, if you cannot provide your clients with 24/7 support, there is still a way out. You can honor requests during working hours from Monday to Friday because it is customary and people are used to it. Though, note, this period may depend on your users’ behavior and preferences. It would also help to analyze your support volumes and peak times to define the best time slots.
In addition, to improve this solution, you may use AI-powered instruments like bots or digital concierges. They meet target market needs when the personal assistants are not available, for example, at night or early in the morning. Although they cannot solve significant issues, nevertheless sometimes they can be enough to make your customer happy, lead them in the right direction or leave a positive impression.
Step 4 – Follow the Best Practices
Last but not least, when everything is set up, it is essential to follow the best practices in this sphere because they help amplify the effect and open the hidden possibilities. Adopt these recommendations:
- Offer omnichannel support by honoring requests through email, chat, phone, text, and social media.
- Meet customers’ needs, requirements, and expectations.
- Make experience hyper-personalized.
- Always put human personal assistants first.
- Focus on efficiency and problem-solving.
- Make happiness and satisfaction of the client a priority.
- Blend customer service and customer success.
- Invest in design to improve overall user experience in the chat and messaging.
Conclusion
Excellent customer support stands behind every success story. Not only does it honor requests, but it also retains clients, generates revenue, builds the brand image, and inspires loyalty and trust that are crucial for your business longevity. Therefore, whether you choose an in-house department or an outsourced team, make sure you nailed it.
