Customers love it when businesses make their lives easier. They want solutions that save time, provide personalized experiences, and get their needs met.
Meeting those expectations is crucial for building loyalty and satisfaction. The good news is that automation can be your best friend in making all of this happen.
By using automation workflows and tools, you can make sure your customers have the best experience possible. In this article, we'll explore seven ways to put automation to work for customer empowerment.
1. Put Self-Service Channels in Place: Give Customers Control
Picture a world where customers have all the information they need, make purchases, track orders, and manage their accounts right at their fingertips. Thanks to self-service channels, this is now a reality.
In fact, around 60% of businesses are planning to introduce self-service portals within the next 12-18 months. It's no surprise that people prefer finding answers and solutions on their own before seeking assistance from a live representative
Source: Salesforce
AI self-service tools are a game-changer, not only saving time but also giving customers the power to manage their interactions with your business.
According to Harvard Business Review, a whopping 81% of customers across various industries prefer to tackle their issues independently before reaching out to a live representative.
These user-friendly online platforms serve as the foundation for automating the customer experience. They effortlessly guide users through processes, ensuring a seamless and customer-centric journey.
2. Leverage AI In Customer Service: Instant Assistance At Your Fingertips
Chatbots are pretty cool! They use natural language processing (NLP) to understand what customers are saying and give them step-by-step guidance to solve their problems.
The best part? You don't even need a human agent. These AI chatbots can automatically provide answers to your questions, ensuring that you can get help whenever you need it.
Source: Intercom
Customer service is a big deal for any successful business. According to Gartner, by 2022, a whopping 70% of customer interactions will involve fancy tech like conversational AI, virtual assistants, and chatbots.
Providing quick and efficient support can be a real challenge. Outgrow found that 69% of customers are totally open to using chatbots to get speedy answers to their questions and solve problems on their own.
For many companies, AI voice technology and chatbots are the present and future of fostering customer relationships. These smart tools not only improve customer interactions but also gather data to understand patterns, preferences, and how customers feel. This helps businesses create more personalized and satisfying experiences for their customers.
3. Nurturing Leads Effectively with Email Automation
Email marketing is still a super effective way to connect with your customers and leads. But there’s one thing that can really amp up your email game: automation. It lets you slice and dice your audience into different groups and run super-targeted drip campaigns that run on autopilot.
To use automation, you need a marketing automation platform that can help you trigger and send out automated messages to your customers. A great marketing automation platform will offer features like personalized email campaigns, segmentation, and automation workflows – to name a few.
The idea is that you want to send relevant, timely messages so your customers won’t slip through the cracks.
Did you know that drip campaigns can level up your email marketing? They have way higher open rates (like 80% higher!) compared to sending individual emails. The best part – people are way more likely to click on those emails too - up to three times more likely!
When you plan out these automated drip campaigns based on what resonates with your customers and how they behave, you can really nurture those leads and turn them into loyal fans.
When you set up email automation on autopilot as part of your overall marketing strategy, it frees up your time to focus on other channels that build your brand.
4. Anticipating Customer Needs Using Predictive Analytics
Interestingly, 69% of customers are all about personalized experiences. But, only 40% of brands are actually delivering on that front.
Here’s the good news: there's a powerful tool that can help businesses bridge that divide: predictive analytics. It's like a secret weapon for adding that personal touch into customer experiences. With predictive analytics, you can make sure every interaction feels tailor-made and engaging.
Today, there are more data points available than ever before: ERP systems, CRM solutions, and first-party data you collect from your customers. While third-party data is long gone, valuable first-party data is still your best source.
Companies are getting super savvy by tapping into data from their own products through IoT. This lets sales teams map out digital customer interactions and even predict their needs using predictive analytics.
5. Getting Started Quickly with Streamlined Onboarding
If you sell any kind of product that comes with a learning curve, chances are, you’ll have some kind of onboarding in place. Whether it’s inspiration for how to wear an article of clothing, or an installation guide for some complex piece of equipment, the sooner your customers find success with your product, the happier they’ll be.
