Nothing can replace a friendly, helpful (and live) human being when it comes to providing good customer service, but digital signage can enhance it. Anticipating customers’ needs, fostering clear communication, and making the purchasing experience as easy as possible are the hallmarks of good customer service, and each of these can benefit from a little digital support. Imagine your business had its very own digital concierge or floor manager. What would that free you up to do instead?
Aside from displaying gorgeous graphics or live social media feeds, you can put digital signage to work by using it to answer questions, make recommendations and serve as a platform for feedback.
Here are six ways you can use your TV screen to enhance your customer service:
Answer your customers’ most frequently asked questions
Can I return this if I don’t like it? What kind of support do you provide after purchase? Is this cruelty-free?
Your customers have a lot of questions, but the questions you get most often are good candidates for a modern-day FAQ page in the form of a digital display. By providing clear, direct answers in a place where people can see them (and before customers even have to ask), you can give your customers the power of knowledge and autonomy when they’re trying to decide what’s right for them. Plus, you’ll likely find that you don’t answer the same question 100 times a day and can spend more time engaging customers in more meaningful ways.
Of course, you can’t answer every question with a sign, no matter how robust its technology. For complex questions with nuanced answers, you can still post a friendly reminder letting customers know they can ask a staff member for help. (Try getting specific, like, “Ask us for a quick explanation for a seamless installation!”) Showing that you’re able and willing to offer help goes a long way in earning your customers’ trust.
Help customers make informed buying decisions
People readily take cues when they’re choosing where and how to spend their money, and you can gently guide them in the right direction. Your biggest-selling products or services can get an extra boost if you use digital signage to point them out. A strategically placed display that reads, “Our #1 seller!” can work wonders, giving automatic credibility to a product. You can even add an Instagram feed of other happy customers showing off their purchases as added testimonial.
Sometimes, customers need a little more help deciding between options. An attractive, easy-to-read graphic comparing multiple products’ features and benefits side-by-side can make the decision-making process a whole lot easier. Customers can make more informed purchases, increasing the likelihood that they’ll be happy with it in the long-run. And the visual aspect serves as an aid in digesting and retaining the value of each of your products—and you’ll be there to jump in to answer any questions that remain.
Show them where the best deals are
If you’re running a promotion or sale, it should be the first thing customers know about when they walk into your business, whether the sale is store-wide or a selection of products or services. Use eye-catching graphics to announce the sale and rotate in images featuring selections from today’s deal. If you’re frequently running new promotions, digital signage is a much cheaper option in the long-run than constantly replacing paper signage.
Show them how to use your product
One of the most common reasons people talk themselves out of buying something is because they think it’ll take too much time to figure out, or they don’t know how they’ll use it. Often, they just don’t see the immediate benefits of your product—how easy it is to use, how much time it’ll save them and so on.
With digital signage, you can display a how-to demo or other videos and graphics of your product in action. It’s not just cool to look at, but it’ll give potential customers who are on the fence about a product or service more information to go on. It may even give them other ideas or inspiration for how to use it.
Show your customers you care by asking for feedback to be displayed on-screen.
Give them incentive to come back
Loyal and first-time customers alike appreciate being appreciated, and the best way to show you appreciate someone? Well, it depends on which love language they speak, but usually a gift will make just about anyone happy. Post an image or QR code on your display and tell customers to take a picture of it. They can use that photo as a coupon on their next visit. Better yet, you can encourage people to post social media updates directly to your display for a chance at discounts or freebies they can receive the very same day. It’s guaranteed marketing for you and a whole lot of fun (and incentive) for them.
Give them a platform for feedback
If you know you provide great service and are confident your customers would agree, why not display their feedback on your screen? Here’s how:
“How did we do today? Let us know on Twitter with the hashtag #YourBizName and we’ll send you a link for 15% off the next time you visit as a way of saying thanks.”
With a live social wall, you can send a specific-to-your-brand hashtag feed directly to your screen. Not only does a message like the one above give added incentive for customers to come back, but it also gives them incentive to provide you with valuable feedback. (It also will keep you honest and always aiming to please!) Customers want to feel heard, and if they have any intention of being returning customers, they need to trust you. A live platform for feedback addresses both those needs, because it shows you value their input and are open to criticism. Amazingly, people respond kindly to this. If you’re known to be a business with integrity, they’ll respect you all the more for that.
Good customer service is the fundamental way to give customers a warm, fuzzy feeling about your business, and that kind of positive reputation takes time to build up. That’s why if there’s ever any confusion or dissatisfaction during a customer’s experience, there needs to be a human being in front of them—or on the other end of the line—ready and able to fix whatever needs fixing. But by combining that human element with the flexibility and versatility of digital signage, you can give your customers the power of knowledge and the power to communicate their needs a whole lot easier, and that’s good for everyone involved.
How would you use digital signage to enhance your business’ customer service? Let us know on Twitter!