Top 8 types of customer service every business should know

Today’s customers demand more. Regardless of whether you’re a new startup or managing an established enterprise, providing genuine experiences is necessary for building customer loyalty.

However, with so many options and tech stack available, choosing the right customer service approach can be confusing. Relying on a generic customer service approach may initially provide results, but it risks alienating customers who seek personalized interactions.

In this article, we deep dive into how you can connect with your customers on the right platforms, engage in meaningful conversations, and cultivate lasting relationships that boost customer lifetime value (CLTV).

8 types of customer service to tailor your business needs

When customers face issues or have questions about your product, they rely on the customer service and support teams to resolve them. By adopting excellent customer service practices, you not only enhance customer satisfaction but also cultivate a loyal customer base.

Understanding different types of customer service is essential for businesses to effectively meet diverse customer needs, ultimately driving higher satisfaction, loyalty, and positive brand perception.

Email support

Providing customer support through email is cost-effective for businesses. Even small businesses can effectively manage support requests using a shared inbox, ensuring they resolve customer inquiries efficiently without excessive expenses.

To boost your agents’ productivity, save time, and enhance efficiency, you can integrate your email client with a support software. Support CRMs such as DevRev enable you to connect your support, sales, or any email address ensuring that all queries are visible in a single team inbox. This process streamlines incoming email requests to ensure they are addressed promptly. You can further us DevRev’s AI bot to send an automated reply, borrowing some time for response, or requesting any additional information that may help in the customer’s inquiry.

Chat support

With AI becoming the norm, businesses are quickly adopting chatbots to be available for customers 24x7. Chatbots can be used to deflect commonly asked questions and automate ticket resolutions. When a chatbot is unable to resolve a customer request, it can seamlessly pass on the query to an agent who can support the customer on live chat.

Here’s why chat is gaining traction:

• Research from Forrester reveals that using live chat for customer service can yield substantial cost savings, ranging from 17% to 30% compared to traditional phone support. This makes it an attractive option for businesses looking to optimize their support operations while reducing expenses.
• Live chat offers the fastest response times compared to other customer service options. Customers can engage with agents while managing their daily tasks, ensuring seamless and efficient interaction. This real-time assistance enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Also, live chat lets businesses predict and resolve customer needs quickly, improving relationships and satisfaction by offering immediate support.

An excellent example of live chat technology in action is DevRev, an AI-powered CRM solution designed to support businesses in delivering top-notch customer assistance. By leveraging DevRev’s advanced capabilities such as automated responses, multichannel support, predictive analytics, etc., businesses can significantly improve their overall customer experience.

Phone support

An automated phone system works as a classic method for delivering immediate assistance to customers, fostering direct verbal communication between customers and agents.

• Phone support facilitates immediate interaction between customers and agents, enabling swift resolution of queries.
• Agents can offer tailored support to address individual customer needs, enhancing the customer experience.
• Urgent issues can be promptly addressed through phone support, ensuring timely assistance for customers.
• Phone support allows for direct verbal communication, promoting clarity and understanding during interactions.
• Agents can efficiently manage complex inquiries over the phone, providing comprehensive solutions to customers.
• Direct human interaction fosters rapport and trust between customers and agents, enhancing the overall customer relationship.

Self-service knowledge base

Essential for the customer service team to meet customer expectations, a self-service knowledge base provides a convenient and efficient means for agents to independently address customer concerns and find solutions. This tool ultimately enhances overall customer journey satisfaction by streamlining the support process and empowering agents to resolve issues more effectively.

• The repository contains various content types like articles, guides, and FAQs to address common queries across different topics and products.
• Users can easily access the knowledge base, find information quickly, and use intuitive search functions or browse categorized sections.
• Self-service knowledge bases help businesses by reducing support inquiries, streamlining operations, cutting down support costs, and fostering customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Platforms offer immediate access to solutions, allowing users to seek assistance without waiting for support representatives. Customers appreciate the flexibility of accessing help at their convenience, regardless of business hours.

For instance, using DevRev’s smart import KBs snap-in can help you create articles automatically for your knowledge base. It helps customers in finding answers to their inquiries without relying on direct support.

