Introduction
The business landscape has undergone tremendous changes thanks to the
developments in the field of technology. We have seen businesses achieve
staggering growths because of their adaptability to such changes.
Technological advancements have improved
many aspects of businesses across industries. The positive impact of technology seen in the successes of brands that
adopted technology has caused a ripple effect. Many corporations are now
seeking to embrace tech in their operations. They are seeking to embrace
technology to optimize processes and get better results.
An example of a business function impacted by technology is communication.
Using technological advancements in communication helps brands improve their
customer satisfaction rates.
The aim of business software is to improve a client’s experience with
thebrand. Using software in customer-centric businesses has yielded good
results for businesses.
In this article, we highlight the best software for customer-centric
businesses. These software tools will help improve the brand’s customer
satisfaction.
1. Omnichannel Solutions Software
In the past, calls were the only communication method available for customers
to communicate with a business. However, over the years, more communication
channels have come up. The increased number of communication channels has
created a unique problem though.
It is common to hear clients complaining that they have to state their issues
every time they contact a business. This happens regardless of whether a
client had communicated with the business earlier using a different
communication channel or whether the client is following up on previous
communication agreements. This problem is solely attributed to the fact it is
highly unlikely that a client can contact a business and get the same customer
service personnel who is already aware of their concern.
This situation is known to irk numerous people. Omnichannel contact centers
come in as a godsent in such cases. They can be implemented by
businesses to mitigate this problem. Omni-channel solutions use cloud-based
software that links the different communication channels of a business. Omni
channel solutions can be used for SMS, phone calls, social media messages,
etc. The use of
omnichannel contact centers
has helped businesses provide seamless communication with clients.
Omni channel solutions work by creating a transcript of the conversation that
a client had with business personnel. The transcript is saved in the client’s
profile. With this, any customer service personnel can refer to previous
customer service interactions that a client had whenever they contact the
business again.
2. CRM Software
CRM software is used to execute a business’s customer relationship management
strategy. CRM software, therefore, helps businesses capture, store and access
customer data.
CRM software is vital for customer-centric businesses. This is because it
stores data used to better brand-client relationship. Data in the CRM software
can be analyzed using various machine learning algorithms. The customer data
analysis helps to extract insights from it.
The most common function carried out on data in a brand’s CRM software is
client clustering based on their attributes. With
clustering algorithms, the business can have similar clients grouped together.
After clustering, the marketing strategies and business experience are
tailored for specific groups. They are tailored to meet the needs and
attributes of specific client groups. Businesses that personalize marketing
and experiences to clients have high customer satisfaction rate. This is
because the clients feel that the business knows their needs and wants and
delivers them with precision.
CRM can also help a business automate its marketing strategy. Automation of
the marketing strategy helps to increase its productivity. Automation of
marketing strategies grants marketing personnel free time. They can therefore
perform non-repetitive functions that need human intervention in the
business.
3. Chatbot Software
Businesses aiming to deliver the best experiences to their clients know that
customer support is vital. In the past, businesses had customer support
services during the day only. This is because the support personnel adhered to
the 9-5 work hours.
In this era, however, clients are more demanding and expect 24/7 support from
a business. This is where chatbots come in. Chatbots are software that uses
natural language processing to engage in human-like conversations. Chatbots
can work via SMS or live chat.
Chatbots have helped businesses offer 24/7 support to their clients.
Businesses equip chatbots with common knowledge of how to offer help to
clients. They have knowledge on how to solve easy client problems or those
that are common and repetitive. If a chatbot comes across a client concern
that it cannot handle, it forwards the issue to a live business agent.
Other than customer support, chatbots can also help in e-commerce for order
placing. Using chatbots to help clients execute tasks via SMS or live chat
streamlines processes for clients. This in turn increases their
satisfaction.
Another use case for chatbots in customer-centric businesses is the collection
of client data. Businesses can use chatbots to request clients’ data which is
vital to ensure that the business offers better services. However, this
chatbot use case is one that brands must be wary about.
It is illegal to use chatbots that run code in the background and collect user
data without their awareness or consent. When using chatbots for data
collection, the chatbot should prompt the client to input the required data or
deny the data submission request. This ensures the use of chatbots for data
collection does not flout data privacy and information security laws.
4. Social Media and Website Analytics Software
Websites and social media accounts have become a must-have for businesses
seeking to be successful in their respective markets. Websites and social
media accounts generate a lot of data that serves as a goldmine for business
to target, acquire, and retain customers.
Social media and website analytics software breaks down the raw data from
social media accounts and websites. It breaks down the data and presents it in
easy-to-understand visualizations and reports that can be used to improve the
accounts or website.
Improving the brand’s website or social media accounts will grant clients a
better experience with the business. The logic is that the business goes
to where the client is and in today’s world enmasse people can be found being
active on social media platforms. By using the right strategy with
content, advertisments, and branding, a business can garner the support and
patronage of people.
Conclusion
When planning to use software solutions to offer better service to your
clients, it is vital to adopt software relevant to your industry. Some
software solutions for customer-centric businesses are developed for use in
specific industries. It is therefore important to check the target users for
the software before purchasing.
When purchasing software, go for general software, i.e., usable in all
industries or software that is specific to your industry. All businesses
aim to satisfy the customer, make profits, and grow. With software
solutions that are customer-centric businesses can genuinely cater to customer
needs and queries.
A satisfied customer is the best brand ambassador you can ask for and the most
reliable channel for word-of-mouth advert for your company. So what are
you waiting for, ensure that you have the best customer-centric software for
your business, and reap the multitude of benefits it offers.