?? Consumers want email for service interactions ??

Despite consumers’ keen preference for fast responses and #voice interactions, they use email for service more often than other channels. Last year, 72% of consumers worldwide used email for a service interaction, followed by 68% for voice, according to “The State of Customer Experience” report. Live web chat came in a distant third at 49%.

But satisfaction with the channel isn’t nearly as high as its use. Only 30% of consumers say they’re highly satisfied with email for #customerservice, a decrease from one-third in 2021

At a time when consumer #loyalty is more tenuous than ever before — with 77% of consumers saying they’ll switch brands after five or fewer poor interactions — #CX leaders need to improve the email experience.?

Here are six strategies for increasing the effectiveness of email for customer service.?

1. Be proactive?

Email customers about any issues before they reach out to you. This includes providing information in replies to service inquiries that customers might not realize they need to know about or act on. Be sure to say how you’re resolving the issue or note any steps they need to take to do so. This shows that an organization values their customers’ time and is attentive and committed to quickly resolving problems.

2. Keep customers informed?

Consumers get frustrated when they can’t easily access information they need. Use email to keep customers current on an order status, product exchanges or returns, and cancellations. And advise them of any actions they might need to take to streamline these processes.

Additionally, use email to reply to customers who’ve provided feedback or other input, not only to thank them, but as importantly, to inform them of any action you’ll be taking. These emails provide transparency, which helps to build trust. And they increase the likelihood of future purchases.

?3. Personalize interactions?

Marketing is known for targeted emails. But there’s no better place to personalize an email interaction than a service-related message that incorporates highly relevant content or recommendations. In fact, consumers say they consider proactive, personalized non-sales email from brands to be a form of good service. They also appreciate brands that offer it. Personalized emails increase engagement and strengthen loyalty.

4. Give agents time?

Many customer service employees juggle multiple interactions, sometimes across channels. Inquiries made via email can give agents time to research thoughtful responses, provide comprehensive information, when needed, or resolve an issue completely before replying. To give agents the time they might need, it’s essential to send an auto reply to customer's’ initial inquiries that includes specifics around responses times and hours of operation. This sets realistic expectations rather than creating a potentially poor experience.

5. Gain insight?

Contact center operations often use speech and text analytics to uncover issues or trends related to voice and #bot interactions. Fewer use analytics to track email for this purpose. Email inquiries can be another valuable source of customer insight, especially when combined with findings from other channels. Along with uncovering possible trends, analyzing emails could show, for example, that a long voice queue or a chatbot with limited capabilities is blocking customers from receiving service in a timely manner.

6. Stay connected across channels?

As important as it is to ensure service excellence on individual channels, it’s also essential to make sure that each channel is a connected part of the end-to-end customer journey. Some companies will orchestrate email outreach with text messages, for example, to ensure that consumers receive high-priority information quickly. Others link email to social channels or chatbots for escalation. This makes the service journey feel more fluid and less frustrating to the customer.?

Hit “Send” on email for service?

Incorporating these email strategies can notably improve the service experience and the quality of support an organization provides. Timely, informative and relevant email interactions can improve customer satisfaction, build trust and strengthen loyalty.?

Learn more in the eBook “Mastering email in the contact center.”