In the modern-day environment, a transaction does not end with the customer buying a product and making the payment, as this step is merely the beginning of a long-term customer relationship. Customers are the backbone of businesses, and it is important to keep them satisfied. Read this article to know about types of customer service teams and their roles and responsibilities.
An enterprise can only thrive if its customers feel that they are important and valued by it. For this reason, many enterprises have teams specifically dedicated to ensuring that all customers� queries are resolved and their feedback is taken for improvement.
What Are Customer Service Teams?
An organization has various teams that are created for specific tasks such as manufacturing, marketing, sales, etc. Similarly, different types of customer service teams are the face of the organization and provides assistance to customers in various tasks like paying bills, placing orders, technical support, returns and exchanges, handling accounts, and so on. These teams are the frontline point of contact for customers and mould the way a company is perceived by them.
Different Types of Customer Service Teams & Their Roles
There are various types of Customer Service teams and each of them has its own area of functionalities. They are:
1. Self-Service Support
These support teams consist of technical writers and creators that are entrusted with the task of making knowledge-oriented content for customers who are looking for self-service support.
They can be in the form of blog posts, short videos, user manuals, frequently asked questions, guides, etc., that can help a customer in a range of activities, from navigating the company�s website to configuring an already purchased product. These self-service tutorials provide a step-by-step guide for helping customers perform a specific task.
2. Product Experts – Customer Service Teams
Generally, a customer contacts the customer care team for his queries. The customer care team has basic knowledge that can help a customer with his problem, but in certain cases, a customer�s query can involve in-depth knowledge about the product. The customer care team then transfers these escalated questions to the Product Experts, who are well-versed in the functionality of the product and methods to tackle any issues that come up.
3. Developer Support – Customer Service Teams
Just like the Product Experts team, a company that has software as a product will also often have a Developer Support team. There are companies that offer software as a Service (SaaS), and they have a technical customer base. These services help customers or developers design solutions using various software.
The Developer Support Teams, thus, guide these customers or developers through technical, app, or website-related queries and concerns. These teams also take in the bug reports submitted by the users and make changes to the app or website to address the issues mentioned.
4. Community Support – Customer Service Teams
In today�s times, social media is the first line of contact between a company and a customer. Not only has this proved to be an efficient and cost-effective mode of advertisement, but it has also evolved into an active channel for resolving queries and providing support. A Community Support team is dedicated to providing assistance to customers through social media.
5. Knowledge Base – Customer Service Teams
It has been a statistically proven fact that most customers prefer resolving their own product-related issues by themselves, and they do so by visiting the company�s website to check whether they have a knowledge base for the same. For this reason, the company makes sure that it has the requisite material on its website that would help these customers.
Thus, the company deploys a team of professionals like technical writers, product experts, and creators to make content that can be sufficiently resourceful in guiding customers through their small-scale issues. This team has to ensure that all the material on its website is up-to-date and that all relevant changes are reported. This team works in close conjunction with the Self-Service team.
6. Support Specialists – Customer Service Teams
A Support Specialist’s team is the largest customer support team in any organization and is generally an umbrella team that includes other teams like a community team, a developer support team, a product expert team, etc., if there isn�t a specifically designated team for the same.
This team is the first contact a customer makes with a company and is responsible for answering calls, emails, text messages, and live chat messages on the website and social media. They guide the users through various queries that do not require in-depth knowledge of the product.
7. Customer Onboarding Team
A Customer Onboarding team is a group of dedicated professionals who help the customer derive the maximum benefit from a company�s product or services. They perform various tasks, like helping the customer set up their accounts, navigate through the website, and train them on how to use the product.
8. Customer Success Team
A Customer Success Team is not present in every organization and this service is most likely provided to customers who purchase a certain plan. Companies offer such services to give a personalized experience to their high-paying customers in order to save their time and shift some of the burdens to the frontline support team.
This team comprises Customer Success Managers who get assigned to different customers and become their go-to contacts in the company. These customers, instead of reaching out to the frontline support team, would contact managers assigned to them instead. These managers are responsible for assisting the customer through every issue and query.
The services provided by a Customer Service team are very similar to those provided by a personal trainer in a gym or an agent at an insurance company.
9. Professional Services
A Professional Services team comprises trainers and consultants who are responsible for imparting knowledge, requisite training, or even classroom support to the customers to ensure that they enjoy the company�s product or service to the utmost.
10. Partner Services
Certain companies approach marketing agencies to elicit customers for their products or services. Sometimes these marketing agencies, in turn, become the company’s partners. And then, it becomes necessary to cater to the needs and requirements of these partners to forge and ensure long-term relationships.
A Partner Services team will only answer queries from those specific customers who are partners. A team like this is specifically formed to reduce query resolution time and provide a better-quality support service to these customers.
How To Know Which Customer Support Team Is Right for Your Business
There are many types of customer support teams that provide a certain type of assistance to customers. There are managers, trainers, consultants, onboarding specialists, social media support, and a lot of other profiles. The best way to pick the right team for yourself is to ask yourself how you would like to help the customers and whether you have the required skill set for the job.
Certain teams, like social media or support specialists, require only basic training and orientation, whereas technical teams like developers and product experts require thorough knowledge and advanced learning. Thus, knowing the work of each team and aligning it with your personal goals and skills is the best way to figure out which team is the perfect fit for you.
FAQs on Customer Service Teams
What is the purpose of customer service?
Customer service is a department in almost all companies that strives to provide a personalized touch to the users in the form of technical support and assistance for the goods and services of the company.
What are the different modes in which a customer service team interacts with users?
There are several ways in which a customer service team interacts with the user, they are
a. text messages
b. calls
c. emails
d. mobile contact apps, etc.
Can I receive assistance through social media?
Yes, nowadays, users can interact with a customer service executive using social media, and companies have teams dedicated to the same.
Is customer service important?
Customer service is important because customers are the face of the company. They strive to improve the relationship with the customer, consequently ensuring the longevity of the business.
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