5 Must haves for SaaS Customer Support
By Dipali Nishad for Indigo Olive Software
What is SaaS customer support?
Saas Customer support refers to the support offered by SaaS companies to the customers. It consists of responding to queries and troubleshooting problems via mediums such as FAQs, chatbot, email, communities, telephonic and virtual support. Webinars, knowledge-based documentation, and other educational resources are provided to inform the customers about the updates and advancements in the products
“Excellent customer service is the number one job in any company! It is the personality of the company and the reason customers come back. Without customers, there is no company!” – Connie Elder, Founder & CEO, PEAK 10 SKIN
With modern technology, A-1 Customer Support System is easy to build. However, businesses usually forget to focus on the basic and the most essential features of customer support. To make sure you don’t miss out on such features, we have listed the 5 must-haves of SaaS Customer Support.
- Easily discoverable Support Widgets
Imagine you are in a Departmental Store. Everything is just dumped on the shelf. You won’t be able to find what you were looking for and your frustration will shoot up. Similarly, in an app or a website, if a customer is facing some issue, he/she looks for a support widget. If the customer is not able to find your hidden support widget, his/her frustration will also shoot up. It can also result in higher customer churn.
A complex website/application forces the customer to do a full website audit. It delays the process of the customer reaching the desired page or option they were looking for. Bad customer experience can cause a decline in profit. So, for actionable customer feedback, make sure the support widget is easy to find.
- Provide comprehensive FAQs for Self Service Support
In the modern world, customers wish for the same level of support they had when they first self-discovered the product- with self-service support like FAQs, knowledge base, in-app tutorials, etc. Self-service support is a kind of computerized support, where customers can tackle specific issues on their own.
As per the ZenDesk report, 67% of users prefer self-service support and 91% of survey respondents say they would use an online knowledge base if it were available and tailored to their needs. Therefore, SaaS businesses should include an excellent FAQs page by all means.
The FAQ page should be easily available, comprehendible, and informative. Putting time and assets into setting up a FAQ page won’t just reduce the pressure of Customer Support but will also save your customers’ time.
- Make the best use of Live Chat
If self-service doesn’t work, confused customers always want to speak to a real person. They look for on-demand support which gives real-time solutions 24*7. As per Kayako’s research, 41%, 32%, 23% and 3% of the audience preferred customer support via live chat, phone calls, email, and social media, respectively. This statement suggests a larger number of customers have high expectations from live chats.
Moreover, it’s cost-efficient. Since a smaller number of chat agents are required, it increases efficiency. Nowadays, links, attachments, and images can be shared in the live chat box which eases the solution procedure. Eventually, it leads to an improved customer experience.
- Fix the root cause of support requests
Support data is the biggest asset when it comes to customer support service. After analyzing the data, three kinds of requests will be observed i.e., Bugs, Missing features, and Confusing/ hidden features.
Doesn’t matter if it’s brand new or the newest software, it can’t be bug-free. With each update, a new bug is found. The only solution is- Find it before the customer does and eliminate it.
Technology is upgrading every single day. To find missing features in your software/application, look at what your customers are searching for.
If a feature is repeatedly popping up in support requests you need to focus on fixing the feature’s issues immediately. For the features not developed yet, give alternatives. Lastly, address the hidden/confusing features requests with your tech team.
- Have the right Customer Service and Customer Support Agents
Customer Support and Customer Service are important to build long and trusted relations with customers. However, there is a thin line between them.
Customer service agents deal with simple issues and offer proactive responses. The agents don’t require a deep technical knowledge of the product or service. They only need to be empathetic, patient and pay attention to customers and make them feel heard.
Whereas customer support agents continuously help the customers. They are aware of A to Z of the product or service. They deal with specific technical issues. It is important to have proficient customer support agents, fully equipped with all technical knowledge to resolve all issues in the shortest time span.
Conclusion
In the information age, the Customer is still the king. And their feedback is essential to improve products or services, retain customers and generate testimonials for your prospects. With the above actionable must-haves, you can reduce the customer churn rate and strengthen your customer support system.
