intelligent
// EDITOR ’ S QUESTION ?
ANAND VENKATRAMAN , VP & GM OF FRESHWORKS APAC & MEA
O ver the last 18 months , we have witnessed an unprecedented change in the way customers engage with businesses . Digital channels have taken precedence and even business users now demand ‘ consumer-like ’ convenience when engaging with organisations . While increasing the pressure on all businesses , this plays to the advantage of SMEs . Exceptional customer service has always been the hallmark of successful small and medium enterprises – enabling them to differentiate themselves from large enterprises and command higher prices .
As accelerated digitalisation drives further increase in customer expectations , SMEs that invest in CX technologies will gain an advantage . Of course , with budget , resource and skills constraints , how SMEs achieve customer satisfaction differs from their enterprise counterparts . Every piece of technology they employ must be focused and effective in creating value . The right customer service platform can help even a small team deliver outstanding customer service that exceeds the service large companies provide . Key components of this technology environment include :
Unified customer journey : SMEs need to ensure a consistent and continuous service experience for their customers even as they transition across touch points such as social media , phone , email or chat . A unified CX platform is perhaps the most important element of an effective customer service strategy .
360-degree customer view : Maintaining complete and accurate customer records enables small businesses to understand the bigger picture of their customers ’ needs so they can foster long-term customer relationships . A unified view of the comprehensive customer journey that ’ s updated in real-time also enables all teams – from customer facing agents , to back-office experts – to better address the customer ’ s needs .
Basic processes and workflows : Small companies don ’ t need complex workflows . They need simple processes for consistency and to enable small teams to manage multiple activities simultaneously so customer requests don ’ t fall through the gaps .
Collating frequent customer requests : Customer feedback is an invaluable tool for SMBs . Capturing known issues with products , services and business processes enables the company to set reasonable expectations with customers as they work through the continuous improvement process to enhance service . Identifying the most common request can also help build a knowledge base which can reduce mean time to resolution and ensure consistent , high-quality service .
Employee experience tools : A final piece of the CX puzzle is employee experience as productive , satisfied employees deliver better customer engagements . While significant investments have been made in equipping employees with the digital tools , it is only when these tools are intuitive and effective that they will see broad acceptance , and therefore have the greatest impact on employee experience .
In summary , while the precise solutions SMEs deploy will depend on their progress along the digital maturity curve , the north star of their technology roadmap should be an unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional customer and employee experiences .
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A FINAL PIECE OF THE CX PUZZLE IS EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE AS PRODUCTIVE , SATISFIED EMPLOYEES DELIVER BETTER CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENTS .
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