Interest rates are rising, the housing market is slowing, and according to the international Consumer Price Index report released on October 12, U.S. inflation is increasing at the fastest pace in 40 years.
With the war in Ukraine still ongoing and energy costs rising, the economic outlook around the world is not very positive. “Global economic activity is experiencing a broader and more pronounced slowdown than expected, with inflation higher than seen in several decades,” the International Monetary Fund said in a report released on October 11 this year.
Offer a personalized service without spending more
Globally, many organisations may have to cut back on spending for a variety of reasons, but spending less doesn’t have to translate into a loss. This can be a particular challenge for businesses historically seen as a cost centre, such as those offering customer service. However, it’s also a good opportunity to check that you’re using the full potential of your existing support system.
When you can’t hire new people, automation becomes a vital resource. And when you offer customers an omnichannel conversational service, your agents can provide a fast and personalized response.
Enabling automations, such as chatbots and self-service pages, will help keep expenses under control. You can also implement an extensible platform that connects to your existing infrastructure through APIs, webhooks, and an application network. That way, you can still provide personal, tailored services without stretching resources too thin.
Reduce costs while increasing customer satisfaction
Founded in 2004, Virgin Pulse is one of the world’s leading technology solutions for employee wellbeing. Serving 14 million members across 190 countries, the app helps businesses promote healthy lifestyles for their employees with health coaching, medical and fitness management, wellness engagement and digital therapeutic interventions.
Achieving double-digit annual growth, Virgin Pulse needed to improve efficiency across its self-service options.
“We decided to invest time and resources into improving our support site, which is powered by Zendesk and houses all of our FAQs, and the results have been absolutely phenomenal,” says Michael Pace, Senior Director of Global Member Services at Virgin Pulse.
Virgin Pulse can now serve india phone numbers millions more customers. And this increase in service has come without impacting the Member Services budget. “Had we not implemented the self-service strategy, we would probably have had to increase our budget by an additional 30% over what we are investing today to handle the increased volumes,” explains Pace.
Virgin Pulse not only managed to stay on budget, but also achieved a six percentage point increase in CSAT.
LUSH is an international beauty retailer known for its fair trade practices and sustainability credentials. Founded in the UK in 1995 as a cosmetics store based on fresh fruit and vegetables, LUSH now operates nearly 1,000 stores in 49 countries.
In 2016, LUSH partnered with Zendesk to standardize its business processes and digital offerings. That year, just before the holiday shopping season, LUSH also revamped its website.
“It was the busiest Christmas the digital team has ever had,” explains Naomi Rankin, Global Customer Experience Manager at LUSH. “Having Zendesk as a constant force at the time meant we could identify any potential customer issues and resolve them quickly.”
With the strategic changes, LUSH achieved a 50% increase in productivity, saving over $208,000 in cost efficiencies. Customer experience has also improved, achieving a CSAT score of 91.8%, well above the industry average, even with a 60% increase in tickets during the COVID-19 pandemic.