Let's talk about manual customer onboarding processes. This can add friction to your new customer experience and take up so much time, they're prone to mistakes, and worst of all, they lack that personal touch.
And here's the thing, when you rely on manual processes, it can lead to delays and all sorts of headaches for your customers. Nobody wants that.
In fact, a survey by PwC found that one bad experience is enough for 1 in 3 customers to ditch a brand they used to love. And get this, a whopping 92% would completely abandon a company after just two or three negative interactions.
That's why it's so important to streamline and automate your onboarding processes.
With that said, automation can simplify this process by providing automated guides, written and video tutorials, and FAQs that help them get started quickly and efficiently.
6. Keeping Customers Informed Using Proactive Communication
When it comes to keeping customers happy and reducing any uncertainty, proactive communication is the name of the game. Email capture forms and popups are the way to make that happen.
Creating customizable pop-ups and forms on your website that grab visitors' attention and capture their info. It's a great way to engage with them and make sure you're on their radar.
But it doesn't stop there. Once you've got their info, you can use automation to send out emails and alerts about their orders, product updates, or even promotions. It's all about staying in touch and keeping them in the loop.
And here's the best part: this proactive approach not only makes the user experience better but also increases the chances of turning those visitors into loyal customers. It's a win-win.
According to FirstPageSage, organic and email traffic sources have the highest average conversion rates. Well, with email capture forms, you can effectively engage visitors and tap into those high-converting traffic sources to drive even more conversions.
7. Listening and Improving from Feedback and Surveys
If you want to keep improving your products or services, listening to your customers is key. Automation can make that process a whole lot easier!
By using automation, you can streamline the collection of customer feedback through surveys, reviews, and feedback forms. It's all about making it simple for your customers to share their thoughts and opinions.
Understanding the Value of Customer Feedback
When you actively seek and listen to feedback, you gain a deeper understanding of your target audience.
By embracing automation and actively seeking customer feedback, you're setting yourself up for success. You'll be able to make those necessary improvements and keep your customers happy.
Customer feedback is gold – it helps you uncover pain points, find areas to improve, and discover new opportunities for growth. Small and medium-sized enterprises have found online customer feedback to be a game-changer for their business, with 85% reporting its advantages.
Methods for Gathering Customer Feedback
So, how can you gather that valuable feedback? Well, customer interviews are a fantastic way to get personal and authentic insights into what your customers are thinking, feeling, and doing.
Online reviews are a big deal too. In fact, a whopping 79% of buyers consider them super important before making a purchase decision.
By conducting interviews with your loyal customers, you can get objective suggestions for improvement. And don't forget to talk to a diverse range of customers too – they'll provide you with a variety of insights and recommendations.
Customer feedback forms on business websites are like hidden treasures – they help you capture those spontaneous thoughts from your customers.
By simply adding a text box for suggestions or complaints, you can get a better grasp of your customers' perspectives and uncover areas where you can make improvements.
Leveraging Technology for Seamless Feedback Collection
But you know what's even cooler? Leveraging technology to collect feedback! It's like having a superpower that gives you efficient and real-time insights.
Plus, it allows you to reach a wider audience through different channels. The best part: it automates the whole process, saving you time and resources.
For example, there are even AI tools that help you determine CSAT (customer satisfaction score) from customer conversations without human intervention. This means you talk to your customers as normal while simultaneously getting the real-time pulse of how they feel about your service.
Source: Dialpad
This technology can make feedback collection a breeze. It's all about getting a comprehensive view of customer sentiment and taking immediate action based on real-time intelligence.
Companies can capture customer feedback at various stages of the journey and seamlessly integrate it into their existing systems. This optimization boosts efficiency and creates a better customer experience.
Utilizing Customer Feedback to Improve Business Operations
But why does customer feedback matter so much? Well, it's the key to driving improvements in products, services, and processes. By actively seeking and listening to customer feedback, businesses gain valuable insights into what's working well and what needs a little TLC.
