Why proactive customer service is good for your business.
Proactive customer support was identified by Forrester Research as a top customer service trend. But what is proactive customer service? And how can providing proactive customer service benefit your business?
What is proactive customer service?
As opposed to reactive customer service -- when customers with questions or concerns contact your company -- proactive customer service is focused on identifying and resolving issues before the customer has to reach out. Studies show that “best in class” contact centers are evolving their approach to embrace proactive customer service. And they do this by anticipating the customer’s journey and potential pitfalls, especially in their post-purchase experience. By addressing potential challenges before the customer experiences them, businesses can help create happy customers, and we know that happy customers make the most loyal customers.
What is an example of proactive customer service?
Imagine one of the following situations happened to you:
- You sent flowers to your mother for her birthday.
- Your credit card information was skimmed from a gas pump.
- A construction project next door accidentally cut a cable to your home.
Instead of:
- Wondering if the bouquet of roses had been delivered,
- Unknowingly fueling the spending spree of a thief, or
- Arriving home to watch the big game without cable
Proactive customer service provides you with:
- Real-time SMS messages on the status of your order
- A phone call from the credit card company to review potentially fraudulent charges
- An email notification about the issue and when it is expected to be resolved.
