Customer engagement models: Optimize your Customer Care strategy

Choosing a customer engagement model is a must-do for brands today.

Because your approach to customer care impacts every corner of your business.

That said, customer care is a balancing act that brands understandably struggle with. Customer needs are rarely one-size-fits-all. Meanwhile, there are more channels than ever to monitor.

Being everywhere at once when it comes to service is easier said than done. Adopting the right customer engagement model can provide comprehensive care and help you build brand loyalty.

Below we break down how to choose the right model to optimize your customer care strategy.

What is a customer engagement model?

A customer engagement model describes the approach brands take to engaging customers. This includes choice of service channels, frequency of engagement, level of personalization and the overall quality of care you provide customers.

Customer engagement models are typically defined as high-touch, low-touch or hybrid:

A high-touch engagement model involves one-on-one interactions with a support team for personalized service. In this model, a dedicated customer success manager (CSM) team might be assigned to specific customers.A low-touch engagement model focuses on self-service tools (FAQs, knowledge bases or chatbots) to provide seamless service on-demand.A hybrid engagement model combines pieces of high-touch and low-touch models by balancing personalized support with self-service tools.

These models can also be applied to specific tasks such as onboarding or customer retention.

For example, high-touch onboarding involves someone personally guiding a new customer through setting up a new product. On the flip side, low-touch onboarding involves onboarding through tutorials or educational content. High-touch retention might involve one-on-one check-ins with customers while low-touch is more hands-off.

Note that these models don’t solely apply only to current customers. The customer engagement cycle also includes prospects and churned customers.

Why a customer engagement model is important for your business

Most businesses clearly understand the value of customer engagement and stellar service.

That said, many don’t necessarily have a specific model in mind when conducting customer care.

Here are a handful of reasons why choosing (and sticking to) a customer engagement model matters so much:

Prevent customer problems from snowballing out of control. Customer engagement shouldn’t be totally reactive. The ability to predict and anticipate customer challenges means less stress for your CSM or service team. Not to mention, it means a better customer experience.Improve customer retention. It might be cliche, but acquiring new customers requires a much bigger investment of time and resources than retaining the ones you have. Building brand loyalty through effective customer care means long-term retention.Increase customer satisfaction. Your customer engagement model should foster happy customers, simple as that. Strong customer care goes hand-in-hand with more referrals, positive reviews and word-of-mouth.Consistency for your customers (and internal teams). Although every customer is different, the customer experience shouldn’t be night and day from person to person. Providing consistent experiences is much easier when you stick to an engagement model as a sort of roadmap. Consistency is also a bonus for the sake of onboarding and training new customer service team members as they have a plan to stick to.Gather ongoing customer feedback. Adopting an engagement model encourages you to make consistent touchpoints with your buyers. This can translate to both qualitative and quantitative feedback that encourages you to optimize your customer service strategy over time.

How to immediately improve your customer engagement model by starting with social

Embarking on a customer care strategy can seem daunting, but starting with social media customer service is a strategic and effective approach.

Social media platforms offer a direct line to your customers, allowing for real-time interaction that's both personal and immediate. This immediacy not only enhances customer satisfaction but also builds stronger relationships and fosters a sense of community around your brand.

Utilizing social media for customer service allows you to implement various engagement models, from high-touch, personalized support to low-touch, self-service options—and even a blend of both. This flexibility ensures that you can meet diverse customer needs and preferences, enhancing their overall experience with your brand.

Also, effective social media customer service can significantly boost your brand's reputation. Customers who are happy are more likely to stay loyal, leave good reviews‌ and recommend your services to others. This will help you grow your customer base organically.

To streamline and optimize your social media customer service efforts, implementing a robust social media customer management software is crucial.

Sprout Social's Customer Care software is designed to simplify and enhance this process. With Sprout's Case Management, you can easily organize and manage customer interactions on social media. This will make sure that your team provides timely, relevant‌ and efficient support.

Sprout’s integration of AI and automation tools, like AI Assist and Inbox message sentiment analysis, helps your team to always give high-quality responses that are both timely and relevant.

Starting your customer care strategy with Sprout Social's case management system not only sets a strong foundation for all customer engagement models but also positions your brand as responsive and customer-centric.

Embrace Sprout Social to transform your social media platforms into powerful hubs of customer satisfaction and loyalty. Start improving your customer service on social media today with Sprout Social and watch your customer relationships and brand reputation flourish.