The way we are experiencing technology has evolved greatly, and is still evolving at a tremendous rate. Quantum leap in technology has given birth to new businesses and gig economies. Enabling both new and traditional businesses to prosper, covering different industries booming in a short span of time.

However, the amazing science behind human DNA is an undeniable truth that humans crave communication. It has never changed since the dawn of time, even boldly saying all humans need a certain level of attention. The more attention is given, and if the outcome is a happy conversation, the more favour one is bestowed upon.

Perhaps with this need to connect, the introduction of the era’s very first idea of how “modern” customer service is established. Made possible with the creation of the Telephone by Alexander Graham-Bell back in 1876. Why modern? Because a discovery of one of the earliest “customer service complaints’ ‘ dates as far back as 1750BCE in ancient Mesopatamia. Source:Complaint tablet to Ea-nāṣir

Today, Customer Service is much improved as compared to even 5 years ago, attributing to the acceleration of changes caused by the Covid19 pandemic. However Customers have an insatiable need to be heard, coupled with changes of behaviour according to the times. These days, customers want to be heard INSTANTLY!

The question one begs to differ is are you happy with your customer service team turnaround time? What are they lacking, and most importantly how can you improve your team’s productivity?

Immersive Customer Service or for short – Immersive CX is the confirmed new era of Customer Service, solidifying it’s position this year in 2023.

Birth from the evolution of customers behaviour, where they emerged from the pandemic phase. Customers know that communication through a virtual assistant – chatbots can give them an instant answer. But at the sametime they also need human elements of speaking to a live agent, creating a more real experience. Or perhaps sub-consciously validating that their issues have been resolved. Therefore corporate companies or SMEs should not slow down in upgrading their CX technology solution.

One sure way is by automation with Omnichannel. Building an omnichannel-first workspace allows your agents to reach respectively their and your goal of an easy and seamless experiential customer service for your customers.Connecting all the dots between your Social Media account, web, integration of WhatsApp business, and a call centre.

All these are achievable by a BROWSER BASED IP Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) contact solution which can facilitate remote work, it also enables SMART ROUTING where it directs customers request by applying precise routing for a particular case to the correct agent who is able to handle it. Therefore, boosting customer confidence that your brand really knows them personally. Not only that, cost is manageable as it is scalable and flexible. Meeting businesses with a budget in mind.

With automation of these in place, it allows for the customers to fully immersed in the experience and enhance a greater appreciation of your product or services.

“Nine out of 10 consumers want an omnichannel experience with seamless service between communication methods. Source: CX Today”

“FACT: E-commerce sales rose by about 35 percent year-over-year since the onset of the pandemic, and online penetration remains about 30 percent higher than pre-COVID-19 levels. Source McKinsey”

Short Term Direction: A Social Media CX Team support

Traditionally, the Marketing and Customer Service department in an organisation takes care of Social Media. Replying to customer service ad-hoc at a time. However, the climate is changing and to remain competitive some companies have empowered a group of CX teams to directly answer customers on these social media platforms itself.

Thus training is important, as the responses are published where everyone can view. Relying on this alone is insufficient, because if the team does not have the right tools/access to information, how will they address the customer’s problem?

Therefore Automation is also important where in one click, the agents are able to access required information.

Near Term Direction: AI takes over.

Perhaps in the near term, ai powered bots are able to answer the different questions posted. Blurring the lines between bot and humans. Ever heard of ChatGPT? A new era has truly begun.

Long Term Direction: Visual and audio solutions could be the future, instead of text.

Short video clips of explanations are not new to society. Be honest, we “Google” how-to-do this on “Youtube” and even “TikTok” all the time. These have been popular channels to gather information.

Experts have foreseen this could be the future of customer service engagement as well. Where customers prefer a virtual visual bot to interact with instead of only typing a text.

Automation such as Omnichannel allows your business to achieve optimization of FRT – First Turnaround Time. Will FRT be even relevant in the near future on how you grade your agents performance?

With these automation in place, it allows for the customers to be fully immersed in the experience and enhance a greater appreciation of your product or services. Optimizing turnaround time is achievable. Allowing your supervisors to focus on more meaningful team engagements. Driving better results in both customers and employees.

Find out more from our experts on how Automation can help. A FREE DEMO on real-time experiences and the wonders of Omnichannel is able to help your customers service team to bring it to the next level.

Have you ever experienced checking into a hotel be it for business or leisure, as you walk into your given room number, the TV is switched on with a “Welcome Message” with your name published on it.

Such a simple gesture yet profound. With a few clicks of keying your name into the system, “The-Feel-Good Magic” is created. The feeling of “nothing can go wrong” during your stay is just the best. The hotel gained a happy loyal customer with free marketing, the power of word-of-mouth. Obviously, you might share where you’re staying with business associates or even family and friends. One of the most effective way for a steady growth, a testament proven by Legacy brands.

