Using a Gmail Shared Inbox for Customer Support

It’s not news to anyone that customer support is a critical component of most business. They play a crucial role in maintaining the satisfaction and loyalty of a company’s customers. That’s why most companies create a dedicated process – usually around a software -, with a dedicated team, to deliver customer support. 

The work of customer support teams can take place through a variety of channels, including phone, email, live chat, and social media. For this reason, helpdesk software can be complicated and require a big learning curve.

At the same time, most customer support enquiries happen via email, especially for smaller companies. For them, the good news is that using a Gmail shared inbox as a helpdesk can streamline the customer support. If your customer support relies on email, read on, this article is for you.

Tools for customer support

Customer support teams also often use tools like CRM software or knowledge bases to access information and resources that can help them address customer concerns more efficiently. That’s because these tem members can use these tools to track customer interactions as well. In turn, providing valuable insights for improving the customer experience.

To give effective support, you need a customer team with the necessary tools and resources. This includes knowledge of the company’s products and services, as well as customer service mailbox best practices and effective communication skills. Additionally, team members must be able to work well under pressure, handle difficult or angry customers, and maintain a positive attitude.

Challenges of Customer Support

The job of a customer support representative can be challenging and stressful. They typically need to handle a high volume of inquiries and complaints. This along with keeping a positive attitude and providing accurate and helpful information. Some main challenges facing customer support teams include:

High volume of inquiries

With the rise of digital channels, customers now have more ways to contact companies for support. It can lead to a high volume of inquiries for customer support teams to handle. This can be overwhelming and makes it difficult to provide timely and personalized responses.

Difficult or angry customers

Not all customers will be easy to deal with. Customer support may have to handle a wide range of complaints. From minor issues to serious concerns. Dealing with difficult or angry customers can be challenging, as representatives need to remain calm and professional while also addressing the customer’s concerns.

Time sensitivity

The high volume and turnaround of inquiries brings pressure on customer support teams. They have to handle multiple chats or calls at the same time. Of course, this makes it difficult to give each customer the attention and time they need.

Limited resources

Customer support teams may have limited resources within their company. So, it’s difficult to provide efficient and effective support. This can lead to longer wait times for customers and increased stress for representatives.

Communication barriers

With an increasing number of businesses going global, customer support teams will have to handle inquiries and complaints from customers who speak different languages and come from different cultures.

Cultural and language barriers can make your helpdesk more difficult to understand and address customers’ concerns. As a result, there’s frustration for both customers and representatives.

Keeping up with the knowledge

As a business grows and evolves, the products or services they offer and policies change. It is important for customer support teams to keep up-to-date with this knowledge. That ensures  they can provide accurate and helpful information to customers.

When something reaches a Gmail shared inbox customer support team, people expect a clear and concise solution. So representatives need to not only understand the product, but to be able to explain them well.

Why SMBs benefit from email as customer service

Small and medium sized companies see the exacerbated version of these issues. Solo entrepreneurs and small teams have to keep up with demands while running daily activities. Which is why email is often the preferred method.

Convenience

Email is a convenient way for customers to contact a company for support. They can send a message at any time and from any location. This can be useful for customers who may not be able to call during regular business hours. It also allows customers to retain a written record of their interactions with the company, which can be useful for reference or follow-up.

Efficiency

Email can be an efficient way for customer support teams to handle a high volume of inquiries. Representatives can respond to multiple messages at the same time. Email also allows for the easy transfer of information and documents, such as screenshots or log files, that can help troubleshoot technical issues.

Additionally, you can set up automated responses. These acknowledge the customer and provide an estimated time of reply.

Overall, email is a versatile and cost-effective customer support channel that provides convenience, efficiency and allows customer support teams to handle a high volume of inquiries. As a result, it is one of the most commonly used channels for customer support.

Using a Gmail shared inbox as a helpdesk

A shared inbox is a powerful tool that companies can use as a helpdesk for customer support, as it allows multiple members of a customer support team to access and respond to customer inquiries from a single inbox. This can provide several benefits for both the company and the customers.

Improved collaboration and teamwork

By having a Gmail shared inbox customer support system, representatives can work together to handle customer inquiries. This helps improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the customer support process.

Team members can assign or forward inquiries to the appropriate person, or even take over an inquiry if another team member is unavailable. This can help ensure that customer inquiries are handled in a timely and efficient manner.

Increased accountability

With a Gmail shared inbox customer support platform, representatives can see which inquiries have been handled and by whom. This can help the team to identify any issues or areas for improvement. It serves as a useful tool for monitoring performance, measure response times and ensure customer queries are resolved to the satisfaction of the customer.

Better customer service

A shared inbox can enable customer support teams to provide more effective and personalized service. Representatives can access all previous interactions with a customer from a single location. This can help ensure continuity of service and can also provide valuable insights into customer needs and preferences. In turn, that can be used to improve the overall customer experience.

Improved reporting and analytics

Customer support teams can also access important metrics and data on customer inquiries. For example, response times, resolution rates and customer satisfaction. These insights can be used to identify areas for improvement.. They help teams to make data-driven decisions about how to better serve their customers.

Reduced workload and more efficient handling of customer inquiries

With a Gmail shared inbox for customer support, customer support representatives can divide the workload among themselves. Which can help reduce the number of inquiries that each team member has to handle. This can also help ensure that inquiries are handled promptly, and that customers do not have to wait for a response.

Improved security

A shared inbox can improve the security of customer data. It allows customer support teams to manage access to customer information faster. But it ensures that data is only accessible by authorized team members.

Flexibility

Many of the shared inbox providers offer integration with other tools. CRM, live chat, and ticketing systems, for example. They can make it easier to manage customer interactions across different channels. 

In conclusion, using a Gmail shared inbox as a helpdesk for customer support can provide several benefits for both companies and customers. It can help improve collaboration, accountability, and customer service. It also provides valuable insights into customer inquiries and enables teams to make decisions about how to better serve their customers.

Additionally, it can reduce workload and improve the security of customer data. It is a powerful tool that companies can use to help streamline the customer support process and ensure customer satisfaction.

How to turn your inbox into a helpdesk

With our tool Drag, you can turn Gmail into a helpdesk in a few clicks. That is, instead of having to share an account, teams can access the main address directly from their inbox. With that, they are able to turn messages into tasks or tickets, visualizing the customer needs better.

Along with viewing systems, Drag allows you to delegate, create deadlines and break tasks into smaller parts, to maximize efficiency and create an environment of collaboration and solution. Instead of forwarding and replying to emails, the customer support teams can get right into action.