What are the factors responsible for the success of Internet Service Providers (ISPs)? There are many factors such as high-speed internet, service quality, adequate bandwidth, and low outages, to name a few. But one factor is extremely critical. That’s customer service.
Surprised? Customer service is one of the major drivers of growth and profitability for ISPs. As per a study, ISPs that transform their core operations (such as customer service) are more likely to register between two to five percent in top-line growth and savings of as much as five percent on operating costs.
TThis blog post discusses how ISPs can boost customer satisfaction by leveraging omnichannel support, specifically through the implementation of advanced technologies like Omnichannel Contact Center Software. This lists the important benefits omnichannel support provides ISPs and the way it enhances customer satisfaction. Read on to know more.
Benefits of Omnichannel Support for ISPs
As senior customer care professional John Bowden rightly said “Omnichannel is viewing the experience through the eyes of your customer.” Omnichannel support has a wide range of benefits for ISPs. Some of them are:
Wide Range of Communication Channels
Just imagine, you try to contact a business using your preferred channel but you couldn’t reach them despite multiple attempts. How would you feel? That’s exactly how a majority of customers would feel if they were not able to reach your customer service by using their preferred channel. And in the age of smartphones and seamless internet connectivity, voice calls are not the sole preferred channel.
Nine out of ten customers expect businesses to provide multi-channel communication support, a study reveals. As per a recent stat, over two-thirds of customers say that they find customer support on social media convenient. As far as communication channels are concerned, a lack of options can be a major deal breaker. ISPs that leverage omnichannel support will never have to worry about a lack of options. They are well able to provide a wide range of options without any worry.
Enhanced FCR Rate
“The most expensive call is the one that loses you customers! The cheapest call is the one you don’t have to take.” This quote asserts the importance of first-call resolution (FCR) for businesses in general. An FCR rate of 90 percent or more is the gold standard for many organizations. Now the question is can omnichannel support enhance the first call resolution rate? The answer is a resounding yes.
Picture this: a customer calls your number and speaks to a customer service representative the very first time his or her call gets connected. The agent is most likely to answer all queries of the customer because of the sophisticated skill-based routing in an omnichannel communication system.
Increased Agent Productivity and Efficiency
Efficiency is the cornerstone for ISPs’ success. Omnichannel support not only allows for a more efficient and streamlined support process. It also enables customer support representatives to handle two or more interactions at the same time. That’s not possible with regular calls. Come to think of it. When a customer calls, an agent is engaged in the call. They do not have the time to attend to any other calls while they’re speaking on the ongoing call. If they attempt to handle two calls or more, then it would be a disaster!
But with omnichannel support, things are different. Customer support agents can handle two or more customer interactions simultaneously. Let’s assume one interaction is a live chat, another interaction is an instant message, and the third is a social media interaction. As the agent is not talking, he or she can switch between three different windows and handle the interactions. As a famous quote goes “The idea of omnichannel support is to scale the volume of customer interaction with agents so they can cater to multiple clients.”
Reduced Call Volumes
Suppose some customers of an ISP face issues with their internet connection. What are they going to do? They are going to contact the customer service department to get their problems resolved. In such cases, what can ISPs expect? That’s right, high call volumes! The sheer volume of calls will not only increase wait times for customers but also create chaotic situations. After all, the most annoying phrase is “Due to high call volume, wait times may be longer than normal.”
However, omnichannel support would considerably reduce the volume of support calls. When customers have access to live chat, text messages, instant messaging, social media support, and other channels, they would rely less on phone calls. Why would they call a customer service number when there are multiple ways to connect with representatives?
Decreased Customer Support Costs
Would you be surprised to know omnichannel support lowers customer support costs by leaps and bounds? You shouldn’t, because the omnichannel feature improves productivity and efficiency by manifold. Just think, when a customer support representative does the work of two or three agents, won’t it lower the costs? Won’t it allow an ISP to channel its funds in a more lucrative area?
By offering alternative channels such as self-service portals, ISPs not only can reduce their support costs but also give self-service options to customers. As per recent data, more than two-thirds of customers would prefer solving minor issues by themselves instead of reaching out to customer care representatives.
Improved Customer Satisfaction
This point shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. When customers get to communicate using their preferred communication channels, they are much more likely to be satisfied with the outcome. The ability to choose their preferred communication channel empowers customers, leading to a more positive experience.
Omnichannel support is just like the hygiene factor. Its presence does enhance customer satisfaction. Its absence can cause dissatisfaction and may lead to customer turnover. When customers don’t get their preferred communication channel to interact with an ISP, they are more likely to stop doing business altogether and switch to other ISPs.
24/7 Availability
“Customer service is a 24/7 job.” This statement applies to all types and sizes of businesses in general and ISPs in particular. The clients of ISPs don’t only use the internet during day time. They tend to use the internet as per their needs. When those working night shifts face any issues late in the night or wee hours of the morning, they can’t wait till the “official hours” for the resolution of their issues. That’s why round-the-clock availability is extremely crucial for ISPs.
That’s where omnichannel support can help ISPs offer round-the-clock support. Automated tools such as chatbots and self-service portals can enable customers to reach out to ISPs whenever they need to and get their problems resolved. Resources such as FAQs and troubleshooting guides can also offer self-service to customers and save them time.
Taking Everything into Account,
In today’s digital era, ISPs play a vital role in providing people and businesses with high-speed internet connectivity. Without ISPs we cannot imagine how our lives would be. When it comes to providing customer service, ISPs must leverage omnichannel support to enable their clients to reach them using their preferred communication channels.
For that, ISPs must handpick the right communication software solutions that come integrated with omnichannel support so that they can provide the best-in-class customer service.