“90% of Customers in U.S. based on reports, tell their networks about their service experiences: Source from American Express.”

What if this type of “Feel-Good-Magic” can be created not only for the hospitality industry, but for any businesses across all industries? It is certainly possible with today’s digitalization of Customer Service experience. Keeping your customers continuously happy have never been easier. Where humans fail, allow automation to be the bridge which help “your humans” to connect once again to the true meaning of keeping Customers happy.

Here are five Best Customer Service Practices that would maintain your Customers Happiness.

Best Practices 1 > Reachable, Responsive, Revive with Accordia Chat & Social

When Customers demand to connect is at a high especially on festive season, or during a promotional campaign, one must ensure that the right communication channels are reachable, responsive, and reviving their interest to the initial inquiry. That is when deployment of Live Chat + Chatbot Software with Social Media Platform Integration is of utmost importance.

Use Chatbots as your front line troopers in capturing the Customers attention. Yes, even we as customers appreciate fast response. A simple greeting message, and a-next-tep guidance of choosing the area of inquiry would help greatly. Yes, your customers do know they are being greeted by chatbots and it is acceptable. Customers and employees alike appreciate digital-first experience in real time.

The transition from bots to humans can be made seamlessly. Skills based routing made possible, as chatbot work well together with human agents. The agents, can then serve the more complex queries, with an added bonus of multiple customers at once.

Best Practices 2 > Give Your Customer and Employee voice through Accordia Voice

The best tool to create relationship milestone between your customers and employees. Create moments, reminders, Birthday greetings, and Anniversary wishes and more through IVR Voice Broadcast. Scheduling ahead of time, in multiple entries to hundreds, even thousands of customers at one go. All it takes is a simple click. With Automation technology these days, your employees are not required to remember manually. But are equipped more efficiently with a programmed reminder.

Create promotional campaigns of your products and services with pre-recorded message in different languages. Or even, appointment reminders. Little calls, little presence reminders thorughout the year help build a strong and lasting brand image over time.

Whatsmore it’s flexible and scalable, taylor made accordingly to your business needs. You can either choose by subscription basis through Cloud deployment, a secured cloud contact centre solution. Or choose to anchor your business On-Premise deployment, a fully owned and operated contact centre solution.

Best Practices 3 > Automated Ticketing System + CRM Integration with Accordia Desk

Eliminate your customers frustration with dropped calls or calls that are wrongly re-routed. Your “Customers Happiness” can be restored with an automated ticketing system that empowers your customer service to offer omnichannel support and enables various CRM integration.

Bolster your agents or employees confidence, by keeping them informed with adequate knowledge in regards to the services, current promotions, or customers information with whom they are connecting with. A blind man leading, a blind man is surely a recipe for disaster.

With the implementation of Accordia Desk, your agents gain a 360 degree view of customers’ data. In return, they are able to provide a fulfilling customer’s journey as they are able to address the customer’s history. Enhancing the experiences for both parties, while fostering brand loyalty, and your business gains customer retention.

Not forgetting CRM integration helps to in reducing cost in the long run. At the same time increasing sales, in a more personalized manner. Instead of just an off-the-mill sales call pitch.

Best Practices 4 > Omnipresence is achieved with Accordia OMNI

When customers trust is build solidly, most customers will not have reasons to change easily. As your business has proven, reachable after the “purchase period”.

Hence the guru’s of Customer Service has always preached on great after-sales-service. With an Omnichannel solution implemented, it is achievable. Providing cost-effective, holistic, and effective CRM Solution, choosing to scale at your own pace.

Best Practices 5 > Circle of Happiness Achieved

Employee Satisfaction creates Happy Customers. With automation in place, studies have proven that it helps to make your customer-employee conversations much easier. Your business is depended on customers satisfaction, which means their happiness is your goal. Your employees are happiness do affect a very large area of your customers happines index as well.

When employees are empowered, work-flow is structured, and trouble-shooting is not a hindrance to their work. Naturally work place satisfaction will increase, and in return as owners of the business you enjoy employee retention. Translating automatically with the lowering of operational cost in training new employees.

Let’s not wait till the year ends’. Find out more on how we can HELP you implement the best Customer Service practices for your business today.

On a daily basis, my mind and body are begging me for “me time” after settling down for the day and my phone is my best companion. Swiping across social media or ticking on my checklist of things to buy is a norm, you could regard it as nomophobia or even phubbing!

Social media push ads or even Google ads have been ‘tailing’ me to trigger interest and purchase. One such ad that successfully caught my attention was the latest car model with a shout of promotion and deals. I’ve been ‘Googling cars lately. Scavenging for information such as pricing, features, booking for car viewing at the showroom, and more to get instant information. Obviously, certain information I would have to wait for the next work day to inquire as I do not expect anyone to respond to me at 2 AM.

