Customer service is a “make it or break it” concept. When your customer channels work hard to make customers happy, 72% of clients will share the positive brand experience with about six friends and connections. On the opposite end, just one poor service experience is enough to break customer loyalty.
Today’s consumer-oriented economy lives in a state of heightened expectations and allows no “twilight zone”. You’re either on board the trend or are thrown offboard by a competitor. Companies vie with each other to provide omnichannel customer support.
Meanwhile, on the consumer side, it’s not just variety as much as speed, accessibility, and personalization that seal the deal:
- 66% of clients define time as the decisive factor in customer experience
- 90% of customers want an “immediate” response to their challenges– i.e. one that takes 10 minutes or less
- 65% of clients expect real-time help regardless of the customer channel used
As a result, only a unified and structured core of support channels can set the foundation of deep customer loyalty.
What’s the Optimal Number of Contact Channels for a Business?
With the plethora of service options available, you may be wondering – how many customer channels does my business really need?
Three factors are decisive when choosing contact channels:
- They are where your audience is – taking into account your TA’s age, demographics, and business growth strategy
- They don’t exhaust your team’s capabilities – e.g. if you’re a solopreneur, managing many service points will result in poor service across all of them
- You plan to consistently keep, update, and develop the chosen channels
If you’re on the small business side, an optimal number of contact channels is about 3-4 well-serviced options. Larger businesses can opt for 5+ main contact points.
15 Customer Channels to Propel Customer Service
1. Phone support
There’s a reason the phone tops this list. At a customer satisfaction rate of 91%, it’s the customer contact channel that consumers naturally reach out for. Not only is the phone the most “humanized” and quickest to solve customer issues, but it’s also the first point of contact for multiple businesses.
However, phone support isn’t limited to a phone number and a customer service representative on the other end. A company phone that is a highly-rated service channel (not just a first point of contact) needs to have:
- A business phone number that’s either local, toll-free, or vanity
- Informative and professional voicemail and on-hold greetings
- A simple call flow that reduces waiting time to the minimum
The last point is particularly poignant: 33% of customers admit they’re downright “frustrated” with on-hold waiting and having to repeat their issues to agents from various departments, so make sure your business phone system supports IVR and visual call flows (you can read more on that here). On the business side, phone support grows your customer base, makes remote support incredibly easy (your support agents can work from home), and fits virtually any industry.
Best for: Local businesses, e-commerce, technology services/product companies, non-profit organizations
2.AI Chatbot
Chatbots are now so advanced, they’re able to handle 69% of chats from start to finish, providing satisfactory CX without taking up any time on behalf of the business.
Think of a chatbot as an automated FAQ section on your website. It’s a neat and handy solution for industries like online businesses where most of the questions your site visitors have (e.g. pricing, particular offers, availability, etc.) are non-technical and repetitive in nature.
Really smart chatbots aren’t “out of the box” solutions. They must be trained to know your business inquiries and needs, so make sure you understand the specifics of setting up a chatbot or hire a professional to do the job.
Best for: Online service businesses, travel & hospitality, e-commerce
3. Multilingual chatbot
Chatbots are indispensable for answering FAQs without constant input on the business side. This saves a business tons of time and resources on employees. But for an international business, chatbots are also smart translation assistants that can secure otherwise lost leads.
Multilingual chatbots are indispensable for handling customer requests in the international market. Go for multilingual chatbots that offer AI-powered real-time translation and can automatically translate input from a variety of languages to the bot’s “native” tongue.
Best for: International e-commerce, international services, international travel & hospitality, etc.
4. Live chat
As runner-up to phone support, live chat wins the heart of 85% of customers in terms of customer satisfaction and functionality.
Our product managers constantly mention the importance of live chat – it’s our favorite customer service channel. If AI chat/chatbots can solve the frequently asked questions of online business clients in the non-tech sector, companies selling and servicing SaaS products cannot underestimate the importance of live chat.
Train your specialists to solve frequent tasks in live chat, but in the case of more serious issues, instruct them on quickly delegating the problem over to phone agents. (By the way, this is simple with a feature like Conference Calling/ Consultative Call)
Best for: Digital/technology companies, e-commerce, online businesses
5. Social media platforms
For Millenial and GenZ audiences as well as e-commerce businesses that primarily market their products through social media, develop social media as one of your primary points of contact.
