A whopping 80% of consumers say they’re more likely to repurchase after a satisfying customer support experience. Conversely, 78% say they will back out of a purchase due to a poor one.
The numbers don’t lie.
Companies that make excellent customer service a priority are always going to beat those that don’t.
One way of ensuring that your customer support is repurchase-worthy is to use an email ticketing system.
There’s a reason some of the world’s biggest brands use this form of ticketing to organize and resolve their customers’ problems. Email is familiar, accessible, scalable, and more cost-effective than other forms of customer support. Plus, today’s ticketing software is more advanced than ever, making it easy to integrate it with other channels of sales and customer service.
Below, we’ll examine email ticketing and how your business can harness it to improve customer loyalty and retention and accelerate growth.
What is an email ticketing system?
An email ticketing system is a software application that allows you to manage customer issues and inquiries. Every time a customer submits a complaint or query, a ticket is created. These tickets are then added to a greater system of organization, allowing each one to be dealt with in a methodical, efficient way.
You can create ticketing systems for all kinds of customer support systems. However, in this instance, we are focusing on email as a platform for receiving and resolving customer complaints.
Email is primed for effective customer support
According to a recent survey, as much as 60% of consumers prefer email as their chosen form of customer support. There are several good reasons for this, such as:
- Email is mobile-friendly, making it more accessible to a wide audience.
- Customers feel comfortable and confident raising issues via the familiar channel of email.
- It is easy to share multimedia files via email.
- Email is a more cost-effective support channel than voice.
It can also be much easier to track tickets via email as opposed to voice calls or website inquiries. This expedites the problem-solving process and makes customers more likely to foster a loyal relationship with your brand, generating more repeat business.
Now that email ticketing software is readily available, it’s easier than ever for brands to enhance their customer support systems.
Take Apple and Google, for example—two of the world’s most successful brands well known for their speedy, efficient customer support channels.
What is their main customer support channel? That’s right, all of them focus on email.
Ditto IKEA, MailChimp, Toyota, Samsung, and Amazon.
Companies across the board have been using email ticketing systems to make their customer’s lives easier for years. Now that these systems are becoming more advanced, businesses from every sector or scale can utilize them to provide customers with a more satisfying support experience.
Why use an email ticketing system for customer support? 5 key benefits to consider
Companies that find innovative ways to solve their customer’s problems and deal with them quickly are far more likely to succeed in the long run.
Here are five reasons why an email ticketing system is one of the most efficient ways to manage customer support:
1. Ticket prioritization
Not all tickets require the same expertise, and some need to be addressed more urgently than others. Email ticketing systems can detect which tickets should be prioritized first and assign them to the best agent for the job.
2. Performance analytics and insights
Like most contemporary customer service software programs, an email ticketing system comes with built-in analytics and performance measurement tools.
This makes tracking important KPIs much easier. Customer satisfaction, behavior, response times, and problem resolution are all important metrics to monitor when improving a customer support system, and email ticketing makes it easy.
3. Easy query management
Email ticketing essentially offers a centralized platform to manage customer queries and complaints. Because it can be integrated into other channels (such as your website and social media platforms), tickets can be consolidated and managed from one simple system.
4. Knowledge base development
Understanding what problems are most commonly experienced by customers is crucial for improving their relationship with your brand.
Over time, the use of an email ticketing system can shed light on which FAQs need to be answered most. This can help you develop a knowledge base for improved communication and understanding with consumers.
5. Scalability
As your business grows, it will need a customer support system that can grow with it. Email ticketing systems are designed to be scalable, making it easier for your business to manage customers as it expands over time.
How to create an email ticketing system for customer support from scratch
Whether you’re a start-up business just finding its groove or an established business wanting to upgrade its internal systems, implementing an email ticketing system is a good idea. But how do you do that? Here are five steps any business can follow.
Step 1: Define your company’s needs
Before you can set up an email ticketing system for your business, you need to understand what you want to get out of it. Performing an analysis of your current customer support system and what you would like to change is crucial. Some important elements to consider include:
- Anticipated ticket volume
- Integration capability
- Desired technological features
You will also need to establish which ticket submission channels you want to integrate, how your tickets will be categorized, what your ticket assignment workflows will be, and which automation rules you would like to implement. Be thorough in your assessment.
Step 2: Select a system
Choosing the best email based ticketing system depends on what your requirements are. Each system comes with its own unique features, costs, and limitations to consider.
You can opt for a more simple, open-source system, such as Zoho Desk or Freshdesk, which are on the more affordable end of the spectrum. Or you can choose a more comprehensive program with special features, such as Zendesk or Intercom for a higher price.
Whatever program you choose, it is essential that you weigh up its pros and cons and ensure its cost is within your budget for long-term use.
Step 3: Customize the program
Once you have chosen your email ticketing system, you can start inputting your business’s data and customizing the system to meet your needs. At this point in the process, you can configure automation rules, ticket categories, ticket workflows, SLA (Service Level Agreement), and escalation processes for optimal results.
The customization options you have access to will vary depending on which program you select. A thorough understanding of the program will produce more exact results. Plus, you can ensure that your customer’s needs are met every step of the way.
Step 4: Integrate the system with other tools
One of the many advantages of an email ticketing system is that it can serve as a centralized place to manage all your customer queries—even those that come through other channels. Integrating the system with your website and social media platforms is key.
Some email ticketing software programs can even integrate with an existing CRM system. This helps you achieve a more fluid and efficient overall workflow. As it streamlines operations and processes, it also reduces the chances of customer queries slipping through the net.
Step 5: Train your customer support team
Your support team is only as good as the training it receives. All new programs take time to learn. Your customer support team needs to be equipped with the right skills and experience to manage your email ticketing system effectively. By providing proper training for your team, you can expedite the integration process.
This is best achieved through the provision of a training workshop. Give your staff time and resources to familiarize themselves with the new system before implementing it.
Step 6: Measure your progress
Once your new email ticketing system is set up and your team is trained to use it, you can begin testing it out with customers. Utilize the analytics tools available to track progress and measure the success of the new system. Ask for feedback from customers. Find out what works and what doesn’t.
In order to help your business grow and thrive, it needs to understand its strengths and weaknesses. Using KPI tracking tools to analyze the effectiveness of a new customer support system is crucial for extracting the most value from it.
Final thoughts on enhancing customer support with email ticketing systems
Customers need an easy, simple, and efficient way to contact you about their questions and problems. Email ticketing customer support systems can improve the quality of your customer’s experiences with your brand and motivate them to return for business.
These systems offer centralization, integration, organization, and fast problem resolution for both you and your target audience.
The right email ticketing system can help you make sense of customer inquiries while offering clear, productive insights into what they need from you.
As customers become increasingly reliant on web and mobile-based forms of communication from businesses, email ticketing can be the key to unlocking a more successful future. Increased satisfaction equals increased engagement, conversions, and customer retention, making this type of support system well worth investing in!