From failure to favourite: Create a customer experience for continuous business growth
The following situation is a daily occurrence in businesses across the globe: A loyal customer makes an enquiry about the status of their order. Your response is delayed due to cluttered systems and overwhelmed employees. The lack of communication causes a build-up of frustration. As a result, the now disgruntled customer cancels their order. They share their experience online, and the consequences are disastrous. Your existing customers begin to question your reliability; prospective customers are put off; and your sales take a hit. What started out as a small oversight has now resulted in a loss of revenue and potential damage to your brand’s credibility.Â
With the right approach, this scenario could become an opportunity for you to bolster brand loyalty and trust.
So, let’s change the narrative:
A loyal customer makes an enquiry about their delayed order. Your team is neck-deep in work. But, instead of frustration, the customer receives a fast, satisfying response to their question. Their concern? Resolved before it even has a chance to simmer (or escalate). They walk away impressed and reassured in your ability to deliver – every single time. While they won’t always broadcast the great service online, they also have no complaints to share. Your reputation remains untouched. Your business builds trust and loyalty that leads to long-term growth.
Essentially, you’re at the crossroads now, and whatever you choose next, will make a marked difference. To stand out in a demanding market, you must give the people what they want: great service and a reliable brand that deserves their loyalty.
Rearing to take the first, most impactful step toward saving your company and everything you’ve worked so hard to build?
Your greatest obstacles should be the fuel you use to drive your business forward. Let’s explore how you can start delivering the kind of service that turns challenges into opportunities, and customers into lifelong advocates.
Top 4 customer service challenges that threaten your business (and how to turn it them around).
Challenge #1: Too many customer issues, not enough time
A customer has an urgent enquiry about your product or service, but your team is drowning in work. When they finally speak to the customer, it’s too late—the reputational damage is done.
How to refine what isn’t working:
Keeping up with customer queries across multiple channels is overwhelming. Minor mishaps, such as missed details, can cost you loyal customers. In fact, 67% of customers report that they’ve taken their business elsewhere because of a bad experience. With the right solution in place, each interaction – whether through email, live chat, or social media – is tracked for you in one place.
What this would mean for your business:
Quick, effective feedback that prevents small issues from snowballing. With everything in one place, your team can respond faster, customers stay happy, and your reputation stays intact. Instead of jumping across platforms, or wasting time searching for information, you have instant access to customer history and preferences.
Challenge #2: Your team is burned out by repetition
Repetitive tasks like ticket routing, follow-up emails, and case assignments, are eroding your team’s productivity levels (and their morale) at breakneck speed.
How to refine what isn’t working:
Free employees from menial tasks. Give them the time to focus on building stronger customer relationships and solving critical issues.
For example, automation would:
- Route cases to the relevant person.
- Generate and track follow-up tasks.
- Send customers accurate status updates (without any input from your team).
What this would mean for your business:
In short: Improved productivity levels, lower employee turnover, reduced absenteeism, and greater customer satisfaction. Why? Less time spent on admin, means extra time engaging with customers in more meaningful ways. Happy, motivated employees are more likely to deliver better customer service. This has a knock-on effect, as it leads to less churn and higher ROI.
Challenge #3: You’re reacting when you should be anticipating
Staying ahead is near-impossible, because you’re using all your energy to extinguish fires that could have (and should have) been fizzled out before they caught flame.
How to refine what isn’t working:
A solution with built-in artificial intelligence (AI) analysis would reveal patterns in your customer data. That way, you could identify issues before they arise. For example, a sudden uptick in support tickets for a specific issue, or recurring complaints about a particular product. The right solution would flag these trends early, ensuring you act before customers are even aware of an issue.
What this would mean for your business:
Long-term growth, staying power, and profitability. Being proactive shows customers you’re invested in their lasting success. When you anticipate customer needs through accurate data, you reduce customer attrition, increase loyalty, and create a high-performing team.
Challenge #4: Scaling feels overwhelming
As your business grows, so do your challenges. Expanding into new markets or taking on more customers often comes with growing pains: longer response times, exhausted teams, and haphazard processes.
How to refine what isn’t working:
You need to deploy a scalable, cloud-based solution that grows with you. Whether you’re serving 100 or 10,000 customers, you should have the flexibility and infrastructure to handle the demand. There’s no need to choose between customer service excellence and the integrity of your business. A solution with customisable features would adapt to your unique workflows and goals.
What this would mean for your business:
You get to focus on business growth (and take over the world) without the stress of potentially outgrowing your system.
Why Microsoft D365 Customer Service is an investment that turns great service into profitable growth
Unlike other customer service solutions, D365 CS is a smart investment because of the consistent returns it yields.
Here’s why it stands out:
- Deep Personalisation: 93% of customers are likely to make repeat purchases with companies who offer excellent customer service. While other solutions treat customers as numbers, D365 enables you to deliver truly personalised experiences, recognising each customer’s unique needs and preferences.
- AI-Powered Insights: Its cutting-edge AI capabilities provide actionable data to drive smarter decision-making. A Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impactâ„¢ (TEI) Study commissioned by Microsoft found that organisations using D365 CS achieved a 20% increase in first-call resolution rates, and saving up to 292 hours per agent per year.
- Seamless Integration: Built on Microsoft’s trusted ecosystem, D365 integrates effortlessly with tools like Teams, Outlook, and Power BI, ensuring a smoother workflow for your team.
- Proven Scalability: Whether your business is local or expanding globally, D365 grows with you, offering flexibility that few competitors can match.
Great customer service creates trust, stronger relationships, and loyal customers. Think of it as free advertising. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service makes this possible by addressing your biggest challenges with practical, scalable solutions.
At Braintree South Africa, you’re in safe hands. Having grown our business from ZAR30M to ZAR500M just 10 years, we understand how to use our expertise to help you achieve success. Our customer base of 2400 agree. Let us help you turn customer service into your greatest strength too. Together with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service, we’ll curate customer experiences that keep them coming back.
Contact us today to take the first step toward transforming your customer service operations.