According to Microsoft, 74% of millennials report that their perception of a brand improves when it is clear the company responds to customers’ social media inquiries (and nowadays, that’s clearly visible on the profile page).
But social media isn’t just about answering messages from potential clients. It’s a useful practice to incorporate customer support into your wider social media strategy and answer frequently asked questions in your stories or posts on a regular basis, in this way turning your profile into a customer reference channel in itself.
Best for: E-commerce businesses, online services, hospitality, digital businesses
6. Business messengers
With over 2 billion active monthly users, WhatsApp is where the world (or at least a quarter of it) chats. WhatsApp Business is a newer business offspring, but many new businesses already choose it as their two-in-one virtual storefront + contact point.
E-com businesses, in particular, can showcase their online storefront and communicate with customers directly through business messengers like WhatsApp.
Best for: E-commerce, online services, bookings, digital businesses
7. Business SMS
Reports show that one-third of customers attempted to seek assistance via SMS sent to the company number. Easier than finding the company’s profile on social media etc. this is a fast option for anyone who already knows your business number – and that’s a lot of people!
For a business that hasn’t included business SMS into their customer strategy, customer satisfaction may be lost (not to mention opportunities for SMS marketing). If you aren’t sure how to start with business SMS, this business texting etiquette guide will help you get started.
Best for: Local businesses, online businesses, bookings, hospitality
8. Google my Business
When searching for a local business online, a Google My Business listing will be the first thing a prospective customer sees. If you don’t have a Google My Business listing yet, are a local business without a storefront, or don’t know if your business needs one, check out this handy post.
If you already have a basic listing, be sure to add key information like a complete profile, reviews, and even blog posts. For example, Google My Business now offers live messaging so people can contact you right from the listing, turning it from a reference point into a customer interaction (and satisfaction) tool.
Best for: Local businesses
9. Video chat
Think back to the last time when a support technician attempted to explain to you over the phone how to troubleshoot an issue (e,g, connect those pesky TV or PC cables). Wouldn’t it have been so much faster and more satisfying to have them show, not tell?
If over the course of that conversation you felt completely stuck, you’re certainly not alone. Reports show that 23% of consumers seek out a face to face interaction when troubleshooting more complicated issues like tech ones.
If you’re a tech company, just imagine how many customers will leave positive reviews after a quick visual solution instead of a lengthy lecture. This option may not be highlighted on your web page, but be technically capable of and ready to provide it on demand.
Best for: Technology companies; digital/SaaS products
10. Email
In the age of social media, email may seem almost old-school, but it’s still a classic channel for servicing clients. In fact, 57% of customers say they prefer email, along with social media, as a communication channel.
Email is a particularly useful service tool for clients checking up on less urgent requests, bookings, and appointment scheduling as well as foreign/international customers who are most comfortable contacting the business via writing.
Best for: Local businesses, travel & hospitality, professional practices (e.g. medical, law, etc.), international businesses, e-commerce, non-profit organizations
11. Online groups and communities
People turn to internet communities – from Reddit and Quora to business and tech groups, to solve the widest variety of problems. Often when deciding on a product or service, they’ll voice their concerns in an independent online group or community, rather than ask a company’s “subjective” opinion.
That’s why it makes particular sense to have your support agents invisibly present in the online world. For example, set up Google Alerts for free so that when your company is mentioned anywhere across the web, you are first to know and offer help in a timely fashion.
Best for: Online businesses
12. Web contact form
Why have a “Contact Us” form on your business website when you have e-mail? While the difference is truly slight, Contact Us buttons and forms may be placed on different pages of the website and are simple to spot.
That said, contact forms do have a much lower conversion rate than other channels discussed above. This means that contact forms can definitely be an auxiliary help means for your customers (and if you have one, don’t forget to check it regularly – these do tend to get abandoned), but feel free to not focus on them as a primary service channel.
Best for: Online service businesses
13. Site forum
If you’re in a membership-based industry where there’s communication going on between different members, a forum is a useful form of community support. Although the conversation is going on between members of a club and sometimes they will feel more comfortable asking each other for help, these interactions are still a part of the “customer experience” and should be monitored. Ensure that any important questions members have are addressed and resolved by your team members.
Best for: Membership-type businesses and online clubs
14. FAQ
According to Forester, the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of a business website is the most frequently used self-service option for customers. As a quick reference point, most customers check this section out as a first option when they have a question to address.
