Improve customer service with online channels

Looking to offer customer service online? From social media to email to webchat, find out how to do it right.

In the fast-paced online business world, your customer service can make or break your success.

When a whole 88% of customers believe that good customer service is the key to keep them coming back, it's a powerful tool in a fiercely competitive market. Our handy tips can help you master the good customer service skills that turn one-time shoppers into loyal repeat buyers.

Thanks to social media, email, instant messaging and more, customers have multiple ways of getting in touch with businesses, quickly. Want to set up a successful online customer service process? You’ve come to the right place.

What is online customer support?

Think of online customer support as your trusted digital assistant, equipped with a toolbox that includes email, live chat, social media, and self-service knowledge bases. It’s especially valuable for SMEs with limited resources, helping you to deliver top-notch customer service quickly and easily without blowing your budget.

The impact on your customer's buying journey can be huge. Almost 95% of consumers are more likely to buy again after good customer service, but over 60% would switch after one bad experience.

Getting it right is a must. On the plus side, it can also boost trust, reduce abandoned carts, and provide valuable pre and post-sales support. However, poor service can seriously damage your bottom line, customer base and reputation.

Tips for improving online customer service

So how do you deliver a good customer experience? Our 10 essential tips can help ensure your online customer service is at the top of its game.

Timely responses

The most important aspect of customer service – whatever the channel – is responding to queries in a timely manner. With many ways customers can get in touch with you on, it can be difficult to keep track and messages may be missed. So, we recommend assigning team members to certain channels to look after – whichever ones you decide to choose.

More and more people are communicating with businesses via social media like X (previously Twitter), Facebook and Instagram – especially younger customers – and half of those messages are about the care they’ve received.

With 65% of people across the three platforms expecting a reply, and around 50% wanting one within three hours, you need to stay on top of things. Online complaints on social media can escalate fast, so commit to replying to all enquiries within 24 hours, but ideally as soon as you possibly can.

Give customers different ways to contact you

Each customer has their favourite way of getting in touch, so roll out the red carpet of contact options.

As well as the usual suspects like email and phone support, think about offering live chat and always make sure someone’s keeping an eye on your social media for any questions or complaints. However, we all know how frustrating it is when we can’t find the contact information we want, so make sure your details are easy to find across all your customer-facing material.

Communicate clearly

Avoid jargon or technical language that could easily confuse, annoy and put off your customers. Be clear and transparent with a personal touch. Address customers by name, and keep your tone warm and conversational.

Go the extra mile

Excellent customer service skills go beyond just solving problems. Make your customers feel extra special by surprising them with discounts or exclusive perks. Given 75% of customers prefer companies that offer rewards, you could even consider a reward scheme.

Empower your customer service team

A third (33%) of customers hate being on hold, and just as many don’t like repeating themselves to different people. Give your support teams the power to make decisions and resolve issues without constant higher-level intervention for faster, effective service.

Create a knowledge base

Over 90% of consumers would use an online, tailored knowledge hub if it was available. By building a one-stop-shop where customers can find the most commonly looked-for resources like specs, instruction manuals, how-to videos or FAQs, you can save your customers – and your team – valuable time.

Encourage self-service

Over a third (35%) of customers want access to self-service options. Providing features like order tracking, account management, and online returns puts your customers in the driving seat and reduces pressure on your team.

Monitor regularly

Keep a close eye on your online customer support channels to ensure they’re performing at their best. Staying on top of potential issues can prevent minor hiccups from snowballing into major problems.

Train your teams

It’s not just about embedding good customer service skills. Make sure your teams know your products, services and policies inside out for accurate and consistent support.

Ask for feedback

Your customers know your service better than anyone. Surveys, interviews, and social media can provide invaluable feedback.

Choose online customer service channels

Do your customers prefer using Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or another social media channel? Do they even use social media at all? Once you know where your customers are online, make sure you’re offering customer service there too.

Here are a few options you should consider and some best practices for making the most of each.

1. Social media

No one likes waiting long for a reply – especially in today’s online world, where everything is becoming instantly available. So, to make sure you’re there for your customers, you could look at creating a dedicated customer service channel on Twitter or using Facebook Messenger. Both options will let you manage multiple queries at once, but Facebook Messenger can also be connected to your Instagram and Facebook pages – and you can even use it as a chat plug-in on your website, making it easy for customers to find it. If you decide to use Messenger, you may decide to set up an automatic reply that is sent to someone as soon as they message you, giving them an expected time within which you will likely reply to them.

2. Email

Depending on who your customers are, social media may not be their top choice when looking for customer service, so email is another great option. When you receive a question, take this three-stage approach in your reply:

1. Acknowledge the customers’ question.

2. Show you understand, especially if they have a complaint.

3. Let them know what you can do/have done to help.

Top tip: stay on top of your inbox and put a system in place to keep track of conversations (for example, you could use folders, the flag button or colour code emails). This will help you understand what stage each conversation is at – so no customer is left forgotten.

3. Webchat

If you want customers to send questions directly through your website, setting up webchat might be best. Here, a chat window will automatically pop up on the customer’s screen when browsing or they can click a button to open it. It’s great for showing customers you’re there if they have questions – especially if any come up when browsing your website. In fact, a survey found 73% of people were highly satisfied using a webchat, compared to 61% who used email.

These options are just a few ways you can offer online customer service. The trick is choosing the way that works best for you and your customers.

You may have already spoken to one of our V-Hub Digital Advisers, but if not and you're looking for more support you can get in touch here. Our Knowledge Centre is also packed with information and tips to help you on your digital journey.