What To Look for in a CRM: 9 Customer Service Features
Abe Dearmer
Jun 21, 2023
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13 min read
CRM
Good customer service is much more than using first-name salutations and ensuring agents solve queries on time. Because consumers now require a higher level of personalization when interacting with representatives, businesses need to be more proactive in dealing with prospects and customers. The right customer relationship management (CRM) system can help them achieve these goals.
Experts predict the CRM software market will reach $145.79 billion by the year 2029—up from $57.83 billion in 2021. This statistic proves that businesses need to be more driven about implementing and using CRMs—especially systems that incorporate customer service features. The right customer service CRM can improve functionality, enhance internal workflows, and maintain customer relationships.
In this guide, learn what to look for in a CRM with customer service capabilities and discover the nine features that could develop stronger customer relationships in your business.
Key Takeaways:
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Customer service has evolved in recent years. Consumers now want a high degree of personalization when interacting with customer service agents.
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Customer service CRMs can improve the customer experience and help agents solve complex inquiries and complaints.
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Some of the best customer service features include social media tracking, analytical tools, and a 360-degree overview of customers.
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Choose a product that offers these CRM features to optimize customer service in your business.
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FiveCRM is a CRM system for customer service that can help you manage complaints, queries, and feedback.
Table of Contents:
What Is a Customer Service CRM?
A regular CRM is a software tool that collects and stores customer data in a single system, allowing sales agents to have more successful interactions with customers. Agents can use one of these platforms for telemarketing, lead generation, lead nurturing, prospecting, cold calling, contact management, and other sales-related tasks. Examples of traditional CRMs include Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot.
A CRM platform made for customer service includes all of the above features and improves customer relationships during the sales cycle. It provides a single source of truth for all the data agents who need to enhance customer service tasks in your organization and generates a 360-degree view of each prospect, lead, and existing customer.
So, what to look for in a CRM with customer service capabilities? Here are nine features you might come across when searching for customer service CRMs online:
1. Social Media Tracking
Customer service CRMs with social media tracking features let you monitor what customers say about your products, services, and customer service on websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These CRMs have "social listening" tools that collect data from social media conversations, allowing you to view mentions of your company from customers—even if those customers don't tag your organization in posts.
Social media tracking is one of the best CRM features because you can identify complaints about your company and adjust workflows to prevent the same problems from happening again. Customers are more likely to be honest on social media than in situations where you directly ask them for feedback, such as face-to-face market research.
Also, consider interacting with customers over social media networks. Consumers want to be able to get in touch with companies on these platforms and expect brands to be more open and transparent about their operations. Using your social profiles to exchange information about customer service problems like shipping delays and product defects improves customer service across multiple channels.
Read more: 8 Tips for Call Centers When Tracking Customer Satisfaction
2. Analytical Tools
Knowing what to look for in a CRM can be challenging if you are a small business on a budget. However, CRMs with analytical features are definitely something you should invest in because they can optimize customer service in your business. These CRM systems accumulate customer data from various sources, allowing you to identify trends and patterns in your workflows for more successful sales forecasting and customer service outcomes.
Say you own a call center that deals with customer service complaints. A customer service CRM with analytical features can generate metrics and key performance indicators about call handling times and average resolution times. If customer service agents take too long to answer calls or resolve inquiries, customers might view your company negatively and take their business elsewhere. However, knowing this information can improve your call center workflows and optimize customer service outcomes.
As you can see, analytical tools are one of the best CRM features out there.
3. Workflow Automation
It is no secret that automation is the way to go to boost efficiency and productivity. Whether using your customer service CRM for social communications, sales, email campaigns, or marketing efforts, adopting workflow automation tools streamlines manual and mundane tasks and frees up resources in your organization.
By optimizing workflows with a good CRM, customer service agents can dedicate more time to helping customers and resolving complex problems. That can improve the customer experience and change perceptions toward your company.
Read more: 6 Best Affordable CRM Software Solutions
4. Mobile Optimization
Type "what to look for in a CRM" into Google, and mobile optimization will appear as one of the top CRM features. That's because mobile-based CRM solutions enable customer service agents to answer queries and solve issues from a smartphone or tablet wherever they are in the world. These agents don't have to be in a physical office to improve customer service, making mobile CRMs a good choice for remote and hybrid working environments. Mobile CRMs can also provide users with instant scheduling tools, reducing the risk of missed sales.
Also, consider software that lets you communicate with customers via their mobile devices. Many consumers spend time on their smartphones looking for answers to common customer service problems. Providing these consumers with a mobile-based live chat platform can result in more proactive customer service and effective communications.
5. AI
The best CRM software incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) for service responses, predictive analysis, forecasting, automation, and more. That helps customer service and marketing team members understand consumer behavior, analyze purchasing behaviors, and make more accurate data-driven predictions about sales processes.
AI can also let customer support agents correctly schedule tasks to maintain successful workflows, making it one of the best CRM features to look for.
Read more: 10 Key Benefits of CRM Software for Sales Teams
6. 360-Degree View of Customer Data
As previously mentioned, a customer service CRM can provide a 360-degree view of customer data for business owners. Customer service and sales reps can generate intelligence about customers from this data and make smarter decisions that benefit your organization.
Say a customer service agent wants to learn about a customer's contact information, prior interactions with your company, and previous purchasing histories to understand that customer better. Good customer service CRM functions will provide all this customer information in one place, removing the need for separate systems.