Businesses should ensure that the FAQ page is clearly visible to website visitors. It should answer the most frequent inquiries from previous customers and be constantly updated to match changes in products/services.
Best for: online service businesses, digital/tech businesses, e-commerce, travel& hospitality, international businesses
15. Support pages
Why create these if you already have FAQ and other multi-channel support options set up across your website? With 77% of customers using self-service portals and the DIY trend augmented by Millenials and GenZ, the more of these your business has, the better.
While Support pages are not necessary for many types of businesses, they are essential for digital and technology product businesses. For example, our company has detailed instructions on setting up various features of our business phone system. Whatever your product, create a knowledge base on using it and regularly update it.
Best for: Tech/digital businesses
Tips on Choosing Customer Service Channels
Now that you have a shortlist of options fitting your industry (based on the above recommendations) let’s eliminate the unnecessary options. To do so, we’ll paraphrase the ancient Delphic oracle and follow two commandments:
1. Know thyself
Discuss the following questions with your team. They will help evaluate and brainstorm your customer strategy.
- How many customer representatives are on your team?
- How many customer support channels can they comfortably attend to and develop?
- What technology or tools from the shortlist are they comfortable with? What’s new?
- What new means are you willing to integrate into your help strategy?
2. Know thy customer
Your target audience (TA) determines your customer strategy across many points. To understand more about how your customers (prospective and existing) wish to reach you, answer the following questions.
- What’s the primary first point of contact for your business (website, social media, local listings, ads, etc.)?
- How many support requests do you handle per day?
- The demographics of your audience (age, geography)
- Is your audience tech-savvy? (low, average, professional)
If you’re hesitant about your audience’s needs, including the customer platforms your TA needs you to be present on, always ask. Ask customers how they want to talk to you, what matters for them, and listen to why it’s important. Feedback is what keeps the world of business rotating.
3. Prioritize channels that align with your brand image and values.
- Which customer support channels align with your brand image and values, such as email, phone, or chat?
- How do your brand values and image impact the choice of customer support channels?
- Which customer contact channels, such as social media or local listings, are most effective for reaching your target audience?
- How can you integrate these channels into your customer support strategy?
4. Assess the cost of each channel.
- What are the costs associated with each customer support channel, including technology, staffing, and training?
- Which channels are most cost-effective for your business?
- How much resource allocation is required for different customer support channels and customer contact channels?
- What is the cost-benefit analysis of investing in each channel?
5. Provide multilingual support.
- Do your customers speak different languages, and how does this affect your customer support strategy?
- What are the language requirements of your target audience, and how can you provide support in multiple languages?
- Which channels are most effective for providing multilingual support, such as phone, chat, or email?
- What tools or resources are needed to provide multilingual support across different channels?
- Can you partner with a translation service provider to assist with customer support interactions?
How to Improve Existing Customer Service Channels
If you want to additionally (or entirely) focus on existing points of contact with your customers, here’s what you can do to improve communication.
1. Revamp existing customer service channels
Reinventing is often better than reinvesting. Most probably, you already have several channels for contacting customers. The reason you’re here is that you are looking to expand on that. But before you do that, see how you can improve what you’ve got.
Here are a few questions to ponder:
- What channels are my customers actively using?
- What channels have been “ghosted” by my customers?
- Am I still investing time/effort/money into rarely used support channels?
- What are some actionable points to improve the top 3 service points that I will prioritize? (e.g. what business features does my phone support lack; how well do I use social media as a help point; what’s the success rate for my chatbot and how can I improve it?
2. Evaluate the quality of service you provide
Omnichannel support is terrific. But it’s not just the quality as much as the quality that your audience is after.
If you have a team of several people or are a digital/tech or e-com company with several departments, the easiest means to evaluate the level of support is to actively monitor it. In this respect, we suggest call recording.
Call recording is a perfectly legal and safe way to up your game in terms of service. It can be used as a tool to evaluate your support team’s performance, make adjustments, and take note of customer questions and concerns to improve other channels.
Customer Service Quality Isn’t Expensive – It’s Priceless
With modern, cost-cutting technology like a business phone system, AI or Live Chat systems, and online communication platforms, even the smallest business can roll out a strong support strategy. No big investments needed.
Add to that a strong feedback loop and the goal of turning business interactions into a personalized, caring, human-to-human experience, and 5-star reviews from loyal customers will be merely a natural side-effect of your enviable support strategy.
