Essential types of customer service interactions

When it comes to brand loyalty and customer relationships, there are a few types of customer service interactions your call center should prioritize. There are plenty of different interactions made with customers in every business each day, from interactions in a physical store to refund requests handled by a call center associate. Having a variety of call center interaction options helps improve customer service and builds stronger brand loyalty because consumers know they can depend on you for quick, efficient responses to any questions or concerns.

Types of customer service interactions

When you think of interaction at a client call center, the first thing that comes to mind is probably agents at your facility or on a distributed phone system answering customer questions over the phone. While phone calls are a common touchpoint between customers and your company, there are plenty of other ways that customers may want to initiate or respond to contact with your call center representatives. Some growing areas where clients and companies connect include:

  • Text/SMS messaging systems
  • Online chat boxes
  • Email interactions
  • Social media conversations
  • Mobile app contacts
  • Website contact forms
  • QR codes

Choosing the best call center interaction method for your company

The best types of customer service interactions for your company may depend on the preferences of the people you serve. Consumers in your specific industry may exhibit a preference for a certain type of interaction, such as speaking with a live person on the phone or using automated systems that let them avoid talking to anyone in person. Tech-savvy consumers may prefer interacting with AI-assisted chat unless they have a specific problem that requires human intervention. General consumers of nontechnical goods may feel uncomfortable interacting with automated service trees and want a real person to talk with about their issues. Finding the right interaction methods for your target market can improve call center efficiency, reduce costs and keep clients happy.

Data analysis on your existing interaction methods can help you assess which forms of communication work better for your customers. You might also find it useful to target specific forms of communication at consumers in different demographics. For example, younger consumers in your industry may prefer quick responses to social media comments, while older clients may want to speak to an agent on the phone.

Shifting call center agents to other interactions

Since phone calls are their primary mode of interaction, client call center workers may need additional training to handle social media responses, online chats or other types of call center interactions. The same agents who answer calls should also be able to communicate effectively using other methods and know how to move between more than one method.

An all-in-one communications system lets you integrate different types of customer service interactions so consumers get seamless service from your agents. The agents at your call center can then move from a chat session with a customer to a phone call or email interaction without interruption. If the customer needs to be transferred to a different agent or moved up the chain to a supervisor, omnichannel routing keeps all of the information about previous contact easily accessible so everyone in the chain can look up the details from earlier calls, emails or chat sessions.

Contact 8x8 for more information about how to set up an omnichannel communication system that maximizes the effectiveness of your customer service interactions.