Want support strategy advice that actually works?
Forget listening to speculation. Let’s focus on real data from leading customer support organizations.
Here’s what you’ll uncover…
Digital transformation has become critical for world-class customer support.
Teams who ignore it will fall behind.
Companies who adopt it are crushing the competition.
Here’s what you’re about to learn:
- Why Digital Transformation Is Important for Support Teams
- Remote Customer Support Is Becoming the Norm
- 5 Ways Technology Is Transforming Customer Service
- Crafting a Strategy That Will Pay Off
Why Digital Transformation Is Important for Support Teams
Digital transformation refers to how companies are integrating new technology into their support operations and connecting with customers. If your company isn’t focused on digital transformation, now is the time to start.
Customers expect fast response times. They want support on their channel of choice. And they demand help across every possible platform.
According to Gartner, by 2025, 80% of customer service organizations will use generative AI for key use cases that improve agent productivity and customer experience. They’re also demanding more from support teams than ever before.
Businesses that have started hiring remote workers for their support teams are ahead of the curve. Remote workers allow customer service departments to scale, provide 24/7 support and access to a wider talent pool.
In fact, many companies are working hard to fill international customer support roles. Hiring remote workers in countries like the Philippines allows businesses to provide excellent service while accessing English-speaking workers with real customer service experience.
Want another reason why digital transformation through remote work is important? Keep reading.
Remote Customer Support Is Becoming the Norm
Working remotely is quickly becoming more than a trend. If your company hasn’t embraced remote work as a permanent solution, now is the time to start thinking about how you can make that shift.
Remote work has adapted extremely well to customer service. Everything support reps used to do in the office can now be done from home.
Talk with any remote worker and they’ll tell you that working from home comes with less office distractions. Remote employees gain about 62 hours of productive work per year by eliminating these interruptions.
This directly translates into faster customer response times and happier customers.
Another huge benefit of digital transformation through remote work that people tend to forget…
When you hire remote workers, you have access to a larger pool of potential candidates. Hiring isn’t limited by where your business is located. You can provide round-the-clock coverage by hiring in multiple time zones. And you’ll have access to the best of the best because your talent pool is larger than your local competition.
5 Ways Technology Is Transforming Customer Service
Digital transformation is helping companies provide better customer service in a variety of ways.
Here are just a few:
1. AI-based Support Software
AI is making huge strides in customer service. Chatbots are taking care of basic questions. Artificial intelligence is helping agents find answers quicker. Predictive software can even anticipate a customer’s needs before they know they have them.
However, AI isn’t replacing your support agents. Instead, it’s taking care of repetitive tasks while your team handles more difficult issues.
2. Communication Across Every Channel
When a customer reaches out to your support team, they don’t want to repeat their issue on every platform.
“If we emailed you, why do I have to call you now to explain my entire problem again?”
Digital customers expect to be able to speak with support via phone, email, live chat, or social media. They want a seamless transition between each channel.
That’s why successful companies are utilizing omnichannel support software. This allows customer service reps to view the entire history of a customer’s account, regardless of how they got in contact.
There’s no more hunting through emails to find old conversations. Everything is in one place.
3. Cloud Software
Cloud-based software has changed the way support teams work.
Software updates occur in real-time. Adding or subtracting seats is instant. And your entire team has access to software remotely.
This is incredibly useful for companies who hire remote workers. Everything your team needs is available online, allowing everyone to work seamlessly no matter their location.
4. Data and Analytics
Did you know that every time a customer contacts your company, you get data?
Data and analytics are huge components of digital transformation. By analyzing the data your business collects, you can improve.
Analyzing your customer service data can help you discover:
- What topics are causing the most tickets
- When most contact occurs
- What topics your customers search for before contacting support
Bonus tip: When you combine your data with remote workers, you can supercharge your staffing strategy. Data can tell you when you should staff agents in each time zone to provide maximum coverage.
5. Self-Service
Nobody likes waiting on hold.
But did you know that many customers prefer to help themselves?
Knowledgebases, FAQs, and help centers allow your customers to find the answers they need in just minutes. Helping your customers help themselves keeps them from having to wait on a support representative and can improve your overall CSAT scores.
Crafting a Strategy That Will Pay Off
Digital transformation is not a set it and forget it type of deal. Once you make changes, you need to continuously improve.
Here are a few things companies who excel in customer service are doing:
- Invest in solid technology. Just because a new tool makes AI sounds cool doesn’t mean your business needs it. Look for technology that meshes well with the services you already use.
- Train your employees on new tools. You can buy the best software in the world, but if your employees don’t know how to use it, you may as well be working remotely. Train your team on any new tools you purchase so they can put them to use.
- Know your metrics. Figure out what metrics are most important to your company. Is it first response time? Ticket resolution? Or customer satisfaction? Figure out your important metrics and use them to improve.
- Don’t limit your search for employees to your backyard. The best customer service agents in the world may be located across the globe. When crafting your hiring strategy, make sure you have the ability to reach these candidates.
Remote customer support isn’t going anywhere. By hiring remote workers, businesses can scale on demand, save money, and access the best customer service agents from all over the world.
However, don’t expect digital transformation to fix an incompetent support strategy. All the technology in the world can’t replace genuine care, empathy, and problem-solving skills.
Digital transformation works best when utilized by great people.
Closing Thoughts
Digital transformation is making it possible for AI to take care of repetitive tasks while your support team handles the complex questions.
Cloud software allows businesses to provide customers service from anywhere in the world.
Data can tell you how to best provide customer service and when to staff each time zone.
While digital transformation can help your business provide amazing customer service, it isn’t a replacement for great customer service agents.
Customer service will only continue to improve as businesses begin to adopt digital transformation into their support strategies.
Companies that hire remote workers will have a distinct advantage when it comes to hiring. Not only will they have access to a larger talent pool, but they’ll also be able to provide customers with faster response times and better customer experiences.
Companies that refuse to adapt to digital transformation will be left in the dust.
Let’s review…
- Digital transformation is quickly becoming necessary to have an exceptional support team.
- Teams are starting to use remote workers for their support teams.
- AI, Cloud Software, and Data are a few of the ways technology is improving how customer service is delivered.
- Just because a company uses digital transformation doesn’t mean their customer service strategy is flawless.
Digital transformation is here. Whether you embrace it or not, your competitors already are.
What will you do to get ahead of the curve?
Pallavi Singal is the Vice President of Content at ztudium, where she leads innovative content strategies and oversees the development of high-impact editorial initiatives. With a strong background in digital media and a passion for storytelling, Pallavi plays a pivotal role in scaling the content operations for ztudium’s platforms, including Businessabc, Citiesabc, and IntelligentHQ, Wisdomia.ai, MStores, and many others. Her expertise spans content creation, SEO, and digital marketing, driving engagement and growth across multiple channels. Pallavi’s work is characterised by a keen insight into emerging trends in business, technologies like AI, blockchain, metaverse and others, and society, making her a trusted voice in the industry.