No wonder folks in the automotive industry have been making effort in adopting digital transformation for a better customer online experience by upgrading their customer service technology.

How’s that so, you ask? Let me share some ideas on how you, as an Automotive Dealer/Seller can turn ‘my’ inquiries into a Confirmed Sale while building customer loyalty, yes, at 2 AM!

Step 1 ✦ Pique my interest

Scrolling through my social media newsfeed, the ones that pique my interest to stop and click into your ads are the latest car models, captivating short video introductions, and of course attention-grabbing promotions. The next trick is how are you going to make me stay engaged continuously on my favourite or preferred social media platforms?

Do you know Accordia Social could do wonders in Social Commerce? It allows your business’s social accounts to remain connected with your customers’ preferred channels while sending automated responses to your customers during peak or after-office hours. It could be via Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter, or Instagram; thus ensuring your investment in social media marketing is worthwhile, consequently optimizing customers’ social commerce experience.

What’s more? Integrating social media with a CRM platform could garner better customer profiling and understanding in boosting personalization for better targeting. Your sales, marketing, or customer service team will thank you with the customer information they need for upselling and cross-selling.

Step 2 ✦ I don’t mind chatting with a Chatbot.

After having piqued my interest, the excitement of this new car model is slowly growing. Curiosity with the many questions that I want to find out instantly burst into my mind. At 2 AM in the morning, you’ve surely had my full attention. I’ve spotted a Chat icon that is entirely perfect for me to express my excitement about inquiries I have in my head! I’m unsure if I can afford this car model, which I may be shy to ask face-to-face, but I might be a little braver to inquire behind the screen.

That’s where having Chatbots, or even WhatsApp Business API bots integrated with your business messaging apps is important. In these times, consumers don’t only want immediate response in real-time, they have come to expect it as the norm. The bots are there after working hours to address these needs.

Accordia Chat reaches out in real-time. Ensure the best first customer experience by automating with bots, which you can also then opt to divert to human live chat to customers 24/7 on messaging apps, even after office hours. Rest assured your customers have experience a chatbot once or twice by now. Take it a step further by automating with bots and divert to human customer service live chat through your preferred messaging apps.

Did you know based on Juniper Research, that 80% routine questions get answered, speeding up response times. In effect Chatbot allows $ 8 billion savings for businesses that implemented the technology.

Step 3 ✦ I may need a reminder after our Chat.

I can’t stop thinking about our conversation, and the information shared, the promotion is certainly attractive but I think I need time to consider. After all, purchasing a car is a commitment. Furthermore, I’ve been a targeted potential buyer whereby adverts are targeting me with more promotions on cars of various brands.

Unavoidable fact that the AI on Social Media will start to crawl, and divert related searched information to these particular customers. You may think if there’s a solution to grasp hold the attention of this potential lead and turn it into a confirmed sale ?

Accordia Voice might be just the netting your marketing efforts require. With a telephony software system that allows for more personal, and productive phone support conversations. Your customer service representative could just connect with the customer on the next work day via social messaging platforms, or make a personalized call to the potential buyer to keep the conversation going.

Alternatively, tap into Accordia CIS IVR Voice Broadcast notable features which enable route-to-route options for customers to transfer to sales or customer service queue in just a click. You may also segment your customers for targeted voice broadcast campaigns while controlling the cost of investment with the number of calls to be sent out. All you need to do is just to schedule your broadcast promotional messages and upload contact information via the excel or CSV format into the Accordia broadcast system. No doubt, you will be able to make better business decision-making with the ready smart analytics and reports based on your voice broadcasting campaign.

Step 4 ✦ Here’s the Booking Fee! Wonder if their after-sales-service team will be as good?

As a customer, I’m now convinced, with the assurance of having made the right decision, I place the booking fee for my new car! However, I do wonder will the after sales experience be as good?

After sales customer service is important not only to take care of the customers existing needs, but also acting as a continuous revenue stream. Accordia Desk is an automated ticketing system that empowers your customer service to offer omnichannel support and enables various CRM integration; to ensure quality interactions with individual clients.

With CRM integration into your business platform, you could share signed documents, warranties, reminders on car collection date, a picture of the customer getting hold of the key of their car, reminders of car servicing day, and more!

The best of both worlds is to have the power of choice. With Accordia Solutions, you always have deployment options to fit your business needs and automotive customers’ preferences. Allowing you to decide where you would like to scale first, and flexible enough to expand the support or an upgrade of the technology when the time is right. Choose from either Cloud deployment which is hosted, and managed cloud contact centre solution by subscription based. Or you can choose On-Premise deployment, by owning a fully operated contact centre solution. Both of these solution are of course scalable.

An omnichannel solution which elvate engagement, and the journey with your customers, is the key to your automotive business success. How to utilize this opportunity is yours to decide. You have our full support with sound advise each step of the way. However the first step to this journey begins’ with inquiring with our experts today.

