Customer Service Glossary
What Is A Customer Portal?
A customer portal is a private website that companies use to provide customers with access to support services and general information. Many customer portals are private and require customers to log in with an email address or username and password.
Web portals contain a variety of relevant information and valuable functions, such as:
- Order history
- Account details
- Payment information
- Access to customer support agents via email, contact form, or instant messaging
- Private knowledge bases for self-service
- Document and file-sharing capabilities
Web portals have become increasingly popular with high-performing businesses in recent years, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and improved interactions between clients and customer support teams. Studies have even shown that nearly 90% of customers expect companies to provide an online customer portal for self-service purposes.
Why Are Customer Portals Important in Customer Service?
As customers develop an increased interest in self-service options to resolve minor issues or concerns, businesses have turned to customer service portals to streamline the support process. Rather than making customers wait in a lengthy queue to speak with a live agent, modern, digitally savvy shoppers can log into their portal and locate information on their own.
As a result, businesses empower their customers to resolve questions and issues quickly, resulting in higher satisfaction rates and a smoother customer experience.
Common Questions About Company Customer Portals in Customer Service Departments
What is the purpose of customer portals?
Customer portals enable clients to access self-service features, like private knowledge bases and FAQ sections. Customer portals may also include convenient features that improve the customer experience, such as account history data, file-sharing platforms, and easy access to customer service agents.
How do you create a customer portal?
To create a customer service portal, determine the goals for your company first. Then, begin the initiate configuration and design processes. Consider your customers when adding content, like live chat options or private knowledge bases. Finally, make your customer portal easy to find to remove potential roadblocks from the customer support experience.
What makes a good customer portal?
Good customer portals rely on a solid understanding of your audience’s needs. For example, if your business primarily distributes documents and files, your customer portal should have a robust file-sharing platform with self-service content related to uploading and downloading files. If you specialize in products or services, your customer portal may instead focus on order history, invoices, and 24/7 live chat support.