What is online customer service? + 9 ways to improve it

Online customer service is the standard these days. Customers expect it—and they expect it to be good. For businesses, this means going above and beyond to ensure that every interaction—from the first click to post-purchase customer support—is seamless and efficient. And many businesses are using artificial intelligence to do just that.

In fact, according to the Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2024, 70 percent of CX leaders are planning to integrate generative AI into more of their touchpoints in the coming years.

In this article, we’ll explore how AI is being used to transform online customer service, plus real-world examples and best practices so you can understand how to leverage AI to meet the demands of today’s digital-first customers.

More in this guide:

• What is online customer service?
• Benefits of online customer service
• Tips and best practices to improve your online customer service
• Frequently asked questions
• Improve your online customer service with Zendesk

Benefits of online customer service

Online customer service offers a ton of advantages for both businesses and customers.

Here are some of the key benefits:

• Increased customer satisfaction: Customers can get faster and more convenient help, leading to a more positive experience.
• Improved efficiency: Agents can handle more inquiries in less time, reducing costs and improving overall productivity.
• Reduced wait times: Customers don’t have to wait on hold or in line, leading to a more streamlined experience.
• 24/7 availability: Customers can receive online support around the clock, regardless of location or time zone.
• Personalized service: Businesses can leverage data and automation to personalize online interactions for each customer.
• Increased sales and conversions: By providing quick and easy assistance, businesses can convert more leads into sales.
• Valuable customer insights: Online interactions can provide valuable data about customer needs and preferences, helping businesses improve their products and services.

The benefits are clear, but how can you actually implement quality service online?

Tips and best practices to improve your online customer service

Meeting your customers’ needs—answering their questions, solving their problems, helping them find peace of mind—is one of the best ways that you can show your customers true empathy.

In this era where so much of what we do happens online, it’s going to require empathy and understanding to differentiate yourself from the competition and improve customer loyalty.

As Rich Gardner, vice president of global strategic partnerships at Klaviyo, explains, “Customer engagement cannot always be about new sales—the best way to engage your customers is to develop an online experience that is based on customer empathy.”

Here are a few tips to improve your online customer service.

1. Leverage AI agents

Advanced AI-powered chatbots, or AI agents, can be a huge addition to your online customer service. These virtual agents can handle a wide range of customer inquiries, from answering simple questions to resolving complex issues from start to finish.

AI agents can easily integrate into existing workflows, eliminating the need for extensive setup and training. They can also boost customer satisfaction (CSAT) by providing intuitive and personalized responses, and they even learn and improve over time. As a bonus, your human agents can focus on building relationships and tackling more intricate issues while AI handles routine inquiries.

2. Equip agents with AI tools

Empowering your customer service agents with AI-powered tools can significantly enhance agent productivity. For example, Zendesk AI copilot tools can analyze customer conversations in real time, suggesting relevant responses, knowledge base articles, or next steps. This not only speeds up issue resolution but also ensures consistent and accurate responses across all interactions.

3. Automate workflows

Automation is key to streamlining your online customer service operations. AI-powered automation can handle tasks like ticket routing, prioritization, and even basic issue resolution. This improves efficiency and ensures that customers receive timely responses, reducing wait times and enhancing their overall experience. Automating repetitive tasks frees your agents to focus on building customer relationships and delivering personalized service.

4. Help customers help themselves

Answering common questions in your self-service help center has a few key benefits for customer experience, including the convenience of being available to help customers 24/7.

Keep your help center up to date with product information, and enlist the help of your customer support team to provide the most relevant and helpful information based on incoming support tickets they’re seeing. They are close to both your customers and the product, so they will offer valuable perspectives.

5. Meet your customers where they are

Customers have come to expect that they can talk to companies on the channels they prefer. For some customers, that might be your standard web form that automatically creates an email. For others, they might be more inclined to send you a quick message via WhatsApp or Instagram. Meanwhile, you might find that a strategically deployed live chat on your website’s product pages might help you reel in potential customers.

The truth is, it will probably be some combination of all these. With omnichannel customer service, you can manage all your service channels in one place and tune into customer data that will allow you to personalize your online support.

6. Use data to provide personalized service

Tapping into customer data can help you provide more personalized service to customers online. With Zendesk for customer service, customer context can be pulled into your agent workspace and managed from a single view. This gives your agents the full context of the customer relationship, such as past conversations and purchase history. It also saves them time by eliminating the need to toggle back and forth between multiple systems, which can be a major pain point for support agents.

7. Leverage QA

Consistent customer service quality assurance (QA) is crucial for maintaining high standards in online customer service. Regularly evaluating customer interactions can help you identify areas where your team excels and needs improvement. This can involve reviewing chat transcripts, email responses, or social media interactions. Constructive feedback helps agents refine their customer service skills and ensures a consistently positive customer experience.

Consider implementing a structured QA program that includes regular reviews, clear evaluation criteria, and ongoing feedback sessions. This can help your team stay aligned with best practices and deliver exceptional service consistently across all channels.

8. Ask for feedback

Feedback is a critical part of the online customer service process. After all, how can you provide customer-oriented support without the customer’s feedback?

Asking for feedback shows your customers you care about their experience and that you value their input. You should regularly monitor customer feedback and measure your CSAT score. CSAT surveys at the end of every interaction will help you gauge satisfaction and identify issues at the moment.

You can also use social media listening tools to help you hear what customers are saying about your product or service, even when they don’t tag you on X or Facebook directly. These tools can help you get a sense of how your customers truly feel about your brand and give you insight into how to evolve your brand messaging and engagement strategies.

9. Be human

We all crave the authenticity of real, human connection. It’s part of what makes good customer service … good. Empower your agents to connect with customers from a place of truth and openness. A simple anecdote or acknowledgment of a shared experience can strengthen your connection and increase customer satisfaction. Having a sense of humor can also help diffuse a tense situation and move conversations toward a mutually beneficial resolution.

Being human also means recognizing that your agents are people, too. Effective workforce management (WFM) ensures your team has the proper staff to handle customer inquiries without feeling overwhelmed. By analyzing call volume patterns and agent availability, WFM tools like Zendesk WFM help you optimize schedules and allocate resources, preventing burnout and promoting a positive work environment. This translates to happier agents who will be able to share their enthusiasm with customers.

Frequently asked questions

Improve your online customer service with Zendesk

Exceptional online customer service is non-negotiable in the modern world. Customers expect personalized, efficient, and empathetic support. And Zendesk empowers your team to deliver exactly that.

Our AI-powered customer service solution helps you understand and respond to customer needs in real time, making it easy to manage conversations across channels with a single, unified workspace.

Whether your team is working remotely or in a traditional office, Zendesk scales seamlessly with your business, ensuring you’re equipped to provide personalized, efficient support every step of the way.

Try Zendesk today and take your online customer service to the next level.