In the past, customer support was seen as a necessary business expense, but it was something that didn’t contribute to the success of a company. When customers had a problem, they’d reach out to support and agents would reactively respond. But customer support has evolved.
These days, customers expect more from the companies they do business with. They don’t want to wait on hold to speak with an agent and they don’t want to send an email and wait hours for a response. Instead, they want to be able to find answers on their own and they want companies to be proactive in providing support.
1. Create a self-service knowledge base
A knowledge base is a collection of resources about your product and services. It can include FAQs, how-to articles, videos, and more. A knowledge base is a great way to educate your customers so they don’t have to contact you with questions.
While a knowledge base is a great resource, it’s not proactive. Customers have to seek it out and look for answers to their questions. Instead, you can use your knowledge base to create a proactive support strategy. Try to identify what customers will need to know and provide the information before they ask.
2. Use chatbots to assist customers
Chatbots are a great tool for providing proactive customer support because they can help customers find the information they need quickly and easily.
Chatbots can be programmed to answer common questions, provide links to helpful articles, and even help customers troubleshoot problems. This can help customers get the information they need without having to wait for a live agent to assist them.
In addition to providing support in real-time, chatbots can also be used to deliver proactive support by reaching out to customers before they even know they need help. For example, you could program your chatbot to send a message to a customer if it detects that they are having trouble with a particular feature or product.
3. Identify and fix issues before they become problems
If you’re tracking customer data and feedback, you should be able to identify trends and issues before they become widespread problems. This can help you get ahead of the issue and prevent it from affecting more customers.
For example, if you notice that a lot of customers are having trouble with a new feature, you can work with your product team to fix the issue before it becomes a widespread problem. This can help you avoid a lot of customer frustration and support tickets.
4. Use customer feedback to identify and solve issues
Customer feedback is one of the best ways to identify potential issues and solve them before they become major problems.
Create a system for collecting and analyzing customer feedback, and use the insights you gather to identify trends and patterns that could indicate a potential issue. You can then take steps to address the issue and prevent it from impacting other customers.
For example, if you notice that several customers are complaining about a particular feature or aspect of your product, you can investigate the issue and make improvements. If you see that many customers are asking the same questions, you can create a knowledge base article or support video to address the issue and prevent more customers from running into the same problem.
5. Automate customer communication
Automation is your best friend when it comes to proactive customer support. By automating your customer communications, you can ensure that you’re reaching out to customers at the right time, with the right message.
You can use automation to send out surveys, gather feedback, share promotions like a price match guarantee, and even to send out personalized messages to customers on their birthdays or anniversaries.
By automating your customer communication, you can save time and ensure that you’re delivering a consistent and high-quality experience for your customers.
6. Educate customers about your product
The more your customers know about your product, the more they can do with it. That’s why it’s so important to provide resources and tools to help them get up to speed.
If you’re not already offering webinars, tutorials, and other educational content, you should be. These types of resources are a great way to teach your customers how to use your product in new and interesting ways.
Plus, it shows that you care about their success, which can go a long way in building trust and loyalty.
7. Offer customers a loyalty program
Customers love loyalty programs. These programs are designed to reward customers for their repeat business and give them access to exclusive deals and discounts.
Offering a loyalty program is a great way to show your customers that you appreciate their business. It can also help to build a sense of community among your customers, which can lead to increased customer loyalty and retention.
8. Use social media to connect with customers
Social media is a great way to connect with your customers and provide them with proactive support. You can use social media to monitor what your customers are saying about your products and services, and to quickly address any issues or concerns they may have.
You can also use social media to share helpful tips and information with your customers, and to let them know about any new products or services you have to offer.
In addition, you can use social media to provide your customers with a way to contact you if they have any questions or concerns. This can be especially helpful if they need to get in touch with you outside of your normal business hours.
9. Create a customer community
A customer community is a place where your customers can help each other, ask questions, and share tips. It’s also a great way for you to get to know your customers and build relationships with them.
Customer communities can be as simple as a Facebook group or as complex as a dedicated online forum. The key is to create a space where your customers feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas.
When you have a customer community, you can use it to deliver proactive support by sharing new features, updates, and tips. You can also use it to identify potential issues and address them before they become bigger problems.
This is particularly helpful when you’re starting an online boutique and want to foster early engagement and loyalty.
Conclusion
There are many ways to deliver proactive customer support. Analyze your current customer service strategy to identify areas of improvement and consider the tips above to better serve your customers.
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