Proactive customer service

What is proactive customer service — and how does reaching customers before they need to contact support, through appointment reminders, service alerts, renewal prompts, and post-purchase check-ins, reduce inbound volume and build the kind of loyalty that reactive service alone can never create?

Why proactive customer service is good for your business.

Proactive customer support was identified by Forrester Research as a top customer service trend. But what is proactive customer service? And how can providing proactive customer service benefit your business?

What is proactive customer service?

As opposed to reactive customer service -- when customers with questions or concerns contact your company -- proactive customer service is focused on identifying and resolving issues before the customer has to reach out. Studies show that “best in class” contact centers are evolving their approach to embrace proactive customer service. And they do this by anticipating the customer’s journey and potential pitfalls, especially in their post-purchase experience. By addressing potential challenges before the customer experiences them, businesses can help create happy customers, and we know that happy customers make the most loyal customers.

What is an example of proactive customer service?

Imagine one of the following situations happened to you:

• You sent flowers to your mother for her birthday.
• Your credit card information was skimmed from a gas pump.
• A construction project next door accidentally cut a cable to your home.

Instead of:

• Wondering if the bouquet of roses had been delivered,
• Unknowingly fueling the spending spree of a thief, or
• Arriving home to watch the big game without cable

Proactive customer service provides you with:

• Real-time SMS messages on the status of your order
• A phone call from the credit card company to review potentially fraudulent charges
• An email notification about the issue and when it is expected to be resolved.

How can offering proactive customer service benefit your business?

Not only does providing proactive customer support help you increase customer loyalty, decrease the number of inbound contacts you receive, and help you engage with customers in a positive way, it also benefits your business by:

1. Acquiring new customers

Proactive customer service allows you to identify strategic opportunities to engage with prospective customers and convert them to customers.

2. Retaining existing customers

In anticipation of what an existing customer might need and addressing their concerns proactively, you can strengthen your existing relationship with those customers.

3. Creating advocates

Connecting with customers in a meaningful way turns them into advocates who will proactively tell others about their positive experiences with your company.

4. Reducing contact escalations

By getting ahead of frustrating experiences, proactive customer service allows your company to reduce further contact center escalations.