Automation Insights
Where customer support and tech collide
November 2022
Welcome back to your monthly dose of insights into customer support automation from your friends at Ultimate!
In this month’s edition:
- Customer service: no longer a cost center
- Nate Brown weighs in on balancing bots and humans for the best CX
- Announcing the CX Leader of the Year 2022 winner
- Black Friday is imminent: Here’s how to breeze through busy season
- Your guide to creating happy support teams (and happy customers) in the Ultimate Customer Support Academy
Research reveals how to shift customer service from a cost center to a growth driver
Customer service as a growth driver? Revolutionary. Or is it?
Salesforce recently released their annual State of the Connected Customer survey, and more than 50% of respondents say their management now views the support department as a revenue generator. That’s pretty big.
Customer service has long been seen as a (necessary) cost center that should prioritize metrics like speed, scale, and margins, but smart leaders are now seeing how important customer experience is to their bottom line.
Customer expectations are soaring: the same survey showed that nearly nine-in-ten respondents consider experience to be as critical as the product itself, in deciding whether or not to buy from a company. So it’s no longer a viable strategy to prioritize speed metrics over customer satisfaction. Companies that invest in CX create happier customers that are more likely to make repeat purchases and stay loyal.
It’s a simple shift in mindset, but don't be surprised if this shift results in your customer support paying for itself and then some.
Shift your CS to a growth driver
Industry insights: Ask a CX leader — with Nate Brown
From his accidental entry into the industry to how to strike the right balance between human and automated support, Senior Director of CX at Arise and Co-founder of CX Accelerator, Nate Brown gives us his insight into everything customer service.
A few quick tips from Nate:
- CX is a marathon, not a sprint
- Simplify your tech stack for cost savings and better CX
- Focus on creating great interactions, both human and digital
"Automate things that should be automated. But have great people ready to engage with your customer human to human."
Community Corner: CX Leader of the Year 2022 winner revealed
After poring over more than 150 entries from all over the world, and shortlisting 20 finalists (who we think you should follow too), the panel of judges selected Maneesha Bhusal as 2022’s CX Leader of the Year.
A leader in digital transformation and innovation in her position as Director of CX at JD.ID, Maneesha stood out as a shining example of how to create customer-centric organizations.
As proud sponsors of the CX Leader of the Year, the team here at Ultimate congratulate Maneesha on her well-earned award!
P.s. Watch this space for more on Maneesha next month.
Braving busy season: How to prepare your support team for Black Friday and beyond
It’s the final countdown (da-da-da-daaa, da-da-da-da-da). Is your team ready to face the spike in support volumes starting tomorrow?
For many customer support teams, Black Friday represents the beginning of the busiest time of the year, so we’ve assembled a guide to getting through the holiday season with ease.
Here’s how you can keep stress down and CSAT up on Black Friday and beyond.
Customer Support Academy: Customer Service Skills for Success
Did you know 70% of customer service agents feel overwhelmed? And at the same time, 93% of support teams are reporting higher customer expectations than ever before?
If agents are stressed, overstretched, and frustrated at work, they won’t be able to provide the exceptional service that consumers now expect. Luckily the reverse holds true: happy support teams mean happy customers.
Here’s how to empower your agents with the right customer service skills for success at the Ultimate Support Academy.
