connexio.dk

It doesn't sound very logical, but sometimes it makes the most sense for all parties if a company avoids talking to its customers. That's because the most important thing for a customer is to get their questions answered quickly. And if the fastest way to find the answer is to find it yourself rather than emailing, chatting or talking to an employee, most people prefer that.

The risk if done incorrectly is that customers with a genuine need to speak to a human will find it difficult to get in touch and become dissatisfied.

Use the right tools for self-service

"It is a strategic decision to use ticket deflection in the customer service strategy. It is a trade-off between economy and service level whether customers should have a free choice of channels 24 hours a day all year round or whether the service level should be limited," says Bjarke Andersen, CEO & Partner in Connexio. "If it makes business sense to provide unlimited service, it only makes sense to consider giving all customers a choice between helping themselves or having a human help them. If economics also play a role, ticket deflection is a necessary part of the strategy."

When a customer needs to get in touch with a company, it is predominantly via email, phone or the website. The right place to start when you want to make use of ticket deflection is to consider which of the three channels should be available, when and which should be minimized.

Prioritize the website over phone and email

"Our recommendation is to prioritize the website and be conscious of where email and phone numbers for customer service are made available. On the website, the focus should be on self-help and contact to customer service representatives should be used where it is strategically assessed to be important for the customer experience and the opportunity to create additional sales. Most important in this context is an updated FAQ, or better yet, a dynamic knowledge base that continuously makes the company wiser about what customers are asking about," says Bjarke Andersen.

A knowledge base will make sense in most organizations, regardless of size. It is easy to set up and makes the company smarter from day one. Optimally, the database is integrated with the customer service agents' database, so that inquiries by phone, email, chat etc. help to qualify the customers' self-service customer service on the website. An updated knowledge base that integrates with the website ensures that customers get relevant answers to their questions online. It's fast for customers and it's free.

Combine ticket deflection with personalized contact

A knowledge base is the cornerstone of avoiding inquiries and providing a good customer experience. The next step is to combine ticket deflection with the possibility of personalized contact. A feature that is also relevant in relation to upselling, says Bjarke Andersen:

"An example could be a car dealership that has many visitors to its website who stay for a long time, but only a few book a test drive. Here it could make sense to pop up with an offer of help. Initially, for example, with a chat box containing typical questions and answers, an invitation to book a test drive, etc. The next step could then be the option to chat with a sales representative, as people generate additional sales."

See the article: Chat a powerful way to improve user experience    

Tools reserved for force majeure

Ticket deflection also has some more hardcore tools in the drawer that can be used if customer service resources are not up to the task. Most people are familiar with the answering machine with "...press x if you..." and so on, or the contact form that needs to be filled out before an email can be sent.

"These are powerful tools that need to be used carefully, but can also be very useful. For example, if you know that PostNord is having problems with deliveries on a Thursday evening, the phone lock can inform them and give all customers a quick answer to a specific question. But it requires that you are up to date on what your customers are asking about - otherwise it can be perceived as poor service," says Bjarke Andersen.

Emails on specific topics can be grouped and answered with bulk replies. Phone inquiries in specific categories can be rejected with a reference to the website or with a read-out reason. The possibilities are many, but the risk of poor service is extremely high.

Remember that your choices are strategic

With ticket deflection, you can control your customer service budget and create better service for your customers. But you can also create miserable experiences for customers and damage your brand if you leave them feeling rejected when they try to get answers to their questions. Savings can be costly if they're not used wisely.

Decisions about customer service strategy belong in the boardroom.