5 Advantages of automated customer service (and how to get started)

As your business faces rapid growth and fierce competition, automated customer service becomes your essential ally.

In this guide, you’ll dive into the many advantages of automated customer service, from saving time and money to elevating your customers’ experience. 

You’ll also learn about some of the best practices to help you get started on your automation journey.

So, sit back and read on to find out what makes customer service automation a game-changer for your business.

What is automated customer service?

Business automation is the secret sauce for simplifying all your operations, from accounting to customer service. 

Customer support automation lets you reduce human involvement when tackling common customer questions. This frees up your team’s time to focus on high-priority cases.

When your business starts growing, the demand for support grows with it. That’s where customer service automation swoops in — to offer a budget-friendly solution to scaling your support processes.

To leverage customer service automation, you can turn to tools like:

• Live chatbots.
• AI-powered self-service portals.
• Automated email responses.
• Interactive voice response.

These tools are often part of a broader CRM sales automation strategy, which aims to optimize the sales process and improve customer interactions.

What are the advantages of automated customer service?

Saves time and money

One of the top reasons to love automated customer service is how it lowers your costs. With it, you can save up to 40% on service expenses compared to having live customer service representatives. 

As your business grows, you can put the brakes on hiring more staff to:

• Shrink your office space needs.
• Boost your customer lifetime value. 

Now, think of all those common customer questions that flood your support team’s inbox every day. You can automate responses that contain common fixes, so you’re not stuck writing out the same messages over and over again.

Customer service automation software lets your agents focus on complex tasks while you significantly reduce resolution times. 

Reduces human error

Even the most talented customer service agents slip up, especially when doing repetitive tasks. 

Our research indicates that stress and fatigue contribute to 48.8% of human errors, which snowball over time and cost your business.

That’s where automated customer service comes in. 

Chatbots and other automated tools learn from customer queries and store heaps of knowledge to solve simple questions without a problem.

Provide 24/7 support

With an automated virtual agent, you can: 

• Give your agents time back.
• Deliver instant responses. 
• Offer a wide range of support 24/7.

Smart chatbots collect information and then pass the baton to a human agent for perfect resolutions to complex queries.

Lets you serve customers their way

Statistics show that 89% of US customers expect brands to have a self-service portal. And our investigation demonstrated that 51% of consumers prefer interactions through online channels. 

These are customer experience expectations that businesses need to meet. 

Using a customer service automation tool is a win-win, as it also reduces the pressure on agents to meet unrealistic service times.

Improves customer agent satisfaction

Automation in customer service benefits customers and agents. 

By handling routine customer inquiries, automated systems let agents focus on more engaging and challenging aspects of their job. This reduces burnout and increases job satisfaction. 

Plus, it empowers your customer service teams to deliver personalized experiences where it truly counts.

What are the cons of automated customer service?

Although there are numerous advantages to automated customer service, you must also consider the limitations of business automation. Here are a few of them. 

Unable to solve complex issues

Artificial intelligence has come a long way, but it isn’t quite ready to solve all of our business problems.

For example, when it comes to sensing frustration or sarcasm from customers, AI solutions just don’t get it. 

Most AI-based customer service systems are limited to handling common customer issues, like billing dates or how-to queries.

Lacks human touch

Despite their advancements, virtual assistants lack the human touch and emotional connection that come with genuine human interaction.

In the best-case scenario, customer service automation systems steer customers toward solutions. 

But less sophisticated systems might send customers to irrelevant articles and misinformation. This leads to: 

• A bad customer experience.
• Bruised brand trust.
• Escalations that require human intervention.

How to get started with automated customer service

Here are a few ways to get started with automated customer service:

• Implement live chat: Use AI-powered chatbots for 24/7 customer responses. Choose a solution that integrates with your current systems and is customizable to match your brand’s tone.
• Promote self-service solutions: Direct customers to self-service options like knowledge bases, FAQs, and help forums. 
• Create templated responses: Develop templates for common questions to relay quick and consistent responses.
• Collect feedback post-interaction: Gather customer feedback through surveys and analytics to refine your automation strategies.
• Utilize CRM for automation: Enhance customer experience and automate manual tasks by adopting CRM and customer tracking software. 

Meet Method, your next employee of the month

Method is your go-to solution for exceptional customer service and lasting client relationships.

Its seamless two-way sync with QuickBooks or Xero ensures that your customer data is always accurate.

With Method’s easy-to-use customer portals, your clients can:

• Review their account information.
• Keep track of orders and process payments online.
• Send inquiries or support requests.
• Manage communication preferences. 

By enhancing communication and ensuring a smooth experience, Method strengthens your customer relationships, encouraging them to return and share their positive experiences with others.

See how you can free yourself from the chaos of your day-to-day operations with Method.

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