Before the internet there were limited options to communicate with customers. The options were: face-to-face, phone, or mail. There are now numerous ways to contact customers. Face-to-face is the most personal way to accomplish this. Phone allows you to talk with a customer and solve an issue fast. Mail is the way in which information was exchanged before people could look at documents online. Today, as technology increases, the way in which customers look for support changes.
E-mail was the most popular when the internet came out. Just about everyone has an e-mail address these days. E-mail is easy to use, access, and is fast. It is an easy way for customers to get in touch with a company and the business can interact with that customer when they have an opportunity.
Instant Messaging (IM) is becoming more popular. With customer support software you can have your own chat system to offer support to people. This is faster than e-mail but requires the customer support personnel to be available.
Self Service Centers are a way in which people can help themselves. This is a knowledgebase of information that users can access to gain information. This can be informative and useful if customers know how to use it.
Mobile phones are becoming more popular to get solutions. It is important that as technology increases, businesses offer mobile apps or ways in which the customer can contact you from anywhere. A majority of people use phones to get online.
Finally, a really good way for a Help Desk person to work with and communicate with a Help Desk customer is via some type of remote access. Help Desk Index By sharing desktops the customer support team can see things to help resolve issues quicker or to show the customer how to do something.
As you know, there are many ways to contact customer support, it is important that your company offers multiple channels for your customers to find solutions.