A closer look at customer service — the lifeblood of any business-to-consumer (B2C) model — and why we need to develop it more than ever

The service sectors in Southeast Asia are experiencing a major sprint, with transportation and e-commerce leading the charge. This is largely due to the high adoption rate of digital technologies by ASEAN consumers, having collectively penetrated nearly every aspect of daily life with 60% of the entire region’s population under 35 years old digitally glued in and willing to try new online services all the time.

According to a 2018 report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, ASEAN has 200 million digital consumers, rising 50 percent in just one year — and showing no signs of stopping. Both the e-commerce market in Southeast Asia and mobile commerce have seen a significant increase, with 89 percent of ASEAN internet users using a smartphone as their primary device, aided by the expansion of 3G and 4G networks contributing to the popularity of mobile commerce.

Some countries in the region have established themselves as hubs for startup ecosystems such as Singapore and Malaysia. Others, on the other hand, are beginning to catch up.

As such, businesses have the opportunity to reach 647.45 million people in the ASEAN region, so striving to give SMEs and startups that chance makes plenty of business sense. SMEs comprise 96% of firms in ASEAN member states, according to a report by US-ASEAN Business Alliance for Competitive SMEs in 2015.

What about the customer?

However, in such a competitive environment, customer service often takes a backseat. In larger enterprises and companies, it is often given primacy, but SMEs and startups would often rather spend their money on other business needs. But customer service is the lifeblood that sustains any business-to-consumer (B2C) model and needs to be given an important seat.

Reliability and efficiency is truly key to providing good customer service and retaining customer satisfaction.

Given the many distinctions and complexities enshrined in what makes for good customer service, here, we tackle the tools out there that make the process of building and sustaining those relationships easier.

Customer service as a general concept is experiencing many big changes. According to Gartner, 85% of consumer interactions are expected to be “non-human” by 2020, which means that artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) are becoming more common in customer experiences. Chatbots and self-search functions are also seeing a rise in popularity, and will become capable of creating personal customer engagements.

Understanding the importance of customer service

But before jumping right onto the AI bandwagon, it is imperative that we understand what the principles of great customer service are, and how businesses can create a satisfactory customer experience. Doing so helps people have an easier time, and is absolutely critical if a business wants to compete in any industry.

Research by Gartner has found that 89% of companies are expected to compete mostly on the basis of customer experience. Poor customer experiences can lead to serious consequences and majorly impact bottom lines. US Small Business Administration reports that 68% of customers leave because they are unhappy with the service they received. Or worst, unhappy customers may pose damaging risks to businesses by virtue of poor feedback.

1.) Listening to your customer:

Customers are often vocal about how they believe a product or service can be improved. Informing the customer that their complaint has been heard, and making relevant changes wherever possible will give customers the confidence that businesses are actively meeting their needs.

2.) Speed:

Response time has the highest impact on both customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The most common gripe one will probably make about customer service is being put on hold for hours on end, and even hung up on. Being quick and efficient when a customer is waiting for a response will provide a more satisfactory experience.

3.) Accessibility/Availability:

Customers value being able to get a problem fixed with as little fuss as possible, so giving them alternative outlets for solutions offers swift resolutions that allow people to get on with their days.

Meet the platform that covers all bases

Covering every base of customer service can seem overwhelming and intimidating, especially for an SME or a startup. But OpsCentral by Innovax Systems can provide businesses with the expertise and tools necessary to create a stellar customer experience.

Innovax Systems is an award-winning contact centre suite based in Singapore and Malaysia, and is the leading provider of systems development and integration of end-to-end solutions and web-based applications. Some of their customers include Verizon, Singtel, YTL Power Seraya, Del, Singapore Cancer Society, ViewQwest, and KPMG.

At a glance, here are the four major products that make up OpsCentral:

All of OpsCentral products provide reporting and analysis to give companies the best chance at doing better for their customers. They aim to create a more productive and efficient customer service, and empower contact centres to manage and administer all aspects of their operations at any time, with zero downtime and no on-site engineers required.

Why OpsCentral is especially effective in ASEAN service industry

45% of the ASEAN region is made up of millennials, people who are extremely tech-savvy and keen on innovation. This means that businesses need to embrace technological advances in the customer service industry, alongside more traditional methods. Mobile-friendly service options such as chatbots and self-service functions are key. OpsCentral can help businesses bridge the gap between traditional methods and new technology to provide a more well-rounded service.

According to Zendesks’ Customer Experience Trends Report 2019, customer service in Southeast Asia is generally quite low in terms of satisfaction, with Indonesia scoring the lowest in the region. However, customer expectations are getting higher as we move towards a more digitally-focused business environment. More transactions are being performed online and more services are offered over the Internet, rendering a more digitally inclined customer service experience.

A collaborative platform that helps businesses manage customer data across multiple channels, devices, and requests from a single touch-point creates a more seamless customer service.  OpsCentral is exactly this platform, being able to give businesses the tools necessary to improve their customer support and products.

Businesses can use OpsCentral products in a flexible manner. All OpsCentral products work independently, allowing businesses to address individual needs no matter what size the company is. They also offer integrated suites for businesses who need a more 360-degree approach to customer support, since every product works together seamlessly.

The integrated suites come in three tiers that cover the requirements of any business at any point in growth — whether it’s startups looking to set up a new call centre to handle its transactions, or an SME that is experiencing rapid growth.

1.) The Essential package for each offering gives businesses 2 to 5 seats, and they get all the features necessary to start building up an efficient and professional call centre such as Call Scripting, Call Recording, Real-Time Statistics, Skill-Based Routing, and Reports.

2.) The Professional package offers more advanced features for scaling businesses, with up to 49 seats. These include all Essential tier features, with Predictive Dialer, API for CRM integration, Fibre Connectivity, 99.8% Uptime SLA and others.

3.) The Enterprise package covers 50 seats and above and includes all Essential and Professional tier features, as well as 24/7 technical support from Innovax.

Immediately, small companies can fully utilise OpsCentral’s features to improve both their product and their customer support in tandem. Businesses that currently use OpsCentral have said that the solution significantly improves the quality of customer experiences, attesting to how Innovax is a reliable and stable company that responds to what a business needs with experience and intuition.

Innovax is built on unparalleled expertise in the customer care and service space. President and Director Patrick Tan founded Innovax Systems in 1998, having previously worked in the marketing and M&A areas of building and oil & gas industries. Innovax Chairman Mark Narita has worked with major Japanese corporations including Nissan and Toshiba, before starting his own software and consulting firm, ISD-Japan. Alex Koh, the company’s Chief Technology Officer, is fueled with a passion for research and development and is constantly looking to update older products to ensure they are relevant to today’s businesses.

Innovax’s continuous innovation is well-suited for businesses that need to keep up with the changing digital landscape to meet customer expectations, which are rising year after year.

Having a scalable platform like OpsCentral takes care of this, lifting a huge weight off a business’ shoulders, and giving them the opportunity to focus on improving and innovating their products and services, without sacrificing customer happiness.

Innovax’s OpsCentral aims to keep businesses thriving in the customer service space by providing solutions to changing needs on a rolling basis.

Find out more about OpsCentral pricing, terms, and engagement by contacting them. Visit their site or call +65 6701 1888.

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