Turbulent conditions causing customer service havoc?

Fasten your seatbelt …

Us Brits can always rely on the weather to help us to strike up a conversation. This summer’s record-breaking temperatures had many of us having to commute on overcrowded public transport thinking that hell must be cooler. However, extreme downpours across the UK this week again had many of us facing challenging commuting conditions with trains cancelled, roads flooded and poor visibility slowing down traffic.

And those lucky enough to be on holiday haven’t been able to escape tricky travel conditions either. The knock-on effects of the iconic Thomas Cook collapsing, British Airways and Ryanair strikes has been causing frustration, confusion and anxiety to staff and passengers struggling to contact travel operators in their quest to find the latest travel updates.

The disruption has also impacted contact centre agents, putting them under more pressure, not only having to deal an influx of enquiries but having to deal with stressed customers’ patience understandably low.

‘Winter is coming’

Unfortunately, unpredictable events like these are no longer rare occurrences. And with winter looming we have reluctantly come to expect burst water pipes, flooding, snow and even sink holes which will have thousands of people unable to commute, or without water and sewage facilities.

And it’s not just travel operators and utilities affected by the weather. Emergency services, charities, defence, and retail organisations are all under pressure as the tempestuous conditions continue to disrupt lives. So rather than wait for the inevitable disruption to occur again, shouldn’t businesses be planning ahead to ensure they are able to handle the rise in customer contact as quickly and efficiently as possible? Surely, whilst man and technology cannot control the forces of nature, businesses should be able to control whether customers have a good (or poor) experience at a time when they’re under the highest levels of public scrutiny. Regrettably, this appears to be easier said than done with some well-known brands making headlines, heavily criticised for their lack in keeping people informed.

Knowledge is key

The ability for a business to be able to supply customers with the latest up-to-date information on a situation is key to making the customers experience as positive as possible. Equally important is the ability to respond to their enquiries promptly and consistently across whichever channel they choose to contact them.

Businesses can no longer afford to rely on archaic siloed channels for customer support and experience. As consumers grow more and more comfortable with messaging, AI-powered customer support tools offer the contact centre some dramatic benefits that stretches way beyond customer support.

A travel or weather disruption needn’t be a disaster for your business. The ability to respond to customers enquiries consistently across whichever channel they are on and whatever time zone or time of day, can make all the difference between them sticking with you through rough waters or jumping ship for good.

Are you ready to take the next step towards AI that can deliver quick-win business results?

To learn more about how modern AI-powered technology can empower customers and agents to switch between digital channels, without losing context, why not contact us to arrange a demonstration? Or why not read these insightful resources on using AI-powered customer support tools to deliver enhanced customer experience.

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