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Best practices for conversational customer service

Here are 10 ways to make the most of conversational customer support—from adding new channels like WhatsApp to deploying bots and automation—and set your agents up for success.

According to the latest CX Trends Report, 70 percent of customers expect conversational care experiences when dealing with companies. With the explosive popularity of messaging channels like WhatsApp and shifts towards Conversational CRM as the standard for modern customer experiences, it’s no surprise that businesses and their customers alike love messaging: It’s convenient, personal, scalable, and seamless.

But what is conversational customer service?

In short, conversational customer service is where modern support channels, software, and methodologies come together. Rather than treating customer interactions as one-off transactional tickets, a conversational approach treats these interactions as part of a longer, ongoing relationship where every ticket is really part of a connected, ongoing relationship. Customers aren’t forced to repeat themselves, and agents have the context they need to provide personalized experiences.

In this guide, we demonstrate how to create the best customer experiences with conversational tools. We can tell you which channels to add, when to deploy bots, the best metrics to track, and how to make sure your agents are up to speed. For more information on how to create better conversational customer service experiences, download the guide below.

Determine your messaging staffing needs

Use our staffing calculator to help your team operationalize your messaging channels.

Messaging staffing calculator

Results

Weekly utilised hours for a full-time agent:
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Total utilised hours (weekly):
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Estimated full-time agents needed:

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Average handle time calculator

Solves per hour:

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Average handle time:

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Disclaimer: The above formula should be used as a guide—it shouldn’t replace a typical workforce management staffing calculator. Teams will also need to consider factors such as breaks for agents, multiple shifts, and different customer requirements.

Customers expect conversational customer service

It's convenient, personal, and scalable. New channels like messaging and new capabilities in help desk software have shifted the paradigm for customer service. In this guide, we illustrate some best practices to help you make the most of your conversational support strategy.