How To Create Cloud-Worthy Customer Service
There are many reasons to move your company onto the cloud. These range from increasing data accessibility without infrastructure cost worries to creating an entirely scalable storage system. Whatever you choose, don’t ignore customer service.
Customer service is an area that is often treated as less important than core functionality or growth in the IT sector. Bear in mind that however novel one’s software is or how many users you can amass in a short amount of time, If your customer service is not strong when things go wrong, your business is doomed.
Just how important is customer service in this sector?
Data from Harris Interactive examined how consumers interact with companies. Their research found that “more than half of U.S. adults would be at least somewhat likely to switch to another company if they offered more options to connect with them than a company they were currently using.”
This means to remain competitive in your customer service approach using the cloud, your business would be well-served to do just that. Here’s how you can use cloud computing to offer the best customer service experience possible.
Taking your customers data security seriously.
Unlike the early days of the internet, consumers are increasingly savvy about where and how their data is stored. If you retain customer data as part of your service offering, you should be willing to answer customer queries about exactly how this is done. A
transparent and secure data storage policy on the cloud is the safest way to hold onto customer data without risk. Preemptively communicating clearly with your customers —before they ask—will put you in the good graces for customers who are wary about data protection. If you live in the UK or the EU you will have no choice as by 2018 GDPR will be in force.
Use the cloud to up the ante on your customer support options.
When consumers have a question, they don’t care if it’s not posed business hours. They want an answer immediately. Options like 24/7 live chat can be too resource intensive for small companies. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider the options to tackle this customer need.
By using the cloud, you can significantly improve the service you give your customers. As Wired put it, “Thanks to hosted platforms, businesses subscribing to a cloud service can handle large increases in volume on a variety of platforms, incorporate appropriate self-service options or leverage employees with specialized skills to better serve customer needs. Further, because cloud solutions are built for innovation and agility, life cycles of the deployment can evolve, and investing in a flexible platform doesn’t have to mean costly upgrades or integrations as a company expands.” In other words, the cloud can help your business grow and adapt in response to customer service demands.
Respond to the needs of your customers.
It’s a common tale in startup land. You begin with a core service offering. You then find your customer base begins to use your service for an unintended use or in a previously unimagined way. The tension that follows is wondering if you should drain precious resources and money into a risky pivot away from your original intent. With the cloud, this move is often worth it. Offering more flexibility, speed and scalability, small business have more capability to make bolder moves in service of their customers. As Wired put it, “because of the widespread availability of compatible tools for the cloud, now businesses that may be just starting out are able to ‘run with the big dogs’ in many areas.”
Don’t forget to listen.
The internet has created so many direct pathways to your customers. It is your job to listen carefully. Whether it’s social media or email campaigns – be sure that you pay attention to what your customers are saying about your business. Sometimes the smallest voices can provide a great impact once you apply small changes to your strategy. Customers see your effort and will remain loyal as long as you are responsive to their requests. Agility is the key to a successful cloud business.