Let’s take a moment to understand service from a customer’s perspective. And the reality is, customers don’t always want to contact you. They also want access to answers 24/7, which not every company is equipped to provide. A major part of giving the new breed of customers the frictionless service they desire is empowering them to find the answers they want, when they want them, from anywhere.

Instead of picking up the phone to dial a customer support number, today’s customer would sometimes rather do a quick Google search from their phone, ask their social network for advice, or get answers via your company’s website. The common theme among all of these channels is that once again, they require little effort for the customer.

One of the best ways to empower your customers to get the help they need is by providing dynamic customer communities that are self-service optimized for mobile devices. Self-service portals have traditionally been an online destination for customers to log support cases. Communities take that idea and add a social, peer-to-peer element, because sometimes, the best answers lie in the minds of your customers.

Here are a few main aspects of successful communities:

• Communities can be accessed from anywhere, including mobile devices.

• Communities give customers a network of experts and members that can help answer their questions.

• Communities are ideally tied directly to your company’s central case management system, so unanswered questions can be automatically escalated to your agents who can intervene.

Investing in communities can have a number of big payoffs, including: 

1. Decreased customer service costs

These include fewer inbound inquiries for your business over more expensive channels, such as the phone.

2. Increased customer satisfaction

Customers can easily find answers on their own from any device.

3. A “Tier 1 Support” team

Communities enable customers, some of whom have substantial product experience, to help each other out.

4. Agents can focus on tougher issues

Because answers to frequently asked questions are easily found in communities, your agents can put their energy towards resolving more complex issues.

Read this free e-book for more on how communities and other best practices can inspire loyalty in today's customers.