It’s good to know that the Automotive industry in Malaysia has recovered well post-pandemic. An encouraging proof of robust economic recovery in this sector. Proven by figures and not just mere speculation.

“According to MAA, sales of passenger vehicles in September increased to 60,060 units from 38,258 in September 2021, while sales of commercial vehicles were higher at 7,599 units compared with 5,969 a year ago.

Year to date (YTD), the sales volume up to end-September was 62% higher than the corresponding period in 2021. Source: TheEdge, Malaysia’s September 2022 car sales increased 35% to 67,659 units — MAA”

With the proof of the rise in sales, isn’t it time for Automotive Industry to look into automating Customer Service by investing in omnichannel contact center software that can help propel the industry to even greater heights?

Many in this industry might be puzzled as to how adopting advanced Omnichannel can help the Automotive business overall.

However one must believe, times have really changed. Take for example the rise of online car marketplaces such as Carsome, mytukar.com, carlist. my, wapcar.my, zigwheels. my, and more. For now, yes most of these transactions are based on used cars. It’s only a matter of time before purchasing new cars can be done online as a norm. Be sure to adopt this technology into your automotive business. Be a market leader in championing an all-integrated omnichannel in Automotive Industry.

Valid Reasons on ‘Why Automotive Industry Needs an OMNIchannel Solution’

1. The “Shopping” For A Car Experience

Those days, the feeling of excitement when one is ready to purchase a car is by traditionally walking into a car showroom. That is would be how the journey of car sales begins, these days the shopping experience starts online.

First and foremost, a potential buyer will search the brand website directly, crawling through as much information as they can gather on that particular model. Before making the effort to head to that physical showroom.

With the advancement of technology, AI, Google Ads algorithm, or even remarketing play a crucial role in feeding the user when he or she is online crawling information. That’s where the danger lies for brands. The distraction of suggestions of competitor brands, and similar car specs by the AI bots on the internet will happen. You have indeed experienced it yourself when browsing the internet for a product or service.

This is the first valid reason why you should invest in the latest tech for Omnichannel solutions. Once the client has made efforts to visit your webpage, the challenge is to keep that customer interested in continuing to spend time on your page. By engaging a Chatbot, or WhatsApp Bot, and connecting the conversation to a Live Agent, can help convince the potential client and ultimately convert it to a confirmed sale. Furthermore with the adoption of the bot with human intervention, the trend of “Subscribing to cars” instead of purchasing them enhanced the horizontal marketing approach. Especially with the Gen Z, and Millennial crowd, they would be your potential clients who’ll love this idea. Wanting to be seen with the latest car model, but not needing to be tied down with a loan. They would adopt the idea and be the most comfortable in asking questions through Chatbots, on how to Subscribe to the latest model cars.

They are here to get the most information about the car model, compare pricing, and sub-consciously evaluate the customer service rendered!

2. I’ve decided on THAT Car! What’s my next step?

Killing two birds or more with one stone. First step is complete once the customer has researched the general inquiries with the help of Chatbot, an interest is shown with a particular car model in mind.

Usually, the second step would follow with fixing an appointment to view the car in the showroom. Or perhaps connecting to a Live Chat Agent that can provide more information about the product, and then proceed to fix an appointment.

These steps will create a ticket for every inquiry placed, hence allowing for an effective CRM. CRM allows your business to personalize customer buying experiences and customer service. Thus allowing you to also track your customers’ behaviour as data for your plans.

With Accordia Omnichannel in place, you are able to streamline the processes in a single platform. Information at your fingertips. Creating a seamless experience not only for the customer but also for your car dealers.

3. Brand Loyalty, the continuation of after Sales and Services.

Taking care of dealers’ CRM needs can help you further elevate your brand and build brand loyalty among your customers. Response time to customers a shortened with the right information on hand.

A perfect marketing tool, to blast out promotions with the help of Accordia Integrated Voice Response Broadcast, or even a timely reminder to change or upgrade to a newer car model. One can also cross-sell products and services with the right system in place. For example, renewal of car insurance, timely car services, car care packages, and more. Data is in your hands, just a call away from your customers.

Often, with word-of-mouth, customers will continue to patronize the same car dealer, provided the continuation of superb customer service rendered or after-sales services. Most of the time good customer service creates a halo effect, whereby you’ll be surprised that even the next generation will follow suit to return to the same car dealer to purchase the car.

To all car dealers and distributors, it’s time to gear up for the year 2023, with a refreshing approach! Adoption of Accordia Omnichannel solution that will surely elevate your Customer Service experiences to the next level. Speak to our OMNI Experts.

