Remote work was on the rise even before the apparent end of the world we’re going through nowadays. The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the modern business environment and made our days infinitely longer because we’re stuck indoors, but it has also nudged companies in the right direction when it comes to adopting the remote work model. Yes, remote work is challenging in many ways, and not everyone can adapt to it quickly, but over the long term, it can bring numerous benefits to your teams, your customers, and your organization as a whole.
For one, remote work can lead to higher employee satisfaction and production if implemented correctly. It can also help you optimize payroll expenses and tap into a global talent pool. Most importantly, though, remote work can help you enhance your communication with customers and clients and take your company to that next level in terms of qualified leads, retention, and brand recognition.
With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at the most effective ways to manage customer communication and experience when you’re running a company on a remote work business model.
Integrate live chat on your site
First and foremost, be mindful of the fact that the modern customer is always online and it’s important for you to boost your websites’ visibility. They have actually always been online before the pandemic, but now that people are spending more time indoors and away from physical stores, they are spending even more time online looking for businesses that can accommodate their needs immediately. What this means is that the modern customer will no longer wait around for you to answer an email, nor will they type a message into your chat box if they know you’re offline.
Rather, customers are looking for brands that are ready and willing to address their needs right then and there, which means that it’s time to integrate a live chat function on your site. Fortunately, you can outsource this to a dedicated team that is always online, so that you never miss an opportunity to generate a lead, convert a visitor, or simply establish a touchpoint with your audience.
Make social media communication a priority
Much like you need to make yourself available to your customers on your site, you also need to establish a presence on social media and let your followers know that they can get in touch at any time. Keep in mind that Facebook, for example, displays your average response time, which can significantly influence the customer’s decision to send a message or move on to the next best thing. Instagram marketing, on the other hand, has completely different logic and is targeting different groups of customers. Needless to say, building a customer service strategy on social media is not easy, but certain key steps will help you thrive in the SM world.
To succeed at social media communication be sure to:
- Identify the most relevant SM platforms for your business and niche.
- Define your brand’s tone of voice that all customer service agents will use.
- Make sure that this voice is consistent across all social media networks.
- Strive to bring your response times as low as possible, so that your customers feel incentivized to reach out.
- Use every opportunity to communicate your special deals and discounts.
- Keep in mind, though, that different customers are at different stages of their journey, so make sure to tailor your communication accordingly.
- Don’t try to sell something to a customer who is looking to educate themselves, but don’t send them a link to an article if they are looking to buy.
Ensure call center mobility with VoIP
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that remote workers are always on the go. Whether they are hopping from meeting to meeting around town, running errands, or simply walking their dogs, you need to make sure that your remote employees can connect with customers and clients at any time. This is something you can do by integrating VoIP.
Voice over internet protocol is a cloud-based phone system with various digital features you can use to enable remote teams. However, only the best VoIP providers will offer you full mobile optimization and a dedicated app that you and your employees can use on the fly. Mobile features will allow you to connect with customers and clients via phone, text, video, and more so that you never miss an opportunity to convert no matter where you are.
Communicate with customers on their terms
Speaking of phone and video communication, it’s important to note that you cannot force a customer to talk over the phone if they don’t want to, nor can you force them to send an email if they want to talk to your right now. You need to meet your customers on their terms, where they feel most comfortable interacting with your brand.
With that in mind, make sure to create an omnichannel communication strategy where all communication channels are present. This includes phone such as call center services, chat, social media direct messaging, various mobile messaging apps, video, customer service via email, and any other communication method you can think of. Hey, if they send you a letter, you have to write them back, it’s that simple.
Don’t forget about the importance of self-service
Last but not least, not all customers want to get in touch right away – some people want to obtain information on their own, and to do that they will check if you have a knowledge library. It’s important to integrate self-service into your communication strategy and provide your customers with valuable resources they can use to skip the whole back-and-forth with your customer service agents.
This will also alleviate some of the pressure off your support team, which is always a good way to keep your employee collective happy and productive. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to integrate a chatbot to aid in the process and to allow your customer service agents to focus on those complex issues and queries.
Wrapping up
Adopting remote work is not easy, especially when you think about all those customers you need to stay in touch with daily. While it may seem overwhelming at first, keep in mind that these solutions are more than enough to take your support team forward and help your company thrive on the remote work business model.