An increasing amount of contact center traffic is now handled by email. but how can we get the most out of it?
We asked several email management providers for their best advice.
1. you only have two hours to reply to an email
Customers do not trust email as a reliable communication channel with a service organization. How many times have you emailed a company and received no response? or did you get only a partial response after waiting for days?
here are the hard facts: sspa reports that customers expect an email response in two hours or less. however, forrester research reports that email response times are below consumer expectations.
2. understand the basics well
There are basic steps to follow to ensure a good email experience:
- make email part of your multi-channel strategy
- keep your customers informed from the moment they send you an email to the moment they get their questions answered .
- manage your email flow so you can meet your slas
- optimize your response process using email automation tools
- teach your agents to answer emails correctly
- monitor, measure and optimize the performance of your email
kate leggett, director of product marketing, kana
3. make sure no email goes unanswered
When customers take the time to send an email, they expect a quick and meaningful response. As the preferred interaction channel, email communication is an effective way for organizations to answer questions, resolve issues, and guide their customers through the customer journey.
however, care is required to ensure responses are consistent and timely to avoid causing customer and contact center agent frustration.
Also, make sure your email management solution allows you to track the progress of each email through routing, ensuring that no email goes unanswered.
4. responding to emails with the right skill set
With attribute-based routing, your customers can rest assured that their questions will be answered by an agent with the right skills to address the customer’s specific query.
joe brown, emea general manager, rightnow technologies
5. evaluate and plan your best communication channel
set the number of incoming written communications with customers, which channel they prefer (email or web inquiry), and what type of contact you receive (eg inquiries, orders, complaints).
6. offer web self-service to forward emails
Your organization could offer web self-service/Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for repeat inquiries, leading to immediate responses without the need for agent involvement. Organizations that receive more than 300 customer requests a day could benefit from an email response management system.
7. groups incoming emails to ensure effective responses
identify the various types of incoming communication; this can be accelerated by using artificial intelligence text analytics. after learning the content of incoming emails, they can be grouped into tasks, skill sets, product expertise, etc.
Intelligent classification software can help you categorize incoming mail automatically.
8. text modules help ensure quality and faster turnaround times
define sample text modules. these should be easily combined and can be assigned directly to a business transaction or be part of the overall written corporate communication with the customer. Using text modules will reduce your agent response times and also maintain a certain quality response standard. depending on the implemented system, there are options to use predictive text modules that are based on the information provided in the incoming communication with the client.
9. customer satisfaction is the goal
Regardless of the content and the person behind a customer inquiry, each communication is important and can be seen as a performance multiplier for your service. you may want to define service levels for customer communication, prioritize them and define maximum response times. Depending on systems integration, customer inquiries can automatically receive transaction information from existing CRM/ERP systems, ensuring response customization and relevance.
The increase in inbound email traffic puts pressure on customer service departments and they will have to decide whether or not to automate. A well-planned strategy focused on effective and prompt communication would ensure that customers adopt email as their preferred channel.
andreas klug, managing director, ityx
10. automate business processes with email-based workflows
The convenience and flexibility of email make it the perfect vehicle for improving performance. however, communications can break down when long chains of email responses become messy and confusing. An email management system not only helps streamline email, but also automates business processes with email-based workflows.
11. Has it overtaken Microsoft Outlook as an email management system?
Personal email programs like outlook are fine for personal communication tasks, but they are not designed for process-oriented tasks or interdepartmental communication. In an email management system, emails are not floating pieces of debris floating around your computer, but part of a larger task that can be accessed by people across the company. Since the email is embedded in a workflow, someone always “owns” the task, and if the task doesn’t complete, you can track where it’s stuck.
andrew mennie, general manager, egain emea (www.egain.com)
For more great tips for managing email in the contact center, read our articles:
- what is customer email management? – with 10 easy tips, software tips and mistakes to avoid
- Top 10 tips for improving call center email
- customer support emails and letters: how to review and improve your templates