What does customer service automation mean?
With automated customer service, companies streamline processes and create the possibility of fast around-the-clock supports. This leads to the desired answers and resolutions without delay.
There are various ways to automate customer service. This does not, however, mean that companies should forgo the personal touch altogether. In many cases, automation simply offers additional options for receiving support.
Customer contact and automated services
Examples of how customers interact with automated services include:
- A customer uses the automated service, achieves her goal and requires no further service.
- A customer relies on the automated service to start a process. They still need human intervention due to the request complexity.
- A customer contacts support, but is told that they can use the self-service options more quickly and conveniently.
- An AI chatbot switches on.
Examples of automated customer service
Customer service automation can mean resolving customer queries by using web chat functions, messages or knowledge bases. This is done without contacting a human agent.
There are various to support customer service with automation:
- Internal workflow automation. By using software to structure inquiries and communication, the burden on service employees is relieved. Customers have the information they need more quickly.
- AI-controlled chatbots can answer inquiries via the app or website.
- Self-service options like knowledge base articles, FAQs, and forums help customers easily find assistance.
- Automated emails are sent to customers to inform them about processes, updates and statuses.
- Interactive voice response systems answer customer calls.
Advantages of automated customer service
Automating services is not an end in itself. Companies expect benefits that can best be expressed in concrete, relevant figures.
Here are the benefits that customers, employees and the company as a whole can directly perceive.
Advantage #1: Constant availability
24/7: Admittedly, this term is overused, but it makes a lot of sense when it comes to automated customer service. People can hardly provide constant availability. Even with generous service times, competent contact persons are often very busy and difficult to reach.
An undisputed advantage of automation and self-service is the ability to access information exactly when it is needed.
In a busy life full of tasks and appointments, customers want to initiate support when it suits them. This is often in the evening, for example, when most service employees are also off work. Customer satisfaction is boosted when customers are helped on their own schedules.
Advantage #2: Personalized experiences – better customer experience
When a customer service agent is in contact with a service employee, there is personal contact. The employee usually does not know the customer’s individual preferences and needs. It is difficult to tailor the answers to the customer.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can improve this by recognizing preferences and patterns. This allows for tailored responses. Recommendations are also generated based on previous purchases and customer service interactions.
Automated customer service now has many ways to respond to individual concerns. These systems can adapt to customer needs and provide targeted, tailored content.
Such automation enables customers to find what they are looking for more quickly, resulting in greater satisfaction and loyalty. In turn, companies can improve key performance indicators, such as the customer retention rate (CRR) or sales figures.
Advantage #3: Saving time and money
When customers make inquiries, they want quick responses. In today’s fast-paced world, hardly anyone wants to wait long for helpful answers.
On the other hand, it is also important for companies to save time. With automation, employees are able to take on fewer repetitive tasks and can concentrate more on value-adding work.
On the one hand, cost savings are achieved because employees act more efficiently. They achieve more in the time available to them.
Meanwhile, dissatisfied customers cause high costs. These costs include direct costs and lost opportunities. Clever automation can help avoid these issues.
Advantage #4: Fewer errors and better quality
Mistakes happen – event in customer service. This cannot always be avoided, but it does have many negative effects. Automation prevents such errors. This is always the case when processes are already well defined through process optimization.
Consistency exists because the same workflows are used in automated service. By replicating successful procedures again and again, companies achieve a consistently high quality level.
Advantage #5: Scalability
In traditional customer service, extra inquiries causes problems. Additional support agents, resources and costs are needed to cover the increased demand.
With automation, on the other hand, there are no physical limits to the volume of service that can be delivered. AI powered chatbots or virtual assistants, for example, are in continuous use without any restrictions whatsoever.
Advantage #6: Continuous improvement
Automated customer service sometimes used to have a reputation for not being ideal. There were a number of reasons for this:
- Automations had their limitations with individual and complex single cases.
- Early automation solutions were immature and had many weaknesses.
- Hardly any solution is perfect from the outset. It must evolve.
The principle of continuous improvement is useful here. Systems learn from data, which includes input and experience. Customer feedback is also important for making improvements.
Customer service automation challenges
There are certainly challenges with automated customer service. These can be overcome with cleverly placed and well thought-out solutions that support and complement traditional customer service.
Here are a few topics to consider:
- Customers who greatly appreciate human interaction feel a loss of the personal touch. This is more obvious when they deal exclusively with automation tools.
- Some customers may view automation as a restriction rather than an enrichment.
- Customers who need extensive support get lost in automation functions and get nowhere. This could lead to frustration.