Source: Localiq
Let's talk about why analyzing customer feedback is so important. It's all about getting those actionable insights that can make a real impact.
When businesses organize feedback into specific categories or themes, it's like uncovering hidden treasures. They can spot recurring issues or patterns that need attention. This helps prioritize areas for improvement and develop targeted strategies to address customer concerns.
By doing this, businesses show that they truly care about their customers' opinions. It's all about delivering a better experience and making customers happy. That means enhanced satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.
But here's the exciting part – implementing changes based on feedback can also boost operational efficiency, save costs, and even drive revenue growth. It's like aligning your products, services, and processes with what your customers really want and need.
8. Use The Right Automation Tools For Your Customers
1. Drip marketing automation
Drip offers features like email marketing, onsite campaigns, segmentation, automation, and insights. It helps businesses engage their audience, personalize their marketing strategies, and drive revenue growth.
With Drip, you can easily design and send emails, create onsite campaigns, build powerful segments, automate marketing tasks, and gain valuable insights into your marketing strategies. The platform also integrates with over 150 tools, allowing you to gather the right data and make informed decisions.
2. Dialpad contact center AI
Dialpad contact center AI uses artificial intelligence to enhance customer experience in contact centers. It provides features like intelligent call routing, sentiment analysis, and real-time transcription to improve customer interactions.
Additionally, the platform offers features like faster QA, real-time coaching, and AI CSAT to enhance the customer experience. Dialpad's AI contact center solution provides native capabilities, easy scalability, and transparent pricing.
It also integrates with popular business tools such as Salesforce, Google Workspace, Microsoft Suite, and many more. This integration offers built-in analytics for deeper insights. Overall, Dialpad's Contact Center AI aims to improve customer interactions, agent productivity, and the overall customer experience.
3. Zendesk customer experience
Zendesk is a powerful customer service automation tool that assists businesses in efficiently managing customer support tickets, inquiries, and feedback. It provides a range of features to streamline customer interactions and enhance the overall support experience.
With Zendesk, businesses can effectively handle ticket management, ensuring that customer inquiries are promptly addressed and resolved. The platform also offers live chat functionality, enabling real-time communication between customers and support agents.
Additionally, the platform provides self-service options, such as a knowledge base or FAQ section, empowering customers to find answers to their questions independently. This reduces the need for agent intervention and improves customer satisfaction.
4. Intercom help desk
Intercom is indeed a customer messaging platform that automates customer communication across various channels. It offers a range of features to streamline customer interactions and provide personalized and timely customer support.
Businesses can now leverage live chat functionality to engage with customers in real time, addressing their queries and concerns promptly. The platform also provides email automation capabilities, allowing businesses to send targeted and automated emails to customers based on their behavior and preferences.
Intercom offers chatbot functionality, enabling businesses to automate certain customer interactions and provide self-service options. Overall, Intercom is a comprehensive customer messaging platform that helps businesses enhance their customer support and communication efforts.
5. Freshworks CS automation
Freshworks is a customer support automation tool that helps businesses manage customer inquiries and support tickets. It offers features like ticket management, knowledge base, and automation workflows to improve customer interactions.
Furthermore, the platform provides a robust knowledge base, allowing companies to establish and manage a repository of informative articles and resources for customers to seek answers independently. Freshworks goes a step further by offering automation features that reduce manual tasks, enhancing the efficiency of customer support operations.
Customer Empowerment Through Automation
Gone are the days of manual processes and tedious tasks. With automation, you can streamline operations, improve efficiency, and make your customers' lives easier. It's all about delivering an experience that caters to their individual needs.
In this age of automation, customers expect more than just products and services. They want personalized experiences that make them feel valued. By embracing automation, you not only meet these expectations but exceed them, paving the way for long-term success.
Embracing automation is actually easier than it’s ever been. There are tons of marketing automation tools to help you take advantage of it – like Drip. Drip can help you send the right message to the right person at the right time. And you can try it absolutely free for 14 days!
