As digital communication advances, customers expect quick and convenient solutions to their issues and inquiries. Now, most businesses are shifting toward a multi-channel customer service experience.
In this article, we’ll break down the top customer service channels and how to choose the right channels for your business. We’ll also provide answers to frequently asked questions regarding customer service channels.
Jump to:
- What are customer service channels?
- 9 popular types of customer service channels
- How to choose the right customer service channels
- Frequently asked questions about customer service channels
<h2 id="What">What are customer service channels?</h2>
Customer service channels are the different methods customers use to communicate with businesses about their issues and inquiries. As online customer service grows, so do online customer service channels. There are many types of channels out there, from traditional phone calls to modern live web chat solutions. Each contact method provides different benefits and drawbacks. However, customer satisfaction greatly depends on customer service, so it’s crucial that your business can provide convenient and seamless experiences through the various customer service channels.
<h2 id="Popular">9 popular types of customer service channels</h2>
Here are the top customer service channels. Each channel offers different benefits and serves different types of customer issues.
Live chat
With live chat, customers message their inquiries via a business website or app. Customers are connected to a live support agent or chatbot. Live chat is a convenient communication channel that allows businesses to connect with customers who visit their web pages in real time. Instant communication is key to a positive customer service experience, as quick solutions lead to increased customer satisfaction. Live chat is best for answering FAQs, order tracking, and other low-complexity issues.
While live chat is great for quick solutions, it’s not the best channel for more complex issues like troubleshooting technical issues or conducting product demos. For issues requiring more in-depth explanations, phone calls or video chat would be more effective.
SMS
With its unbeatable 98 percent open rate, using SMS for customer service is a no-brainer for reaching customers reliably. While SMS provides similar benefits to live chat, your customers can text right from their phone rather than navigating to your company’s website.
SMS stands out as a customer service channel because it allows businesses to have two-way conversations with customers regardless of location. Research shows that 61 percent of customers want to two-way text with businesses, and customers would rather receive quick responses via texts than stay on hold or wait hours for an email response. SMS is also a cost-effective solution that allows businesses to respond faster and serve more customers simultaneously.
To provide top-notch SMS customer service, check out our SMS customer service templates.
Phone
Even with the rise of digital customer service channels, phone calls still remain a popular customer service method because of the direct human interaction they provide. Customers feel more reassured when they can hear a representative’s tone and feel supported when they get connected to an agent. However, customers can run into the issue of being left on hold for long periods of time, and phone calls take more time than sending messages. As a result, phone calls are best reserved for more complex customer issues.
Email is a widely used customer service channel that allows businesses to provide detailed and thorough customer responses. Email is best for sharing longer-form content and updates with customers. It’s a great channel for scenarios where attachments like documents need to be shared. The main drawback is that customers experience delayed response times due to high volumes of emails. This delayed response time can lead to poor customer satisfaction.
Social media
Social media has become a popular channel for customer service that is widely used by customers. With its wide audience reach and accessibility, social media allows businesses to connect with customers globally and increases customer engagement. Customers can reach out to businesses through social media platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, or LinkedIn. This method best answers product questions, quick resolutions, and low-complexity issues. Social media is also a cost-effective method compared to other channels like phone or email.
Did you know SMS platforms like Textline let you add your social media accounts to the platform, so you can manage all customer service messaging in one omnichannel inbox.
Self-service
Research shows 67 percent of customers prefer to fix issues on their own. This is why self-service options have gained popularity. FAQs, knowledge bases, or chatbots allow customers to resolve their issues independently. Self-service options provide convenience for customers as they are available 24/7 and reduce the workload for customer support representatives. It’s crucial that businesses make their self-service options easy to navigate for customers. With effective self-service, customers receive quick and convenient support, which increases customer satisfaction.
Forums
Forums are customer-driven platforms where customers share their experiences with your business. Customers can use forums to ask questions and find solutions from other customers. Forums benefit businesses because they build community engagement and improve customer loyalty. They also save time and money as a business representative does not need to provide direct support. It’s crucial that your business monitors and moderates these forums to keep them running smoothly and check customer responses for accuracy. HubSpot is a great example of a company that has a community-driven forum.
