Aug 29, 2014 By Kare Anderson

Optimize the High Touch of High-Tech Customer Service

in Featured, Customer Service

As customers seeking help, we know we want fast, responsive service. That’s obvious. We are less aware of how the tone and language of the real person or automated voice responses affect us. Yet with apt use of big data analytics, companies can customize customer service to answer specific questions faster—and in the emotional mode that most closely matches each customer’s communication style and emotional state. Here are three ways you can humanize your customer service via apt analytics systems.

1. Use big data analytics to segment and link customers and customer service agents based on the nature of the complaints. Consequently, when Customer A calls, based on past interaction (satisfaction level, nature of the problem and even the kind of customer he is) your system of data analytics can match him with the most knowledgeable agent to resolve his problem who is also better prepared to respond to the possible emotional state of the customer.

2. Use speech analytics systems that can “listen” in on a customer conversation and suggest a solution, with or without human involvement. Plus, some systems can display the increasing intensity of positive or negative emotion a customer may be expressing.

3. Before a customer experiences a problem, have a tracking system in place to prevent it or fix it faster before the customer needs to take action. Such proactive customer service by a credit card company, for example, could mean that the firm senses a possible security breach. It instantly, automatically changes the credit card number and informs the customer rather than canceling the card, blocking usage and requiring the customer to initiate the card change process.

In spite of the deluge of media coverage about Big Data-based innovations, surprisingly few firms have optimized their use of customer service technology to humanize their helpfulness. You can turn potential problems into opportunities to deepen their loyalty and further distinguish your firm from your competitors.