- Some are directed to a knowledge database or a chatbot. They may feel rejected and thus perceive service quality as lower.
- Service automation must be thought through thoroughly. This prevents large investments on which there is no return.
The problems mentioned can be mostly avoided if automation is done correctly and best practices are used.
Best practices for automated customer service
The following best practices are useful for automating customer service.
Best practice #1: Analyze customer needs in detail
Customer needs are usually well known, but what kind of automation customers want often remains unresolved. The question must be how to best to meet the customer’s interests.
For example, customers may not be sufficiently informed about the status and progress of their inquiries. Tthey may have to spend too much time on support issues. Customers may want quick, simple access to relevant knowledge.
Review customer data to understand the needs that customers have.
Best practice #2: Use human, empathetic language
People want humanity. It’s a natural need. At the same time, the advantages of automated services cannot be denied. Fortunately, humanity and automation can be combined.
Whether an automated system relies more on written or spoken language, it should feel empathetic to customers and convey a feeling of “good care”. You can achieve this by carefully shaping the tone of an automated service. Avoid using stiff, robotic language.
Best practice #3: Offer alternatives to automation
Nobody likes to be presented with something that has no alternative. Automation must feel like an extension or improvement of the customer service experience. It should not feel like a restriction. Customers who do not want automation should not have to use it.
There should always be a way to bypass the automated system and easily communicate a human agent. Customers have their own individual preferences and are happy when the service successfully covers them.
Best practice #4: Keep transparency and data protection high
Trust and genuine customer loyalty only work with honesty and sincere communication. This means that it must be clear to customers when they are interacting with an automated system.
They should also know how their data is being used. It goes without saying that companies must comply with all relevant data protection guidelines.
Best practice #5: Review and adapt regularly
We are constantly confronted with new developments. The validity of information changes. Knowledge databases, FAQs, predefined answers or chatbot capabilities are often not well-maintained after implementation. Meanwhile user needs – due to numerous external influences – are subject to constant change.
As yesterday’s information cannot generate tomorrow’s added value, regular reviews and associated updates must take place. This creates reliability, trust and good customer loyalty.
Best practice #6: Choose the right software
Many automation projects face problems because they rely on different tools. Each tool is only useful to a certain point. Instead, companies should choose centralized platforms that offer structure and can be integrated into their individual workflow management.
High-quality software is highly functional, flexible, customizable and scalable (changes can be adapted). In addition, the system used must fit the project plan and not be a “makeshift” solution.
A brief look into the future
It can be assumed that customer service will become even more automated in the future thanks to artificial intelligence. The biggest advantage here is personalization. Service will respond to the individual needs of a customer in greater depth.
Generative AI can start right at the beginning of the process by being used to train employees. For example, highly unique scenarios were previously a weakness in service.
This will no longer be the case. Customers will receive with automated suggestions based on their profile. AI scripts will be able to solve customer issues instantly.
Providing customers with solutions before problems happen is key. This could greatly improve the efficiency of support teams using AI bots in the future. AI technologies can quickly find the causes of problems. They can also handle tasks like managing escalations or creating support tickets.
Future bots will not be based on scripts, but will be dialog-based. This means they will be individually tailored to customers by recognizing their moods and evaluating existing data and activities. This means that customers can receive helpful solutions tailored to their needs in real time.
Customer service automation with OTRS
OTRS offers a dedicated software solution that is specially tailored to the needs of customer service and support. It can be flexibly adapted to individual company requirements. Quickly responding to customer questions, creating transparency, and standardizing processes helps the customer service team provide better service.
Automation and self-service aspects are evident in this way:
- Thanks to automated workflows, all steps are completed reliably and well.
- Context-dependent FAQs create clarity for customers and reduce the workload of service teams.
- Automatic notifications and ticket assignments save time. They shorten response and inquiry times.
- Thanks to the intuitive integration of a knowledge database, users can quickly find exactly what they are looking for.
- Customers can plan their preferred service times according to the availability of the service team.
Conclusion: automation enriches service delivery
Automated customer service is gaining ground. It offers considerable benefits in many areas, from which companies, customers and employees can benefit. Faster solutions and better service experiences help everyone. They also make time use more effective and increase flexibility.
Some people do complain about the loss of personal touch in automated services. Others enjoy the independence gained and the reduced number of interactions. It is important that both groups are listened to and see their needs met by the services offered.
Companies must now take care to implement automated services in the right way to increase customer value. Such solutions require a good concept – including overarching goals and purposes – as well as structured implementation.
Find out how OTRS can support you with automated customer service.