Web contact forms
Web contact forms are a customer service tool that provides a structured method for customers to submit their requests on a company’s website. These forms are often found on the website’s customer service page. Web contact forms also collect customer data in an organized manner that allows businesses to better identify and track customer issues. Businesses can use this data to improve the overall customer experience. Web contact forms are best used for low-complexity issues and general inquiries.
Video chat
Through video chat, representatives can chat face-to-face with customers without being in person. Video chat is great for troubleshooting issues or conducting product demos where a real-time visual demonstration is necessary. This live communication allows customers to ask questions while seeing a visual fix or demonstration, eliminating confusion and follow-up inquiries.
<h2 id="How">How to choose the right customer service channels</h2>
Now that you have an overview of the different channels out there, let’s dive into some essential tips and strategies to help you choose the right customer service channels for your business.
Audit your existing channels and tools
To enhance your customer service experience, start by analyzing your current customer service channels and strategies. Take note of which channels are performing well and which channels customers use the most. Also, identify which channels aren’t performing as well and use customer data to understand what needs to be improved. To simplify the process, see how you can build on the tools you already use rather than starting from scratch.
Know your business and product
Each customer service channel offers benefits for different types of support, so it’s important to consider what your product is and how it affects customer inquiries. You should also take into account what kinds of channels will be most effective for your specific industry. For example, an ecommerce business would benefit from quick communication through SMS or live chat, while a healthcare business would benefit from a communication tool for more complex issues like phone or email.
Know your audience
To choose the right customer service channels, knowing which channels your audience prefers is crucial. Keep track of which channels your customers are using to reach out. You can also conduct surveys to gain insight into your customer’s channel preferences.
Understand your budget
Your ability to leverage customer service channels depends on your company’s budget. If you have a smaller budget, your business should focus on more cost-effective channels like SMS or social media. These channels are often more cost-effective than phone calls. To cut down on costs more, you should shop around for an affordable platform that helps you manage multiple channels simultaneously, like a CRM or customer service SMS platform like Textline.
Understand team bandwidth
When deciding on customer service channels to add, you must consider the size of your customer service team and what each agent can feasibly manage.
A great trick for accommodating more customers with a smaller staff is to use automation tools for channels that handle less complex issues. Integrating automation tools such as chatbots provides a great solution to help more customers without hiring more staff. Chatbots and autoresponders save time for both your customer service team and customers, allowing agents to focus on more complex issues.
Measure scalability
As your business grows, you will receive more customer service requests. It’s important that your customer service channels are able to keep up. Be sure to routinely evaluate and improve your customer service channels so you can accommodate all your customer inquiries. Remember that automation tools can help you serve more customers without needing more representatives.
<h2 id="Frequent">Frequently asked questions about customer service channels</h2>
Here, we have provided answers to the most commonly asked questions about customer service channels.
What’s the best customer service channel?
No singular channel is better than the others. Each customer service channel provides different benefits and works best for various types of customer issues. That’s why it’s important to understand which channels your customers prefer and which ones work best for your business.
Should my business offer omnichannel support?
Your business should consider offering omnichannel support because it improves customer experience, increases customer service team efficiency and communication, and builds customer loyalty.
More businesses are turning to omnichannel support because it provides customers with multiple methods to contact your business and creates a unified experience across channels. This means that when customers switch to another support channel, agents can pick up where they left off, and customers don’t have to explain their issues repeatedly. Check out our omnichannel messaging guide to learn more about how omnichannel support works.
Are customer support channels the same as customer service channels?
Customer support and customer service channels overlap, but they focus on different customer interactions. Customer support channels handle specific customer issues and provide technical support, while customer service channels handle broader customer inquiries and offer proactive assistance. Learn more about these differences on our customer service vs. customer support blog.
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An omnichannel customer service experience is essential to building customer relationships. Textline’s SMS inbox lets you manage multiple channels with ease. With all your messages in one place, you save your team time, increase your response time, and improve customer satisfaction.
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