They are categorized based on status (draft, published, review needed, archived) and permissions (private, external, internal, public) to manage accessibility and relevance. Agents can create articles manually through a step-by-step process or automatically via smart import KBs snap-in, ensuring a comprehensive knowledge base for efficient customer support.

Social media customer service

Businesses leverage social media not only for marketing but also for efficient customer support. It’s vital for support teams to excel in delivering top-notch customer experiences, as it enables businesses to connect with customers, swiftly resolve issues, and foster loyalty. This dynamic customer service model caters to customer preferences, providing personalized assistance that enhances satisfaction and engagement.

• Customer service teams actively monitor customers’ comments and reviews on social media platforms to promptly respond to questions, concerns, and feedback.
• Promptly addressing customer queries and issues on social media helps businesses build stronger relationships with their audience, demonstrating that their concerns are taken seriously and enhancing the company’s reputation.
• Engaging directly with customers when they mention a brand on social media provides opportunities for positive interaction, leading to enhanced customer experiences with the brand.
• Responding promptly and professionally to negative feedback on social media demonstrates the company’s commitment to client satisfaction, improving the brand’s image and attracting new customers.

Communities and forums

Digital hubs such as communities and forums play a vital role in connecting brands with their customers and power users. It is a valuable platform for customers seeking advice and guidance and companies learning about customer painpoints. These platforms also contribute to an enriched learning experience and cultivate a sense of belonging and shared knowledge among participants.

• Actively monitoring and participating in community discussions empowers customer service representatives to connect with users, address their queries, and cultivate brand loyalty through meaningful interactions.
• Users often assist one another within the community, alleviating the need for support from the company and elevating the overall customer experience.

On-site support

Hands-on assistance is provided by the customer service team on-site, especially when face-to-face interaction is essential. This approach ensures direct support and boosts customer confidence and satisfaction by addressing their needs with customized solutions.

• On-site customer service reps facilitate direct face-to-face engagement between the customer and the customer service agent, thereby fostering stronger connections and enhancing the efficiency of issue resolution.
• The personal touch of the on-site customer support team not only resolves issues but also strengthens relationships with customers, increasing the likelihood of repeat business.
• Customers appreciate the convenience of having services brought directly to them, making on-site support an attractive option for enhancing customer satisfaction.

Walk-in customer service departments

Customer service departments that cater to walk-in customers contribute to customer retention and ensure exceptional customer service.

• In-person assistance allows customers to seek immediate help and interact directly with staff, fostering trust and understanding.
• Staff members address customer inquiries, concerns, and complaints on the spot.
• Customers can see and try products in person, making it easier to decide on purchases.
• Staff can understand customer satisfaction and needs by observing body language and expressions.
• Dealing with unhappy customers in person and managing time effectively can be difficult.

Factors to consider for choosing the right type of customer service

By integrating these factors, businesses can effectively determine and deploy the most suitable customer service channels, thus fostering growth and success.

• Customer preferences: Understanding what customers prefer is key. What are their preferred channels of communication? This could vary between email, phone, SMS, WhatsApp, chat, etc.
• Inquiry complexity: Look at the complexity of their inquiries. For complex issues, consider phone support. For simpler questions, self-service options like FAQs might be enough.
• Balancing resources: Make sure to balance these options to meet customer needs without overburdening resources.
• Cost considerations: Don’t forget about pricing. While community forums may be cheap, they might not handle all customer issues. On the other hand, live chat or phone support may cost more but offer personalized service.
• Industry trends: With the world moving towards AI, digital businesses are quickly looking for ways to use AI to enhance their customer support and experience. Look for AI-first options that satisfy your customer expectations while matching your needs.

Elevate your business by delivering exceptional customer service

While having a diverse product range is beneficial, customer satisfaction ultimately determines repeat business. Prioritizing exceptional customer service, delivered through multiple channels such as phone calls, email, and live chat, fosters loyalty and positive referrals. Employing diverse customer service approaches not only guarantees satisfaction but also significantly impacts the reputation and effectiveness of online support. This focus on customer support is crucial for sustained business growth and expansion.

When it comes to handling multiple customers seamlessly, platforms like DevRev stand out, offering not only the best product but also exceptional customer service. Take a moment to explore some of the top reviews.