7. Cloud-Based CRM
When researching "what to look for in a CRM," consider the cloud. A cloud-based CRM tool lets customer service agents access data from any location, supporting companies with a remote or hybrid work model. Agents no longer have to be in the office to answer customer complaints or rectify problems with products, services, and pricing.
A cloud-based CRM can also be easier to install and maintain than an on-premise system. Cloud service providers often take care of all the maintenance involved with running a cloud-based CRM system, making life easier for your IT team. Since providers store everything in a virtual environment, your business won't need a heavy-duty physical server or have to bring in additional engineers to manage hardware.
Read more: CRM and Where It All Started With SaaS
8. IoT Integration
The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the best CRM features right now. It connects products, devices, and equipment in your organization to the internet, allowing you to generate insights about your sales lifecycles, marketing campaigns, and customer service workflows.
Integrating IoT into your customer relationship management software gives agents the data they require to handle customer service requests and resolve them as quickly as possible. IoT can also facilitate real-time communication between salespeople and customers, providing seamless interactions that help you meet your business needs.
9. Voice-Based UI Integrations
Conversational and voice-based UI integrations for customer service CRM applications can boost accessibility for customers and promote self-service. These technologies can identify customers by voice when calling a company about a problem, removing the need to type PIN codes and passwords into their phones to reach an agent. Voice integrations can also allow customers to pay bills or access information from their accounts without verifying their identities with a live agent.
While these third-party integrations might sound complicated, 94% of users consider voice technology an easy-to-use option.
How FiveCRM Can Improve Customer Service
There is no doubt that businesses need to use the latest CRM technologies to enhance customer service. The above CRM features will help you stay ahead of your competition.
When searching for a flexible, robust, scalable, and customizable customer service CRM solution, look no further than FiveCRM. This platform helps you manage customer inquiries, complaints, and feedback in one system, allowing you to improve customer interactions and build relationships with people interested in your products and services.
Here are some other FiveCRM features:
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Improve sales efficiency for outbound calling by managing callbacks, automating workflows, reducing call transition time, and automating dialing sets.
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Manage up to 999 databases and get unlimited data storage to scale your customer service operations and improve pipeline management.
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FiveCRM's marketing and performance tools monitor operational performance and improve lead generation and lead management by capturing high-value leads.
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FiveCRM's exclusive lead scoring tool helps you focus on the most impactful potential customers in your sales pipelines and sales funnels.
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Enhance account management by obtaining and tracking up-to-date data about departmental performance and profitability. Use key metrics to boost sales growth, prioritize leads, optimize customer retention, and improve the outlook of your business.
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In-built email marketing, email templates, marketing automation, follow-ups, and mobile app.
Learn what to look for in a CRM when you sign up for a FiveCRM FREE demo. Or get FiveCRM today.
FAQs
Q: What is contact management, and why is it important in a CRM?
A: Contact management in a CRM refers to the ability to store and organize customer information, interactions, and communication history. It is important because it provides a centralized repository of customer data, enabling efficient customer service and personalized interactions.
Q: How can ticketing and case management features benefit customer service?
A: Ticketing and case management features in a CRM help streamline customer inquiries, issues, and support requests. They ensure that customer queries are properly tracked, assigned, and resolved, leading to improved response times, efficient handling, and enhanced customer satisfaction.
Q: What does "omnichannel support" mean in a CRM?
A: Omnichannel support in a CRM refers to the capability to engage and communicate with customers across multiple channels, such as email, phone, chat, and social media. It allows customers to connect through their preferred channel and ensures consistent service delivery across platforms.
Q: Why is a knowledge base important in a CRM?
A: A knowledge base in a CRM provides a self-service option for customers to find answers to common questions and troubleshoot issues independently. It reduces the reliance on customer service agents, empowers customers, and enhances overall efficiency.
Q: How does workflow automation benefit customer service?
A: Workflow automation in a CRM automates routine customer service processes and tasks, such as ticket routing, escalations, and follow-ups. It improves efficiency, reduces manual effort, and ensures timely and consistent service delivery.
Q: Why are reporting and analytics important in a CRM?
A: Reporting and analytics in a CRM help track and measure customer service performance. They provide insights into key metrics, trends, and customer satisfaction levels. This data-driven approach enables businesses to make informed decisions and continuously improve their customer service.
Q: Can a CRM integrate with other essential tools and systems?
A: Yes, a CRM should have integration capabilities to connect with other tools and systems such as help desk software, communication channels, and customer feedback platforms. Integration ensures a seamless flow of information and enhances overall customer service effectiveness.
Q: Why is mobile accessibility valuable in a CRM?
A: Mobile accessibility in a CRM allows customer service agents to access and manage customer data, tickets, and interactions on mobile devices. It enables agents to provide prompt responses and assistance even while on the move, improving responsiveness and flexibility.
Q: Why is customization and scalability important in a CRM?
A: Customization and scalability in a CRM allow businesses to tailor the system to their specific customer service needs and accommodate future growth. It ensures that the CRM can adapt and evolve alongside the organization's changing requirements.
Michael King says...
"I can’t think of a time where a client has requested something that we weren’t able to do with FiveCRM. Unlike most systems, it has a lot of flexibility."
Managing Director, Senior Response
JAINE HUSBANDS SAYS...
“Each client, and each of their campaigns, has its own unique specifications. We essentially needed to set up mini CRMs on one platform to meet those requirements.”
Operations Director, Team Telemarketing
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