Customer Portals: Expectations vs. Reality.
Customer portals are a hot topic in the world of customer experience. But how much do you really know about them? What are they, exactly? How do they work, and what are the benefits to your business and your customers?
What is a customer portal?
A customer portal is an online platform that allows customers to access and manage their account information, view order history, track shipments, and perform other self-service tasks. Other such tasks might include submitting support tickets, viewing knowledge base articles or purchasing products, parts and accessories.
It's also known as an online portal, customer portal or client portal, but no matter what you call it, it's an essential part of any business today.
How does a customer portal work?
Accessed via a website or on a mobile app, a customer portal typically requires a user to login using unique login details. This allows them to access a customised portal account, displaying information relevant to them and the products they have. Depending on the company providing the customer portal, as well as the market or industry, the exact functionality and features of a portal will vary.
Why should my business provide a customer portal?
The essential idea behind a customer portal is to give customers a place to go where they can get all the information they need, without having to call or email you for it. This saves you time and money by reducing the number of inquiries that come through your company’s customer service department. This is just the beginning however…a PULSED powered customer portal can also support:
Increased customer engagement: A customer portal allows customers to access their account information and perform self-service tasks at any time, which can help increase engagement and satisfaction.
Improved customer support: A customer portal can provide a way for customers to submit support tickets, view knowledge base articles, and interact with customer service representatives, which can help improve the overall customer support experience.
Streamlined operations: A customer portal can automate many tasks, such as order tracking and account management, which can help streamline operations and reduce the workload for customer service representatives.
Increased sales: A customer portal can provide customers with a convenient way to make purchases, which can help increase sales and revenue.
What challenges may I encounter when creating a customer portal?
Creating an outstanding customer portal can come with its challenges; but overcome them and you can supercharge your business! Some of the typically challenges companies face include integration with existing systems, data security considerations, costs and the burden of maintaining and supporting the software.
But fear not! At PULSED we know all about these challenges, we also know that you and your staff don’t have time to deal with…so we do! With hundreds of standard integration tools, finance-industry standard security and privacy controls, subscription costs deliver unbeatable ROI and a team of experts that do all the maintenance for you…well…the reality is even better than the expectations!