Why Chatbots Should Be A Banks’ Next Best Investment

Navigating through the World of Banking Policies can be a daunting experience to many if one is unfamiliar. Sometimes, the word ‘intimidation’ might even pop up in mind when speaking to the person at the counter. To the mass population, a bank is where one draws their’ salary, and transfers the sum for necessary or unnecessary expenditure, proceeding to save a little till the end of the month, only to repeat its cycle once again.

The banking industry has always been niche when it comes to competitors’ banks. Wouldn’t one say, two’s a crowd? Now, with the rise of disruptive technology and introduction to the world of Fintech, it opens more leeway for new competitors to establish themselves within Malaysia’s finance and investment industry. Vying for investments from the crème de la crème of society is of course every bank’s goal. Top-notch customer service and personalized experience without flaw are given with just a single phone call to the Premier Relationship Manager. On the other hand, large Multinational Corporations are usually set to support the few internationally owned banks agreed upon at the Head-quarter stage.

From a layman’s perspective, all the more Banks should never abandon the masses, where their knowledge and utilization of a bank’s facility have yet to be explored. The masses include SMEs who make up almost 40% of Malaysia’s economy. It’s like a vast ocean of green grass opportunities, awaiting to be educated on your bank’s many products and services!

But the question is how are the banks reaching the masses? Getting the word out, making the connection, ensuring the public understands what are your bank offerings. Yes, the traditional way is through independent financial agencies. But is that effective enough? Is the net of using agencies sufficient in netting that profit or growth?

Approaching the new year 2023, here are 4 Reasons Why Chatbots Should Be A Banks’ Best Investment now.

1. Improving First Touch, Leaving Lasting Impressions

Chatbots are tiny miracles working forever, willing to serve 24 hours. Yes, no doubt banks have introduced the 24 hours banking services and have never looked back since.

Take the logical next step in empowering a Chatbot to function as the First-Base 24-Hour Customer Service contact. Be it a simple transaction to a slightly more complex one, empower your customer to reach out to you anytime, anywhere with a touch of a button.

Not required to login, per se should there be a question that comes to mind at a moment’s notice. Where Customers can get consistently accurate answers to a product or services within the bank. Once the information is confirmed, then perhaps only when the customer has adequate time, to then login and perform that transaction safely and securely.

It can also limit fraudulent cases, where customers reach out, get connected to either a live agent or get connected through voice (Outbound Call).

This would be welcomed by Customers! As there is a response, a brand presence in mind is subconsciously created. Chatbots always improve Customer experience, foster loyalty, and lift the overall operational metrics.

2. Multiple Interaction Channels in Contact Centres

In Malaysia, apart from Head Quarters, many bank branches have only a limited number of desks to cope with the demand of walk-in customers. It has always been a problem for ages before. No matter, how many new branches have been opened.

The Relationship Manager in charge can only service one person at one time. Causing further delay at peak times. Yes, the situation has improved much, but there are vast grounds to improve.

With Accordia Chatbot, it can be integrated. Enabling agents the opportunity to interact across multiple channels in the Contact Centres. Saving time on mundane repetitive tasks. How? Reaching out through Social Media platforms is a no-brainer. At the same time, level-up by integrating your Social Media platform with Accordia’s Omnichannel platform, or even engaging a third-party sales solution for a more wholistic approach. Allowing us to focus more on building relationships with current and new clients.

3. Throw Your Net Wider To Catch More Opportunities

Upon strengthening your Customers’ trust in Chatbots, and seeing your Customer Service response time and feedback improve, it’s time to let the automation run its course.

Take exploring the usage of chatbots to another level, where now web-based Chatbots are able to help Upsell or even Cross-sell products, and services driving additional revenue.

Through Chatbots or even WhatsApp bots, there are ways to use the data that has been conducted to study and target the right product and services at the right time. An amazing CRM Tool, where its features can be tuned to personalization such as language setting and at the same time being in-tune with customer preferences.

The Relationship can then perhaps be monitored, and answering multiple windows at go is also made possible.

4. Scalable & Flexible

Designed not only to suit your immediate needs, but able to be expanded once the needs have been met is the key to why Chatbots and WhatsApp bots are both scalable and flexible.

Chatbots’ function is certainly not limited to Customer Experience (CX), another role that it can play within the organization is Employee Experience (EX), it can also be used as an Internal communication tool. One can start with the basic three (3) types of uses when it comes to internal usage for your banks.

The Human Resource department is able to utilize the chatbot to get messages across in a shorter span of time. Seeing as how banks have many branches. Or a friendly way for employees to approach and ask questions.

Expediting approval processes is a useful option to ponder. Approval of credit cards, vehicle loans, and even investment loans perhaps assists with expediting the process flow.

Last but not least, Accordia Solutions has established itself within South East Asia (SEA). Hence, rest assured we are anchored locally base office here in Malaysia, but have a presence around the SEA region. Thus being able to provide localized support, particularly in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Nigeria.

