Salesforce Service Cloud Spotlight: The Key to Getting the Most Out of Your Salesforce Solutions

The bottom line for today’s economy is that you will only attract and retain clients, students, partners, customers, donors, etc., if you’re able to reach them how they want to be reached.

As consumers, we’ve become so used to an increased standard of service. We can order items without leaving our homes—and know where the items are coming from and when they will be shipped, watch their route as they make their way to our homes, and then can instantly offer feedback once they’re delivered. From pizza to birthday gifts, medication to furniture—almost anything you can think of.

Organizations offering services need to catch up. While some areas of Field Service Management, such as the utility sector, have made strides in reaching the new standards people now expect, gaps remain. So, whether you’re shopping around for a CRM, a field service solution, or are already a member of the Salesforce community, let’s talk about closing those gaps.

Salesforce Service Cloud Breakdown

You can read Salesforce’s official explanation of Service Cloud here. To summarize though, it’s the heart of the customer and business relationship, because it:

• Enhances what organizations offer as far as communication and relationship management, whether it’s business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C).
• Works equally well for profit or non-profit.
• Integrates well with other solutions.
• Also helps with every aspect of Customer Service, from Case and Asset Management to providing better information for Customer Service Agents and as well as Self-Service options.

There is always a business case to use it. Service Cloud is what bridges that gap we discussed earlier, allowing an organization to know their clients better, and providing the information their clients are looking for with less effort for both the organization and the consumer.

The other benefit of this is more data and better information and tools for the organization as well.

Use Case Examples

When we’re talking about enhancing communication and bridging gaps, what we’re saying is that in a world that is more and more about communicating using the client’s preferred medium—be it a phone call, real-time chat, social media, and so on—Service Cloud enables that for organizations.

It helps the organization meet and talk with a client in a virtual space, building off existing data to complete the Customer Service cycle for that client as quickly and easily as possible, while offering them a choice when it comes to their interaction with the organization.

What does this look like in real-world examples?

• In Field Service, it enables a customer to put in a service request and helps manage that request through to service completion.
• In Higher Education it allows a university to field student requests, and answer questions on everything from when the library closes to how to replace a student’s I.D.
• For Non-Profit organizations, it can be used to guide people through the process of obtaining aid or how to apply for government programs.
• Utility companies can help customers troubleshoot problems and book their own appointments if needed, all through their website.

The Numbers: Offering More and Getting a Better ROI

The big picture is that everyone who uses Salesforce or is thinking of transitioning to Salesforce will be able to offer clients more and receive a bigger ROI with Service Cloud. This comes down to the features it offers and the fact that it does a lot of the leg work when it comes to future-proofing organizations.

• Chats and chatbots minimize calls
• Completely scalable to all sizes of organizations, from small businesses to large enterprises
• It allows for 24/7 customer care, which is huge when it comes to remaining competitive
• Customer Service Agents have a full view of a client’s history with the organization, meaning they don’t have to ask repetitive questions and can save time
• Less time to closure for cases
• Lots of different inputs, including email, websites, social media, phone calls, etc.
• Information is configured for both service and supervisor roles, with everything on one screen
• The Knowledge base add-on allows for solutions to be re-used preventing lost time researching repeat issues
  • Businesses can buy whatever number of licenses they need, and get help setting up a solution that works for and suits the size of the organization

If your organization is looking to step up to consumer expectations and is looking for a right-fit Service Cloud or other Salesforce solution, contact us for more information or help getting started.