Communication between companies and customers is crucial to the success of any business, and the way in which it is managed will directly affect customer satisfaction, loyalty and, ultimately, the success of the company. In recent years, instant messaging channels such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, and Live Chat have gained more and more popularity among consumers. In fact, in a recent study, it was shown that 7 out of 10 consumers feel more connected with the company if they can communicate with it through messages. These new channels are an excellent opportunity to improve results and reputation.
Despite its popularity, many organizations have yet to incorporate instant messaging into their communication strategy. According to the same study, only 30% of companies currently use these channels, thus being a missed opportunity for many businesses. By not being available on the users’ preferred channels, they risk losing an important part of potential customers. In addition to questioning their commitment to fulfilling customer needs and offering a service that meets their expectations.
Why incorporate instant messaging to your Contact Center?
Customers prefer instant messaging
As we can see, instant messaging is the preferred communication channel for customers, mainly because they already use it on a day-to-day basis, and therefore, they expect companies to offer them this communication option as well. In addition, it is a fast, direct and easily accessible channel, which allows you to send a comment, query or request immediately without wasting time and patience. For this reason, integrating these channels is essential if you want to offer a better experience, increase satisfaction, and therefore, loyalty.
Increased efficiency and reduced costs
The incorporation of instant messaging channels is also useful for those companies that seek to reduce costs without losing the quality of their communication. Now it is not necessary to invest a large capital in hiring and training a large team of agents to attend to phone calls, chats or emails. By integrating these platforms into omnichannel software, contact centers can reduce their team, as these channels allow for much more direct communication, reducing cost per lead and also agent burnout.
Process automation
Another benefit of integrating instant messaging is the possibility of automating processes. Contact centers can make use of chatbots as well as schedule communications on different platforms to improve efficiency and offer immediate responses to users. Furthermore, by integrating solutions such as WhatsApp Business into your Contact Center, it will help you speed up sales and show your product or service in a close and personalized way.
Increased customer satisfaction
Remember that by allowing customers to communicate with your company through channels that are already part of their daily lives, you will give them more control and flexibility over communication, and they will feel that they are receiving personalized service since these messages feel more informal than a phone call or email.
Data analysis and feedback
Instant messaging channels are also essential for collecting information about customer interactions with the contact center. With this data, communication patterns can be analyzed and determined, as well as possible pain points and new opportunities for improvement. In addition, by allowing customers to provide feedback more easily and directly, it helps to gain a better understanding of their preferences and needs.
Challenges and opportunities of instant messaging in your contact center
However, incorporating these instant messaging channels into the Contact Center also presents some challenges that must be taken into account.
Before incorporating new communication channels, it is important to define the objectives and priorities of the company. What is expected to be achieved with the incorporation of these channels? What are the needs and preferences of customers? What are the metrics that will be used to measure success? By answering these questions, a clear and measurable action plan can be established.
Manage multiple instant messaging channels
One of the biggest challenges that companies face when incorporating instant messaging channels into their Contact Center is how to manage multiple communication channels. Each platform has its own unique interface and communication protocols, which can make it difficult to manage and track customers.
To overcome this challenge, it is essential to have a unified management platform that allows the customer service team to manage all channels from a single interface. With an omnichannel tool like EVOLUTION, it is possible to integrate different channels on a single platform and have a complete view of customer interactions.
Maintain clear and consistent communication
Instant messaging can be very effective in customer service. But only if it is used in a clear and coherent way, avoiding possible misunderstandings and frustrations.
For this reason, it is important to establish guidelines and scripts that help agents to communicate with consumers without losing the coherence with the tone of the company. Train your agents to ensure they communicate effectively, clearly and professionally in all interactions.
Maintain high levels of security and privacy
Security and privacy are a major concern for customers when it comes to sharing information through online communication channels. Companies must be able to guarantee data security and privacy to earn their trust and loyalty.
To guarantee the proper use and security of this data, it is important to have correct identity management, active directory or message encryption to protect this information from unauthorized access.
Have multi-channel management tools
In order to manage multiple conversations on different communication channels, it is important to have software that allows you to integrate and manage all conversations in one place. This will facilitate the task of the Contact Center agents and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of customer service. Thus, agents will be able to see all conversations in one place. Without having to change the application or tool to serve a customer in a different channel.
Similarly, make sure you do efficient data analysis and conversation monitoring. With the use of multiple communication channels, a large amount of information will be generated. This must be analyzed to obtain insights and improve customer service. In addition, monitoring conversations is essential to detect any problems or complaints from customers and solve them in a timely manner.
Integrate all channels in the same space with EVOLUTION
Do you have a Contact Center and are you still doubting whether to incorporate these channels? Contact us or request a demo of our EVOLUTION omnichannel software. The most complete and innovative solution on the market. With it you can integrate the services of WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Live Chat, Chatbot and much more in a single space. Ready for omnichannel?
