When it comes to customer service, most Americans will tell you that something is sorely missing.
Customer service just isn’t what it used to be and there seems to be a general lack of both knowledge
and consideration when dealing with issues that need to be resolved.
If you have a business with a busy customer service department, there are at least five ways in which
technology can help you greatly improve the level of service you give to each and every customer that
contacts you for assistance.

1) Speed at Which Questions Can Be Answered

With the right technology, any question a customer has can be answered almost immediately. Once the
most commonly asked questions are identified, answers can be written up for a service rep’s use when
responding. These answers are most often saved on a computer mainframe where the customer service
rep can pull up the response they need within moments.
Instead of putting the customer on hold while finding a person who has the answer in the corresponding
department, they can simply read off the response, ask if that answered their questions and after seeing
if that customer needs anything further, they can let them off the hook – literally as well as figuratively!

2) Reliable Information Contained in a Computer Database

Speaking of the speed in which that information can be found, what about the reliability of the answers
being given? By keeping everything in a central database, there is little room for error, unless of course
your customer service rep didn’t understand the question.
By using a central database and pre-written responses, all customer service reps will have access to the
exact same information, which standardizes information being given to customers. Nothing is left to the
interpretation of the rep – it is standard company info that is being passed along.

3) Appropriate Call Channeling

There will be times when a call needs to go to a specific person or department. For example, a busy
phone center may have menu options that allows the customer calling in to choose from a menu in
regards to what department they need to speak with or which staff member they are looking for. With
the right hi tech innovative call center software, all calls will be channeled appropriately. As a result,
customer satisfaction is high.

4) Secure Data Transmissions

There are times when a rep must ask questions of a sensitive information, most often to identify that
customer to ensure the rep is speaking only with the person who has a ‘right to know.’ The rep may need
to ask for personal info such as all or part of a social security number, a home address, a bank account
number or any information that could result in fraud or identity theft if it fell into the wrong hands.
There is now call center security software on the market in which a customer can use the phone’s

keypad to enter the information which will not be audible or visible to the rep on the phone but the
computer through which the call is being routed will be able to verify the identity of the caller. Upon
successful entry of the required information, the rep is then free to discuss that customer’s account.

5) Making that Connection via Social Media

Getting back to the number one complaint from customers today, it would all boil down to a lack of
connection. Today’s consumer understands that much of their business will be the result of technology
but they don’t want to be just another nameless number in the crowd, a faceless entity who doesn’t
‘matter.’ Today’s consumer wants a more personal connection with brands they deal with, even if it is a
technological connection such as that of eCommerce. This is where a social following comes in handy.
Set up social media accounts such as Twitter or Facebook in which you can engage with your customers.
Rapid Connections Are Critical and Only Possible by Technology
Customers can pose a question on your social page and a rep can either chat live with them on Twitter or
Facebook. If necessary, they can chat via a messenger app or can be given a direct line into the rep who
is responsible for the social sites at any given time. It’s really amazing just what technology can do for
customer service but above all it can ensure secure, rapid and reliable information on a personal level
because of the advances in digital communications.

Whether a customer is seeking help with a defective product, or simply wishing to learn more about who
you are and what you do, it’s technology that will give them what they need, when they need it, and that
is something never before possible in the history of customer service.
What many customers perceive as a lack of customer care is really hesitance on the part of the rep.
Technology improves the speed at which a rep can find the answer the customer is looking for, thereby
improving response time. The bottom line? Give them what they want, when they want it, and they are
loyal for life.