Are 2-Way Communication Tools The Answer To Improved Customer Satisfaction?
Customer satisfaction is arguably one of the most important aspects of running a company, regardless of the industry, and is essential for customer retention. But by looking at some recent statistics, customer satisfaction is still an area that many of today’s companies need to improve.
In fact, studies have found that 84% of customers say that their expectations had not been exceeded in their last customer service interactions – and 39% avoid vendors for two-plus years after a bad experience. Even worse, 58% will never use the company again after a negative experience.
While it may be the goal of an enterprise to completely eliminate complaints, this simply isn’t realistic. But what is realistic is increasing the speed with which a company responds to customers’ issues.
Making 2-Way Communication a Priority
Enterprises across nearly all industries are aware of the necessity of a rapid-response time and are now prioritizing 2-way communication within their applications. By simplifying and expediting the process in which customers can communicate with a company representative, an enterprise can quickly address any issues and come up with a solution.
The catalyst for this improved communication is technology – and it’s now easier than ever to give customers the attention they’re looking for.
Leveraging Functionality
The great thing about 2-way communication tools is the variety of ways that companies can interact with their customers. In turn, customers can choose what’s most comfortable and convenient for them.
Some of the most popular forms of 2-way communication seen today include:
- SMS Messaging: customers can text to communicate
- Group Messaging: a company can reach multiple customers at once through a single message
- Live Chat: customers can communicate with company reps via an online messaging system
- Video Chat: company reps can communicate face-to-face with customers in a virtual setting
- VoIP: voice communication over the Internet
The Impact on CSAT Scores
What does 2-way communication mean for the quality of customer service and the overall level of customer satisfaction? It’s simple – utilizing 2-way communications solutions should effectively translate into increased customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores.
The bottom line is that people don’t want to wait to have their issues resolved – they want it done right away. Keeping them waiting only adds salt to a wound and can result in a relatively small issue escalating into a much larger one.
On top of this, there seems to be a growing sense of disillusionment with customers being forced to navigate their way through automated menus. In fact, studies have found that 53 percent are irritated if they don’t speak to a real person right away. 2-way communication within applications provides the necessary framework that companies need to improve customer service and ensure a more personalized experience, which is a significant improvement from those annoying automated menus that keep customers going in circles.
The companies that take advantage of 2-way communications and effectively engage customers are at a decided advantage over those who are living in the past and only offer lackluster customer service. While eliminating complaints isn’t something that’s attainable, streamlining the complaint resolution process via 2-way communications can have a profound impact on the customer experience and should boost customer satisfaction considerably.
