Anyone who has used Slack knows it's a multi-purpose tool. Initially, it comes off as an internal communication platform. But then there's Slack Connect for external communications. Slack also has marketing tools for your business.
Among other use cases of Slack, customer service stands out. We won't deny that email is still in the game, but using Slack for customer service raises the bar.
Below, we discuss the potential for Slack customer satisfaction. How can you take this route to satisfy your customers? Let's discover.
It's not a secret that good customer service is key to retaining customers and building a loyal customer base, eventually leading to a high return on investment (ROI). But customer service isn't a one-time thing; it's continuous.
Why? Because your consistency will result in repeated purchases. A Salesforce research found that 94% of customers make a repeated purchase if they get a positive customer service experience.
Slack can help you achieve that satisfaction. Here's why.
Slack has 10 million daily active users. Over half of them are from outside the US, spread across 150+ countries.
Some examples of well-known companies that use Slack are T-Mobile, IBM, Target, Uber, and Airbnb. In fact, 80% of Fortune 100 companies use Slack.
What we're trying to say is that there's a significant chance that your client is already using Slack. That means the client doesn't have to download and onboard a new app to communicate with you. Eliminating this extra step can save time and effort for the client, leading to a better overall experience.
We can't ignore the obvious, can we? Slack facilitates communication between teams. But what makes it better than other modes of communication, like email?
Slack lets you send messages, files, images, and videos instantly. You can create public or private channels according to your team's needs. Plus, you don't have to worry about emails getting lost in the clutter or not being seen by all team members.
Unlike email, where you may have to send multiple emails as reminders, Slack supports recurring reminders. You can simply set reminders for your team or yourself and get things done by the deadline. Similarly, Slack message automation further streamlines communication by sending automated messages based on specific triggers or events.
Instead of spreading customer communication across a handful of platforms, why not centralize it on one? Slack can be used for customer support, sales, marketing, onboarding, and general team communication.
One, this means your customers don't have to navigate through multiple channels to reach you. Two, this saves time for your team as they don't have to switch between different apps. Three, you can find whatever you need, thanks to the search functionality.
The Slack App Directory has over 2,600 apps, ranging from Google Drive and Gmail to Salesforce and Zoom. You can integrate these apps with Slack to create a powerful communication and collaboration ecosystem.
For example, you can automatically update your team's tasks on Trello or Asana directly from Slack — no app switching required. Likewise, JustReply lets you handle customer queries within the Slack platform itself.
Now that you know why Slack is appreciated by businesses and their customers alike, let's look at some use cases of Slack for customer satisfaction.
Let's start with the most obvious use case: customer service. Remember how we talked about integrations earlier? Bring in JustReply, and Slack can become your customer support front.
How? JustReply is a customer support tool that acts as your ticketing system, allowing you to respond to the initiated tickets within Slack. Here's how it goes. A customer submits a query to the JustReply website widget on your website or through email. Next, the ticket shows up on your Slack channel. Your customer support team can then take over and reply to the query without leaving Slack.
Another JustReply feature to amp up your customer service is the help center. There are three template options; choose whichever is closest to your business theme.
A knowledge base or help center reduces the load on your support team and empowers customers to solve their own queries. An Intercom report found that 77% of businesses will invest more in knowledge bases and other self-serve support resources in the future. Why should you stay behind?
Slack analytics is a goldmine for businesses. You can use Slack on its own or integrate an analytics tool for more robust data.
Here's the Slack data you can export:
Now, how do you put this data to use in terms of customer satisfaction? Suppose you manage customer support through Slack, as we've explained earlier.
You can export all data from your Slack customer support channel and analyze the amount and type of queries coming in, average response time, resolution times, etc. For instance, you can find out which product features people complain the most about. Work on fixing them or introducing updates to make it more user-friendly.
Alternatively, you can check which team member has the highest customer satisfaction ratings and learn from their techniques. Slack data also assists in trend analysis. For example, you can see if there's a spike in queries or complaints about a certain product after an update.
Slack analytics also lets you identify recurring issues that lead customers to churn. If several users are facing the same problem and are not satisfied with the resolution offered, it's time to take a closer look at your product or service.
You were going to send newsletters and email blasts to inform all users about the latest product updates and feature releases. Why not do this using a tool you and your customers are already connected through?
Here's how to do it:
Let's understand this better with an example. You're a ride-hailing app, and you're about to launch a new feature that allows users to book rides in advance.
Start by creating a channel named #product-updates. Once it's up, post teasers like "Coming soon: Book your ride in advance!"
Ask questions like "What do you think about booking rides in advance? Would it be helpful for your travel plans?" When you finally launch the feature, share a how-to video on the channel and encourage your users to try it out. Viola!
Getting feedback and working on it is an integral part of customer satisfaction. Slack proves to be helpful here, too.
Use the same Slack channel that you used earlier for onboarding or marketing to send surveys or polls to your customers. You can also create a dedicated channel for customer feedback and encourage them to share their thoughts, suggestions, or complaints.
We'd suggest going with the net promoter score (NPS) surveys. You simply have to ask your customers how likely they are to recommend your product or service to others. Ask them to rank their likelihood on a scale of 0 to 10. Your customers will fall into three categories based on their scores:
What do you do after getting this score? Find why the Detractors are unhappy and work on it. Understand what the Passives are not enthusiastic about and figure out how you can make them more satisfied. Appreciate the Promoters and ask for testimonials or referrals from them.
The primary takeaway from this guide is that Slack can be used for much more than just communication. You can also leverage it to learn more about your customers and keep them happy with your services. The following Slack features can prove to be helpful:
There you have it! Take your customer satisfaction up a notch with Slack.
Photo by Pierre Châtel-Innocenti on Unsplash
