Customer access channels

What are customer access channels?

Customer access channels are defined as the primary means of getting in touch with representatives of a business or a company. Consumers, clients, prospects, and members of the general public can get ahold of an agent through these.

Oftentimes, companies dedicate a whole department just for these channels, equipped with people around the clock.

5 major customer access channels

Every business has at least one of these customer access channels active. Without these, they risk losing customers to competitors who are in touch with their target market and loyal customers. 

These platforms may act as a two-way communication system between customers and a business. 

1. Phone

One of the most preferred ways to contact a customer service department is through a phone hotline. Customers often have to go through an interactive voice response before getting patched through a live agent.

Most of the time, the issue gets resolved or the question is answered within the call. If not, then the ticket gets escalated to another agent or department.

2. Live chat

If the customer opts not to talk to a person over the phone, they could always go for live chat customer service. Companies with an online presence have a live chatting feature to expand their reach and connect with more people.

Chatbots and chat support representatives often work hand in hand to accommodate requests from customers who prefer chatting.

3. SMS

SMS stands for short message service, and some companies provide a channel that caters to text messages by customers. The company has dedicated customer service representatives that answer incoming messages from customers and prospects.

While texting is considered to be an asynchronous communication model, most people open their inboxes more often.

4. Email

Like text messaging, email can be considered as an asynchronous communication tool as well. This channel can be used by any business with a dedicated email address for receiving emails from customers.

One of the benefits of email support is that customers can attach pertinent files to the message itself.

5. Online communities

An online presence is a must for companies and businesses that want to expand their reach. Online communities bring together people that know the brand, thus connecting individuals with a common ground with others.

Having a large online following on any major social media platform counts towards the brand’s credibility. This is because more and more people are checking out brands and companies through social media and through public reviews.

Forums 

Sites such as Yelp and Foursquare are known to publish opinions, feedback, opinions that can be viewed publicly. Additionally, anyone can review a business through these platforms, given that they have a dedicated page.

While these sites aren’t the best channels, some businesses rely on these platforms to hear more about their areas of strengths and weaknesses.

Social media

Facebook and Instagram are two of the most popular social media platforms for businesses to reach their target audience. With these platforms’ advanced capabilities of marketing, companies can run campaigns and generate reports without ever leaving the site.

All these customer access channels are important if one wants to run a successful business. Without these platforms, customers will not be able to reach out to companies and their representatives.