You will be updated from time to time on the performance of the team. Not forgetting after-sales service with support maintenance, analytics and reports can be obtained easily. As it’s crucial for your business operation to run smoothly and efficiently, guaranteeing customer satisfaction and sustain brand loyalty.

Know of someone in the Finance and Banking Industry which requires this solution? Connect with us today for a Demo.

Customer support is a common term in many biz organizations. A support team is a group of people who provide help when customers have trouble with a company’s products or services. They ensure customers are successful in solving the issues they encounter.

With the help of a chatbot, you are engaging in a dialogue with customers. Bots that are built with the intervention of human touch make them more responsive, agile and adaptive. Are you leveraging chatbots in customer support? If you haven’t, here are 3 brilliant reasons you should.

1. Onboarding And HR Queries
When your new employees join your organisation, they would expect to get support from the HR department. Often the onboarding process means days or weeks of training in the basics of their job and an introduction to HR procedures and processes.

Just imagine, instead of pushing information via apps, you have a very helpful assistant who could guide them through the training and the need to respond to their questions such as expense requests, how to order IT equipment and other tasks. With the bot, the new employee digests information easier and faster.

2. Real-time Support
Even in the connectivity era, information isn’t accessible. Even if your employees are offsite or not available at their desks, the bots can help answer your customer’s queries from time to time. And, the customers will find it convenient to perform the required tasks or obtain information from wherever they are and whenever they want. This is what we call real-time support.

3. Changing The Way We Interact And Collaborate.
With an ever-omnipresent chatbot, more interactions take place and encourage collaborative working practices. By allowing information to be shared efficiently and effectively, more customers find it easier to interact with your employees and vice versa. It shows how advanced tech can be and the dynamic interaction that can occur in the future.

Customers use to visit shops and stores to buy their preferred products or services but this time around, customers opt to get information within seconds and do online purchases. A recent study by Statista2 reveals that 33% of customers find chatbots very effective at resolving their issues. You don’t have to do much for chatbots. They can easily live in existing platforms and systems and the best part is you don’t have to replace your existing technology.

Embrace the opportunities presented by the chatbots so that you have more control over processes and interact the way your customers prefer. If the above relates and resonates with you, feel free to explore our chatbot solution today.

I WANT THAT

If your e-commerce store has been in the biz network for a long time, you would have known that creating a killer product isn’t enough. The products you create have a huge impact on the future success of your business.

Imagine this, you go to your favourite store of clothes, and accessories and then you want to pick the product you require but the future e-commerce is different. You no longer need to walk into a store but check out a brand’s promotions, new offerings and services online through its website or with omnichannel assistance.

The question is, how do you create an effortless digital e-commerce Customer Experience? Businesses can truly enjoy visitors converting to buyers only if they choose to improve e-commerce CX following these 3 brilliant steps. Let’s discover this further.

1. Make customers happy
Most businesses understand that to retain customers, they need to work hard to provide a frictionless and effortless customer service experience for existing and potential buyers. After all, good customer service and after-sales are greater when a customer enjoys the experience while shopping at your online store and then talks about your offers to their friends and family.

2. Be omnipresent
With various choices on the internet, customers are spoiled and you need to ensure the right channels cater to their current demands and needs. Their arising needs for the current era means you have to reach them in seconds via social channels or messaging platforms. For instance, most customers like to utilize Facebook or Instagram direct messaging to interact with their favourite brands.
It is so easy and convenient for them to find products online through social media platforms and some even find the shopping cart an easy way to pick interesting products for future purchases.

3. Providing good customer service, support and after-sales experience.
The first thing that customers see is your e-commerce website. Is it appealing enough? Do they come back to search for more of your offerings? These are the questions you need to find answers. Most customers who go through your e-commerce website find it amusing when the web page and the content don’t load properly or when they don’t find it easy to search for a product on your site.

When your website is easy to read and navigate, customers will be happy and look forward to visiting your website even more often. The e-commerce world is filled with many options to choose from and if you don’t want to be a choice to your customers, then you need to upgrade your service levels. Shopify research shows that 53% of retailers are investing in tools that allow them to sell anywhere. This clearly shows a huge shift in customer behaviour, especially between physical and digital e-commerce.
Providing efficient support with an effective omnichannel strategy is the way forward. It helps your employee interactions with customers run smoothly and also for customers to stay with your brand for longer period of time. Customer loyalty shows how successful your digital e-commerce CX is. Discover how Accordia Omni can help your e-commerce business convert web visitors to loyal customers and enhance the Customer Experience.

I WANT THAT

How Omnichannel Boosts SMEs Customer Service? Pain points Vs. Solutions for SMEs

SMEs play an important role here in Malaysia, making up for 97.2% of the total business demographic locally. Generating a strong growth of 38.2% GDP, this growth allows employment opportunities for 7.3 Million people here in Malaysia.

