There’s little doubting just how much the business landscape has changed in the last 20 or so years. Since the advent and general take-up of the internet and web-based tech, commerce and retail have been transformed almost beyond all recognition.
Where once firms could operate purely on a Monday-Friday 9-5 ethos, these days clients demand far more from companies. From websites and instant reply inquiry forms to live chatbots and social media updates, the business has gone 24/7/365. The question is – is your firm ready to adapt to today’s always-on culture?
The millennial/internet effect
For the first time in history, we’re entering an age where we have an entire generation that’s been weaned on the internet. This new group of young adults has come to expect the immediacy and interaction that only the internet can bring – and, make no mistake, if you don’t satiate those demands, your firm will be in for rough times.
A recent survey looking into consumer’s typical expected response times regarding email replies found that on average:
96% expect a reply to an email within 48 hours
80% within 24 hours
37% within an hour
16% expect an immediate response
These figures only get worse when you also factor in social media and phone inquiries.
A tough balancing act – employee burn-out vs timely replies
Unless you’re a global multinational, it’s unlikely you’ll have the funds to properly commit to going fully 24/7/365 – nor would it likely make much sense given the equation of staff overhead vs Return on Investment (ROI). However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look for other hacks and cheats to give the impression you’re an around-the-clock company. Below are some ideas.
Automated chatbots
Installing an automated chatbot on your website is a great way to encourage client interaction, yet without necessarily having a human at the other end. If you’re worried about a customer potentially realizing they’re talking to a bot rather than a real person, it can often be a good idea to include a message indicating that the replies are coming from a computer, but inviting users to leave a message which you’ll reply to at the start of the next working day.
Phone support or inquiries
In this day and age, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to offer your client 24/7 access over the phone. There is now a huge range of companies that offer very affordable telephone answering services which can handle all your incoming calls, day or night.
Get proactive with your clients
Research shows that a client is five times more likely to contact you within 90 days of making a purchase – whether that be for support, follow-on purchase, or just general queries. To combat the all-too-common sense of regret customers often feel when they believe they’ve been left high and dry after buying from a company, you should take a proactive approach and reach out to them first.
The big online retail companies have this sorted and you’ll mostly find they send out immediate thank you emails at the moment of purchase accompanied by follow-up emails with support numbers, direct email addresses, live chat support links, and so on. By getting in first with this type of contact, you’ll give your customers a sense of comfort that you care and value them.
Observe and learn from your clients
One of the best ways to predict client contact is to study how your existing customers react. Your first step (at the very minimum) should be to install some kind of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system in your firm so you can monitor and track consumer behavior from the first minute they visit your site (including how they browse your pages) right through to the final purchase phase and beyond.
It’s also a good idea to check social media for tags that might mention your firm or your products, plus, if you’re in the Business-2-Business (B2B) sector, check your customers’ websites and social accounts to see if they make mention of how they’re using your products.
The take out
In today’s highly competitive commercial environment, it’s now no longer enough to just sell products. Clients have come to expect much more from companies, and being available and on-hand is just one small part of the overall customer experience you should be aiming to offer. However, by taking the time to understand your clients’ needs better, you’ll go a long way to pre-empting and preventing potential issues further down the line while also offering the best possible service.
