previous icon Back to blog
May 13, 2024
6 minutes read

Happy clients, happy agents: the platform effect in customer service

As a member of the customer service team, you stand on the frontline of customer interaction every day. In a world where customers demand quick and personalised service, long wait times, impersonal responses, or worse, incorrect answers, can quickly drive a customer away. Your goal, however, is to connect customers with your organisation and deliver the best answers and service possible.

Marleen van Dam
Marleen van Dam,
Content Marketer

It’s incredibly satisfying to see a customer leave a conversation happier and eager to purchase your product. Your efforts can significantly enhance the customer experience, but you need the right tools to truly excel. Integrating these tools into a platform amplifies your capabilities and lets you experience the power of the platform effect.

Automation that helps rather than replaces

It's a common question: Does automation replace roles within customer service? A valid concern, but the answer is a resounding no. Automation is designed to support, not replace. Imagine if an agent only had to answer repetitive questions—nobody would be happy with that. It's far better when repetitive queries are automated, leaving time for more complex issues that require a personal touch. But even with these more complex queries, agents can be well-supported, for instance, by using Artificial Intelligence in their existing service tools.

A GenAI Engine integrated within an agent's inbox provides automated, quick, and relevant response suggestions. It delivers these in the correct tone of voice and the necessary translations. Additionally, it provides summaries of previous conversations and interactions with the customer.

By leveraging this data in combination with the power of artificial intelligence, the productivity of agents is enhanced, leaving room for additional advice. That bit of extra advice and service often strengthens customer loyalty. This can make a crucial difference in customer experience, but the customer service team must have the right tools to do their work effectively.

AI in customer service

  • Suggested answer suggestions and conversation summaries

  • The correct Tone of Voice (TOV), writing style and language

  • More relevant answers in seconds

Seamlessly switch between channels and interactions

Customers choose their preferred communication channel and expect you to effortlessly move with them. Whether a conversation starts with a message via a chatbot in the online store and then continues via WhatsApp, an agent must be able to start the conversation on one channel and continue it seamlessly on another without any disruption. This enhances customer satisfaction and reduces frustration on both sides of the conversation.

To achieve this, all customer information must be directly and clearly available, without the need to switch between different systems. A platform with a unified inbox ensures that all interactions and customer data come together in one central place. Whether a customer has previously been contacted via email, chat or social media, there is immediate access to the full history and context. This makes it easier to respond quickly and adequately, making conversations not only shorter but also more personal.

engage-platform-effect-benefits

One platform as a catalyst for growth, efficiency and flexibility

Besides aiming for shorter and more personal interactions, efficiency is also crucial. Data and analytics play a key role here by connecting all interactions within one platform. This data enables you to understand what customers need and when. These insights can help you act proactively, identify trends and continuously improve your service. For example, if a customer has a question about a product that requires a complementary product to function optimally, pointing this out during the interaction can prevent further questions later in the process and enhance the product experience. However, the necessary knowledge is not always readily available due to the often extensive product range. A platform that provides access to this data and acts as a single source of truth is, therefore, the perfect solution, by leveraging consistency across all service interactions. It enables you to quickly and easily have the necessary knowledge available.

An integrated platform with all customer service tools also offers significant growth opportunities. It makes your team scalable and easily adaptable to the size and needs of your business, which is mostly needed during peak periods. That’s why YourSurprise – a webshop for personalised gifts – uses chatbot Gifty to answer frequently asked questions.

Next to that, YourSurprise brings in colleagues from the marketing team to assist during Black Friday and the Holiday Season. Thanks to a centrally accessible knowledge base on the platform with AI-driven tooling that offers suggested answers, they can be of great value during these busy times by answering many questions. Moreover, the integration of these tools into one platform, combined with the automation of repetitive questions, makes the work much more enjoyable.

As the more complex questions remain for live support, the role of the agent shifts from a simple responder to that of an advisor, leading to better customer service. Happy customers also make happy agents. By providing fast, efficient and personalised service, agents not only build strong relationships with customers but also experience greater personal satisfaction in their work. A unified platform enables the entire customer service team to bring out their best every day.

How CM.com's Engagement Platform enhances customer service

As part of the customer service team, you are the hub of customer relationships. An Engagement Platform equips you with the tools to fulfil this role with confidence and success. The tools of this platform include Mobile Service Cloud, Conversational AI Cloud, Customer Data Platform and Generative AI Engine.

Our Mobile Service Cloud allows you to efficiently manage all customer communications from a single interface, enhancing responsiveness. Together with the other components, this improves coordination and speed of service delivery.