The government has in its role encouraged the growth of SMEs by providing a competitive financing ecosystem through diversified funding options, in order to enable Malaysian SMEs to have easier access to the funding required in order to meet their needs at different stages for continued growth. Source: OECD ilibrary.

As an entrepreneur the business by which you have started, seeing it grow sustainably with a measure of profits today is born out of passion, blood, many sleepless nights and much perseverance. At this point of time, every customer is precious as SMEs do not have the luxury of losing even one customer per se. Business sales by volume is not yet on your side and would be where you are looking to expand further.

Hence, wouldn’t it be wise to then ensure the next investment for the company’s structure be a long-term beneficial one instead of engaging only band aid solutions?

We can’t deny the stages of SMEs growth are plagued with pain points especially in the customer support area, let us address these points and how Accordia’s Omnichannel customer service solution can help with the acceleration of business process flow.

SMEs Pain Points Vs. Solutions:

⚡ Pain Point 1: High Turn Over Talent, and Countering Employee Burnout

Human capital is vital to a company’s growth. Working ethics have changed greatly over the years. The Millennials that many start-up companies hire will most probably not have the same loyalty as employees of the older generations.

Many companies do experience high talent turn-over, poached either by higher pay package or better company benefits. At this point of time, many SMEs businesses cannot afford its employees. Not discounting those who are loyal to your company, but are in the danger of facing a burnout. That’s where Accordia Voice comes into play.

✔ Solution 1: Accordia Voice

Accordia Voice is a channel contact centre which can be subscribed to by Cloud or even On-Premise. A telephony software system that allows for more personal and productive phone support conversations. The system allows for your customer to reach you at any time, with a response. Hence, freeing your employee to manage more tasks efficiently and helping you save cost in Human Capital by hiring only the right talents for a more complex role.

Another point to note, is that the system allows for routing calls to agents or a customer representative equipped with specific skill sets. This is to ensure your customer has a better experience with skill-based routing services as some agents speak different languages, comprehensive product knowledge, and skill sets. Relevant to SMEs especially those with niche market within Malaysia.

Allowing for a more unified greeting and answers to your fellow customers. Maintaining your company’s brand standards.

“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.” – Elbert Hubbard

⚡ Pain Point 2: Marketing on a Budget

It can’t be denied marketing is currently, and will be the tool to grow your company’s brand and raise awareness. If it’s not important, why then do established brands continue to pour-in millions in marketing strategy.

Having said that, the key word is “more funds”. As the business has currently reached a level where a minimum volume of sales have reached to sustain the basic operations but needs to grow more in order to expand further. The next step would then be investment in Marketing. However, most SMEs rely on running marketing campaigns with a tight budget using Social Media as the first choice of Marketing Tool. With a tight budget in marketing, every campaign counts.

How then would you address the support of customer service when the campaign is a success? Will you have the manpower to net every inquiry turning those into confirmed sales?

✔ Solution 2: Combining Accordia Chat + Accordia Social

Killing two birds or more with one stone strategy. These are tools which allow you to support by boosting customers confidence and cementing customer loyalty. Accordia Chatbots ,with live chat intervention on an omnichannel strategy is where you can reach-out to customers instantly.

Accordia Social covers channels on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp (WhatsApp Bot), Twitter, Instagram Message, and more. With the right personalization of customer engagement to upsell and cross-sell, it will help increase reach, conversions, boost sales, and ultimately revenues.

Allowing you to capitalize on Social Commerce in an effective way for your growing business.

⚡ Pain Point 3: The Limitation of Funds

With limited funds, planning the distribution of these funds in order to ensure operation runs smoothly at the same time generating profits is not an easy task for SMEs. Hence, making the right technological investment choice for your companies future is vital. At this point of time, you have moved past the band-aid type solutions for your company. Unlike when you first started the business.

It’s about sustainable investments for the next 5 to 10 years and beyond. You would want a technology provider as a partner who is reachable, reliable and with track records.

✔ Solution 3: Technological Investment – Accordia Desk

A sound investment, Accordia Desk presents a 360° view of your customer by integrating with any CRM via Accordia CTI as a bridge, our forte. We offer support from Malaysia, South East Asia as well as countries like Nigeria. Should you have plans to expand to these countries, rest assured we are able to offer support. Choose from the many choices of the best CRM solutions provider both locally and internationally-known.

Helping your supervisors to manage the team and customers expectations all within the same sphere. With the help of an omnichannel helpdesk ticketing system, you’re able to get better customer insights, such as customer demographic, the best selling products, the peak sales and more. With these details, you can plan for a more targeted campaign for the right demographic and personalize these product offerings.

It also helps to extract the right data with Smart Analytics and Reports. Monitor all channels in one place to achieve better business’s KPIs and performance. View analytics and data such as chat volumes, SLA status, user engagement, and more on a single dashboard to gain better customer insights for future product and services planning.

