5 Reasons On Why Email Is Still An Effective Channel For Your Customer Care

Email is obsolete. Dying. Dead.

Probably, these are what you associate with the word “Email.”

Well, we cannot put all the blame on you.

Social media is on the rise, and the future sure looks bright. Companies are slowly turning their social media accounts as their primary channel of customer service. It’s true; customers want the convenience and timeliness this channel provides for them.

So as a business owner, why still invest in email support? Why not just focus on the other channels?

That’s what we’re here for. For this article, we’ll explain why email is still an essential channel for your customer service and how it can help your business attract and gain more customers.

A Quick Refresher

What is Email Support? We’re sure you already know the answer to this one or already heard of it, but to refresh our minds, here’s a simple definition:

Email support is a channel that allows businesses and customers to have asynchronous communication. 

This means that a customer can email to a company’s support team and still do something else. With phone calls, customers usually spend a lot of time waiting on the line only to get disconnected. 

For the next question, what does an email support agent do?

An email support agent responds to customers’ concerns, inquiries, and requests as soon as possible. It’s essential to have an empathetic approach and act with no delays in handling your customers’ needs.

Now, let’s head onto the best part.

Why does email support matter to customer service?

Because it does!

All right, that’s a bit direct and easy for an answer.

Let us explain further.

It Gives a Positive Impression

A fun fact for you, email was invented in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson.

Hence, generations of users have accepted email as a mode of communication with other people. It has become ubiquitous, and if you’re a startup or a large-sized business even, email support is already a requirement.

It gives you a credible and positive image that will make more people feel confident to support your brand.

Email support also gives the impression that you care for your customers as you make your business more reachable by having various customer support channels. Email is expected to have over 4.3 billion users by 2023, and this ultimately shows that email support is not going away soon. 

Easy and Convenient

We know what you’re thinking,

“But we already have social media for that!”

Technological advancements have indeed been leaning toward social media sites, but this doesn’t mean that email hasn’t adapted to these changes.

The argument is that customers can easily send a Facebook message or tweet at a company’s account if they have issues with their purchased products or services.

But there are email apps for mobile usage, so if a customer wants to communicate with your customer support team, they can also open the email app, type their concerns, then hit send. Not much of a hassle.

Unlike phone calls wherein people still need to talk and exert more effort to voice their concerns, email is a hassle-free choice. 

Besides, the number of teenagers that still use email is at 78%.

These are teenagers we’re talking about. Regardless of the age group, email is a significant part of people’s lives. This also means that the notion of the email being outdated or out of style is not valid. Or at least 78% not right.

And that’s still a great number to prove that email is still considered an easy and convenient medium of communication. 

Security and Privacy

Sometimes, some things are not supposed to be shared publicly. This can include bank details, a person’s contact details, addresses, and a lot more. Email support allows agents and customers to have private and secure conversations. The information shared through this channel can be further protected by email encryption. This means that the recipient of the email is the only one who has access to it. 

Paper Trail

Perhaps the most prominent and helpful reason to keep email in your customer support is a paper trail. It’s important to have a reference for you to track your messages with customers.

For example, if you miss important details on a customer’s issue, you can go back to your email thread and look for that specific information. Through this, your business can provide better and more effective customer service.

A positive experience is always needed to have a top satisfaction rate and retain your customers. 

Long-lasting Relationship 

One of the key goals of customer service is to build relationships with your customers. With email support, you can achieve this by giving your messages a more human touch.

Don’t get us wrong. You still have to be professional as no one wants to feel like they are not being taken seriously. But people also don’t want scripted messages.

The trick here is to make them feel that you understand them and take the time to read their message and not just scan through it for a few seconds. 

Call them by the name they provided in the email, greet them first, answer all of their questions, and assure them that you’re listening to their demands. Excellent email support will create a long and beneficial relationship between your work and the customers.