How to Deliver Great Customer Service and Experience

One of the core benefit outcomes of implementing ERP solutions is an improved level of service for customers – facilitating faster response times, more efficient customer data management, and improved access to information across an organisation.

Customer-facing personnel are no longer solely responsible for maintaining high levels of service within an organisation. Instead, it falls to everyone within a customer-driven business to deliver the best possible experience – offering solutions and improvements which differentiate the organisation from its competitors.

But how exactly does an ERP system facilitate better customer service? And what tactics can business leaders use to leverage the technology and improve their level of service?

In this guide, we’re exploring how businesses can deliver great customer service and experience with the help of up-to-date ERP solutions.

Quick Links

• Five Strategies for Improving Customer Service with ERP Software
• Key Takeaways and Tips on Using ERP to Improve Customer Service

Five Strategies for Improving Customer Service with ERP Software

 

Optimised Data = Improved Customer Management

Unified data sets are one of several key benefits enjoyed by ERP users. The integrated nature of the software means a single database across all core business functions, leading to improved efficiencies and greater cross-department collaboration.

How can this benefit customer service? With every department sharing the same access to customer data, ERP software affords efficient customer management, which reduces the risk of miscommunication. It’s also great for remarketing and follow-up opportunities, with up-to-date sales information readily available across all departments.

Streamlined Workflows for Improved Customer-Facing Logistics

When it comes to ecommerce, customer demand is growing on all fronts. Whether that’s product ranges, competitive prices, easy returns or faster deliveries – customers expect an easy, fast and efficient service from all web retailers, regardless of their size or service offering.

Business leaders can leverage ERP to ensure efficient logistics in every area of their operation. Given that the technology holds information about your customers and products on the same platform, this greatly reduces the resources needed to manage your inventory – creating streamlined workflows that enable the same level of service that your customers have come to expect.

Easy Issue Resolution

Every successful online brand understands that keeping customers on side is critical. In an era where a single negative review can irreversibly damage a business’ reputation and profitability, leaders must utilise every tool at their disposal to satisfy customer expectations and maintain brand advocacy.

You may think there’s a limit to how far technology can help in this area, but ERP software can be a useful tool in resolving customer complaints before they become bigger issues.

Why? Imagine that one of your service reps is dealing with a customer complaint. With an ERP system, they can quickly access the relevant information and track the issue throughout your supply chain – allowing for more timely and effective issue resolution, and a more satisfied customer base.

Allows for a Competitive Approach to Pricing

Regardless of changing trends or shopping habits, price remains the key driver of sales. Even if a business works tirelessly to prove their products and services are worth a certain amount, there’s still a need to ensure that prices are competitive and in line with customer expectations.

Striking the balance between boosting your bottom line and delivering good value for the end customer can be tricky. That’s why it’s so important to take a proactive approach to seizing on opportunities throughout your supply chain.

The key to keeping prices competitive is to ensure total efficiency throughout your inventory management system, and that’s where ERP technology can help. The software actively reduces lead times and costs associated with manufacturing, so you can pass the savings on to your customers while maintaining good all-round sales performance.

Retains Custom for Increased Advocacy and Sales

For many businesses, a significant proportion of their total profits come from repeat customers who, having had a good experience, return to spend again and again. That’s why savvy firms spend big on remarketing to attract recurring custom.

But with that said, there’s more to keeping customers than filling their inboxes with remarketing emails or littering their social media feeds with ads. A balanced and refined approach is needed to re-attract these lucrative spenders, and ERP software can be of huge benefit to such efforts.

From improving the accuracy of customer communication preferences to exceeding expectations on the speed of delivery and returns – ERP is an essential tool for honing relations with repeat customers. The technology allows for a holistic approach to customer management, with all departments contributing to retaining and satisfying returning patrons.

Key Takeaways and Tips on Using ERP to Improve Customer Service

Modern, high-performing ERP systems are designed to marry together key business functions – whether that’s data management, financial services, sales tools or logistics. And given that each of these areas have become increasingly important in delivering on customer expectations, it’s no surprise that a growing number of businesses are looking to ERP as a way to get this area of their operation right.

ERP software may not be a silver bullet to ensuring excellent customer service, but it goes some way to ensuring all bases are covered. As such, here are our essential tips on leveraging ERP for improved customer service:

• Integrate resources for maximum reward – modern ERP systems offer a range of integration and connectivity options, so whatever programmes you rely on for customer management, you can improve efficiency by hosting them on one unified platform.
• Prioritise customer-facing workflows – when deploying ERP software, it pays to prioritise customer-facing functions, like point-of-sale journeys and delivery/returns processes. Refining these areas adds immediate value which helps to boost revenue and drive business growth.
• Extract value from every customer – it’s impossible to overstate the value that a unified database, facilitated by modern ERP software, can bring to your business. With single-site access to customer data, every function within your business can utilise it, ensuring maximum value is derived from each transaction and interaction.

We hope you found our guide on using ERP to improve customer service useful. At JS3 Global, we’re experts in helping you leverage ERP solutions to meet the needs of your business, whatever your aspirations for the future. For more information or to speak with one of our expert ERP software advisers, visit the homepage or call +44(0)161 503 0866.