Remote sales and customer service challenges and how to overcome them

The situation in 2020 forced most businesses to immediately switch to remote work. It is clear that many companies were not and are not prepared for this. Companies that must maintain continuity and high-quality customer service are very vulnerable to the crisis. So what should remote work look like in customer service?

Social media do matter for customer service

Customer service is no different to that of other channels. You have to be open, helpful, empathetic and try to help the client. The difference is that conversations can take place in chat or in the comments, meaning the service is public.

With tools like NapoleonCat, you can access the Social Inbox, where you can interact with different profiles on social media. You can respond to these interactions in one place!

Customer service on social media is not an option for big brands. It is an everyday reality for everyone who is, and even if they are not, online. Whether you will benefit from it is entirely up to you. Either you will take for your clients or the competition that has adapted to the rules of remote work will do it for you.

Additionally, Social media allows you to easily listen to your customers. Thanks to internet monitoring, we can keep track of complaints, problems and questions that arise. In addition, we can analyze and investigate issues such as main customer problems, what suggestions are popular and which services are troublesome.

Sales shifted from face to face to online meetings – make the most of it

For many businesses, most marketing activities focus on directing the customer to sales offices , or at meetings for sales presentations. Unfortunately, due to the situation in 2020, this type of interaction with the client has become simply impossible in most companies, whether it is due to the reluctance of customers to meet for fear of their health or, in turn, by sending sales office employees on holidays or the so-called . “Home office”. In this case, what can salespeople do to avoid losing the opportunity to talk to customers? How to convince clients (and employees) to meet online? How to make it easier for employees to find themselves in this new form of communication?

It would not be feasible by email communication alone. Phone calls are also not of adequate quality. Teleconferences, on the other hand, are great. It is worth emphasizing that very often this type of meeting is easier to arrange even with a person with whom we could meet face to face, but we would lose, for example, time for commuting or organizing calendars.

It is worth emphasizing the values of this form: the possibility of showing the implementation of similar investments, analysis of its materials, better understanding of the needs and requirements, more dynamic action than in the course of an e-mail exchange.

Online meetings can be a very effective alternative to physical meetings, and with the right webinar software, conducting such a meeting will be a pleasure.

You really should (finally) go online

The present day has become much more virtual: work, meetings, shopping. Everything indicates that after the 2020 situation, the importance of e-commerce will only increase. That is why it is so important to be prepared for such inevitable changes and to adapt to them now by creating an online store, strengthening the online sales channel or transforming businesses focused on online activities.

Business exists when there are customers. Customers will increasingly look for offers on the Internet first, so every entrepreneur should think about operating online. Surely the simplest task is for stores, because online sales is highly developed, there are various support platforms available for both it and customer service.

Analyze how user-friendly your website is and whether you can improve its operation. Make sure it adequately advertises your business and your company’s values, but also consider whether it is functional, displays well on mobile devices, and allows you to familiarize yourself with your offerings. If you have noticed any errors, be sure to fix them within your scope or use the services of a software development company.

Over to you

Remote work does create challenges for both customer service and sales. However, with the support of the right tools and the implementation of procedures, you can facilitate this process and actually make it more effective than working in the office. Such a process will also prove useful when remote work is no longer a necessity