The ultimate Guide to choose a Customer Service software

CSM that is to say Customer Service Management

The quality of Customer Service is an evaluation metric used to identify the success or lack of it of a company.
When we talk about CSM we refer to the set of activities that govern relationships among customers, teams and customer support, with the aim of effectively solving problems and requests quickly.
A punctual, effective and reliable service is essential to offer the customer added value with respect to the product or service purchased, optimizing time and costs.

5 key points in choosing the right Customer Service Software

Customer Service tools were created to facilitate customer service management. The offer on the market is really wide, as are the features available on each solution.
So how do you choose the tool that is most in line with the needs of your company or, more generally, of your business?
Let’s see some fundamental key points to consider during the software selection process.

Automation
Automating means saving time but also reducing the possibility of manual errors. When we need to choose a customer service software it is important to understand whether or not it offers the possibility to automate workflows. Through modules such as Workflow, or features such as automatic routing, escalation rules and predefined replies, it is possible to quickly resolve problems thanks to standardized procedures and resources easily accessible by users. This allows for an improvement in productivity and guarantees a faster resolution of customer requests

Usability
Choosing a tool for Customer Service Management also means considering its usability. An intuitive and user-friendly interface leads to a reduction working times, as well as greater staff satisfaction and better productivity.

Scalability
Ease of use goes hand in hand with scalability, essential for companies of all sized to adaptability to their changing needs. Modular solutions allow to easily update business processes, adjust them to the evolution of the company, guaranteeing service continuity.

Customization
A customizable tool allows a company to better express its potential. In choosing a Customer Service software, we should consider customization as an added value also towards customers: therefore, customization not only at interface level but also in terms of customer experience, for instance with customized answers, in line with topic and target. Tailor made replies transform into greater satisfaction for the service user and the customer service operator.

Performance
Speed ​​in the resolution of tickets and thorough replies. In choosing a Customer Service software, it fundamental to verify if the tool let’s you quickly access information, interact with the customer in real time, collaborate internally easily sharing resources and exchanging information.

One software, many features.

We have seen what are the most important characteristics to consider in the Software selection process. Let’s now go through the most common features in this type of platform.

Customer Portal
Thanks to an intuitive customer portal, operators can easily and quickly carry out daily activities, customers can consult FAQs, request services through precompiled ticket forms and interact in real time with service operators

Knowledge Base
Offering a Knowledge Base increases service quality. The creation of organized content that can be consulted by the user in total autonomy leads to greater accessibility to resources and a consequent reduction in customer service costs and time.

Report
Reporting allows you to monitor data and measure service performance, facilitating the evaluation of service quality and identifying possible areas of improvement. It represents a useful tool for an updated overview of the service and it is essential to take effective decisions in real time.

Asset Management
The Asset Management feature enables a wide control on the IT infrastructure. Being able to view and monitor available resources, it is possible to improve asset life-cycle management and consequently the service provision.

Contract Management
Contract Management allows the control over customer contracts, their deadlines and details, be them assistance, rental, supply or other types of contracts. The Contract Management module provides immediate visibility on the products and services purchased by customers; avoid providing services for free and maximize profit in contract renewals. 

SLA (Service Level Agreement)
The SLA feature helps respecting the objectives established in the service provision agreement. Compliance with the agreed service levels optimizes the relationship with customers. Thanks to the SLA functionality you can configure and customize, for example, a calendar of activities and assign each one a goal in order to respect service levels

Live Chat
Provide responses quickly and easily engage users. The Live Chat, integrated in many Customer Service platforms, is essential to centralize all communications. Everything in a single tool, for a faster data consultation and a more profitable internal and external collaboration.

Why try a customer service software for free?

The ones mentioned above are just some of the most popular features Customer Service software offer.
Once you have checked what is present and what is not, how is it possible to understand whether the tool offered is actually in line with your business needs?
How is it possible to evaluate the compatibility of a tool with the company organizational structure?
Many software vendors allow users to request a free demo, which represents a unique opportunity to get a first look at the solution.

If you want to test a Customer Service Software today, from the comfort of your office, you can activate a demo yourself completely free of charge, by clicking the button below.