Next, our Conversational AI Cloud also offers advanced chatbot technology that automatically handles routine questions, allowing agents to focus on more complex issues. This AI works seamlessly with the Mobile Service Cloud by smoothly transferring conversations to human agents when necessary.

engagement-platform-blog-imageWith our Customer Data Platform, you have all the relevant customer profile information at hand to deliver personalised support to each individual customer. Last, our Generative AI Engine generates dynamic, personalised responses that are not only relevant but also contextually adapted to the tone and style of customer interaction. This engine enhances the capabilities of both the Mobile Service Cloud and the Conversational AI Cloud by enabling deeper insights and customisation.

By embracing technology that supports and enhances you, you can elevate every customer interaction. Are you ready to transform your work and make a difference every day? Discover how CM.com’s Engagement Platform can help you excel.

Discover more about our the Engagement Platform

Was this article interesting?
Share it!

Related articles

ringing-the-bell-cmcom
Nov 18, 2024 • CM.com

Crisis sparks creativity: how CM.com turns challenges into growth

Over the past five years, we’ve made it our mission to stay ahead by adapting quickly to change and seizing new opportunities. Despite the challenges—like the global pandemic—we kept growing by staying flexible and making smart decisions. In this final blog celebrating 25 years of CM.com, we look back at a time when we showed, again and again, how we could offer innovative solutions and strengthen our organisation.

hero-17-sms-customer-service-templates-to-use-today
Nov 11, 2024 • Conversational AI

Turning shoppers into loyal fans: how to retain customers post-Black Friday

Black Friday is a huge shopping event, drawing crowds of eager shoppers hunting for deals. But after the frenzy fades, the real challenge begins: turning one-time shoppers into loyal, repeat customers. Customer retention is vital for long-term success and post-Black Friday is the perfect time to build lasting relationships. So, how can your business retain customers post-Black Friday? In this blog, we’ll explore how to make it happen.

multi-channel-vs-omni-channel
Oct 28, 2024 • WhatsApp

WhatsApp Business pricing changes for 2024 and 2025

The WhatsApp Business Platform pricing is based on conversation categories with corresponding fees, however, recently, Meta has announced some upcoming pricing changes for 2024 and 2025. What does this mean for you and your business? Read all about the pricing model in this blog.

blackfriday-2024 blog
Oct 07, 2024 • Conversational AI

The art of simplicity: help customers make quick Black Friday decisions

Black Friday 2024 is just around the corner, bringing with it a great opportunity for retailers to maximise sales. However, standing out in such a competitive event isn’t easy. Consumers expect attractive offers, fast deliveries and top-notch customer support. In this article, we’ll show you how to simplify the purchasing process during Black Friday, optimising everything from promotions to logistics and 24/7 customer service to ensure a seamless experience and increase customer loyalty.

puzzle cm.com
Sep 23, 2024 • CM.com

The puzzle comes together: from pieces to platform

CM.com started as an SMS provider, yet today, we offer an integrated customer engagement platform to drive meaningful business interactions. Over the past 25 years, we have been assembling this platform piece by piece, with each innovation, product and acquisition adding to the bigger picture. Let’s explore how these puzzle pieces have come together to build the CM.com of today.

whatsapp-business-blog_image-deals-offers
Sep 16, 2024 • WhatsApp

Increase conversion with promotional messages on WhatsApp

In an age of mass marketing, it’s safe to say peak sales periods, especially Black Friday and the holiday season, can be overwhelming for consumers. Consumers receive irrelevant information from companies that doesn't match their personal needs and desires, so it's no surprise people might want to switch off and tune out all forms of marketing until the season is over. As an eCommerce player, you should always be looking to avoid this by diversifying and personalising your marketing strategy in a way that suits your customers' needs.

Jeroen-buitenland
Sep 09, 2024 • CM.com

Pushing boundaries: the path to global expansion

By 2010, CM.com knew it was time to expand beyond its roots. What began in nightclubs had grown into a broader client base across various industries. It was time to push boundaries—both literally and figuratively. Here’s the story of our international journey, filled with challenges, triumphs and lessons.

WhatsApp RCS
Aug 19, 2024 • RCS

RCS vs WhatsApp: which messaging channel is right for your business?

RCS and WhatsApp are both notable channels for businesses that strive for a personal and conversational approach to customer communication. But what features do both channels have? What sets them apart? And more importantly, which channel is most suitable for your business? In this blog, we'll explore the differences to answer these questions.

blog-25-years-diy-to-high-tech
Aug 05, 2024 • CM.com

How CM.com expanded from clubs into TV, banks and beyond

What started as ClubMessage — focused on SMS marketing for nightclubs — quickly evolved into an organisation capable of handling millions of messages. Within just five years, the company had not only built a vast reach among young people but also developed its own technology to manage high volumes of SMS traffic. This rapid growth saw CM.com become the Netherlands' largest SMS buyer, with its technology branching out into new sectors like television and banking. Let’s take a closer look at this journey.

Is this region a better fit for you?
Go
close icon