Why allow these pain points to hinder your business growth? Gearing up now for the future is a wise choice to make. Speak to us today.

Everything You Need to Know: Omnichannel 2023

Studies conducted by ReportLinker show that “Global Retail Omni-Channel Commerce Platform Market” is set to reach USD 14.6 Billion by 2026. The US being the leading market to adopt the technology, followed closely by Europe, and it seemed Asia has been the slowest to adopt. However, the pandemic has accelerated the introduction and the idea of a full adoption of Omni-Channel Commerce Platform in these parts of the world, particularly here in Malaysia.

Despite its’ acceleration, and the proof of consumers purchasing through the rise in Social Commerce especially for SMEs, many local businesses are hesitant to integrate the technology in a full scale-holistic manner. What are the concerns?

It seemed the headwind faced by local businesses in adopting the technology fully are the major concerns of the investment size, or perhaps the lack of understanding on how Omni-Channel Platforms work, therefore dismissing the importance of what this very crucial investment entails.

Just as the English Proverb Quotes, “Time and Tide Waits for No Man” is the stark truth. Why should your business be the last to adopt this technology while losing out to capitalize on sales? With an anchor here in Malaysia, rest assured support is reachable with a local office.

The beauty of Omnichannel solution is that it can be deployed either by Cloud, whereby it’s hosted and managed by cloud contact centre solution on a subscription basis, or On-Premise which is fully owned and operated. Both are customizable solutions to an extent.

Deep diving a little into the world of Accordia Omni, an all-in-one easy to navigate Omnichannel Platform through Accordia Voice, Chat, Desk and Social. Breaking it down for you.

>> Accordia Voice • A telephony software system phone supporting conversations.

Evolving from managing traditional in-bound and out-bound calls separately, this system does exactly what you had in mind when you made the decision to upgrade the current one to a new telephony system for your company.

An advanced telephony software system that allows for more personal and productive phone support conversations. “Meaningful conversations and time saved” are the keywords that your customers will take away, upon adoption of this system.

How does it work? With an Integrated Voice Response, customers are able to reach out and receive a response to their questions day or night. As the system provides 24/7 interactive voice response solution that gives the option for your call centers to automate services and transactions that typically require assistance from live customer service representatives, via voice commands or touch tone key selection. Examples of scheduling of appointments after working hours, or even the simple task of tracking balance of payment for your customers leading to better collection in outstanding funds for your company.

More plus points are being more cost effective in the long run leading to better return of investments (ROI), personalizing messages, and gaining brand loyalty through superior customer service.

>> Accordia Chatbots, Live Chat & Social • A must in Riding the wave of Social Commerce

Make it a requirement to have Chatbots, WhatsApp-chatbots and Social Media reach, this would allow your business to scale to greater heights. A natural lead generator besides being a customer service engagement tool.

With one interface, the reach to customers would be instant via these messaging channels, connecting through web and voice in a single platform. Doing away with the need to switch from multiple channels just to fulfill the customers queries. More accurate information is provided. Again it helps automate your frontline support with consistent instant responses, and the beauty of multilingual chatbots especially for local markets. Escalating more complex queries to live agents when needed.

Capitalize on customers in real-time with automated marketing content, promotions, reminders or alerts. Accordia Social covers channels on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram Message, and more. With the right personalization of customer engagement to upsell and cross-sell, it will help increase reach, conversions, boost sales, and ultimately revenues.

A survey study conducted by Accenture finds that shopping on Social Media platforms is expected to reach $1.2 Trillion globally by 2025. Predicting drivers for this growth would be Gen Z and Millennial accounting for 62% of global social commerce.

>> Accordia Desk • Automated Ticketing System and more

An automated ticketing system that empowers your customer service to offer omnichannel support and enables various CRM integration ensuring quality interactions with your customers in a more personalized manner.

Having one CRM system and not the other, is what most companies are facing. But why then is there a slower growth as compared to companies in the US, in engaging CRM services? The reluctance in engaging with a CRM company that is not locally based might be one of the reasons. With Accordia, we have a physical presence here in Malaysia, and a dedicated team of sales associates to take care of you.

Presenting a 360° view of your customer by integrating with any CRM via Accordia CTI bridge would be our forte. Helping your supervisors to manage the team and customers expectations all within the same sphere. With the help of an omnichannel helpdesk ticketing system, it can also cut down on repetitive work and shift focus of your agent’s time to more productive tasks.

It also helps to extract the right data with Smart Analytics and Reports. Monitor all channels in one place to achieve better business’s KPIs and performance. View analytics and data such as chat volumes, SLA status, user engagement, and more on a single dashboard to gain better customer insights for future product and services planning.

As we have entered the last quarter of 2022, a decision must be made for your company’s future. Speak to our specialist, where we can help you to understand your customers better in achieving seamless communication and unified customer journeys.