Helpdesk applications have pervaded almost all supply chains, given the surge in demand for premium customer service and experience. It is where all the magic happens that makes fabulous customer experiences possible. You don't get to witness one first-hand unless you are inside one of the customer contact centers, as a customer, or in the role of a service agent. Even then, helpdesk applications perform big tasks subtly that hardly invite our attention to them. Customers and agents take helpdesk applications for granted and expect nothing short of perfection from them.

We have become so acclimatized to the role helpdesk applications play, that it takes a service disruption to focus on them. Helpdesk applications have evolved with each passing year to imbibe cutting-edge technology, becoming an extension of our supply chains. Today, we cannot imagine conducting business without a digital presence and a helpdesk application to handle the traffic of tickets and customer issues in a structured manner. So what has caused the rapid rise in the adoption of helpdesk applications?

The rise of the digital marketplace, the emergence of technology, accessibility of the internet, increased penetration of mobile technology, and consumer power have helped fuel the shift towards digital business and the demand for applications that can handle the business volume online. So, where do we place helpdesk software in our supply chain priorities? How can we leverage this technology to deliver top-notch customer experiences to enhance the brand image? Let's look at a few success stories to inspire you to find your unique path in this journey.

Build a customer-centric business model

Very few companies have made it big online, like Amazon and Zappos. They have a customer base stretching all over the globe and revenue streams going into millions by the hour. What enables them to achieve such high customer loyalty? Well, these companies are in the market to deliver high-quality customer service. They have built their business around customer needs and less around cost competition. They score high on CSAT and other metrics of customer service.

But how do they handle the huge volume of business without a drop in quality or encountering roadblocks? They do so with the help of robust helpdesk applications. If you want a demo, buy a product from these high-end online stores and leave a customer complaint or feedback. The first thing you will observe is the quick acknowledgment and response of the customer service team. They have a steady protocol, streamlined to resolve customer concerns on priority and get business back on track. For these businesses, the cost of customer issue resolution is irrelevant as opposed to upholding brand image because they have understood the importance of a clean brand image.

Delight your customers with features and service

Google is everyone's favorite business. Everyone uses Google products like Google Search Engine, Gmail, Youtube, Android, Google Flights, Google Chrome, Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Lens, Google Ads, and so forth. I could go on for another couple of minutes, listing their vast portfolio. However, focusing on delivering an excellent customer experience separates them from their competition.

Each Google product has delivered an excellent customer experience in features and technology. However, whenever a few have missed the mark, Google customer service is proactive enough to walk you through the thin ice until you find a firm foothold. The ability to understand customer needs and psyche requires a lot of data, and luckily Google has volumes of data flowing in daily. Google can easily leverage the data to gain insights into customer behavior patterns to design engaging products and services. Once again, technology drives business improvements.

Don't settle for the mediocre

If you want to build your brand on fantastic customer experiences, you cannot settle for a mediocre standard. You have to set a very high bar for yourself and your team. Contrary to old school business thoughts, the new age customers are willing to pay an extra premium for a better customer experience. You can market high-quality customer experiences as your competitive advantage, one that is difficult to replicate by competitors.

The most iconic brand that has delivered a high-quality customer experience is Apple. The driving force behind Apple was Steve Jobs and his piercing insight into the customer psyche. He was able to foresee what the customer wanted and helped them discover it by setting high-quality standards for products and services. Not only was Apple successful in dominating the mobile industry, but it was also able to thwart cost competition from new entrants and still retain considerable market share by creating a unique customer experience. 

Keep it simple

If you want to implement something, you need to have a firm understanding of it and you can understand something only by simplifying it. The more complexities you build into your business model, the nigger the challenges you will face and the greater the resources required to overcome those challenges. Ensure that you have a well-trained team and keep them motivated. Support your team with a high-performance helpdesk application. Use data and customer feedback to drive business improvements. It cannot get any simpler than that.

Delivering excellent customer service is not difficult. All it requires is a customer-centric approach and a focus on delivering value. Keep your business model and your service processes streamlined and simple. Instead of building unnecessary sophistication into your business processes that are not adding value, focus on implementing the minimum benchmark requirements that are necessary to deliver an excellent customer experience. The only way to solve a big problem is by breaking it down into small simple pieces; not by complicating it and making it harder.

Conclusion

Scoring high on customer experience is tough and building a brand image by doing it consistently is a mammoth task. Fortunately, the cloudy sky of competitive markets has silver linings of success stories in customer service. If you draw the right lessons from them, chances are that you will soon add your own story to it. Focus on the basics, build a robust business model, and keep things simple.

At Wolken, we have been helping our clients gain an edge in customer service through our products. Our mission is to empower customers in creating stellar customer experiences assisted by information technology. Get in touch with our team to explore how we could help your business.