Challenges in service communication and digital solutions - Service Chats

Reading time: approx. 4 minutes
Topic: Communication in mechanical engineering / maintenance; Service Chats
Interesting for: Service management, maintenance, after sales, plant and machine manufacturers, field services, industrial manufacturing companies

Introduction: Companies and service providers face a variety of challenges in technical customer service. Machine and plant downtimes often lead to high costs and production losses, while efficient problem solving can be hindered by inadequate communication channels. For this reason, companies today need toprovide new digital and modern communication channelsin addition to traditional communicationchannels such as telephone or email, which are not always practical in critical situations. It is becoming increasingly important to think and managethe entire service process digitally - from problem acceptance to solution.

Problems in the service area with communication in the event of a service call

• Delayed response times due to asynchronous communication.
  A technician or customer reports a problem by email, but the response only arrives hours later. In the meantime, the machine is at a standstill.
• Large file attachments, e.g. detailed photos and especially videos for error analysis, are often too large to be sent by email.
• Key question: How do we get information on site (e.g. in the form of images, media, etc.) quickly to the employee in service / on the hotline?

Insufficient description of complex problems

• Troubleshooting over the phone is sometimes not easy for the service / hotline employee either. How can instructions be given as precisely as possible? How can images or documents be shared to solve the problem ?

Insufficient description of complex problems

• Troubleshooting over the phone is sometimes not easy for the service / hotline staff either. How can instructions be given as precisely as possible? How can images or documents be shared to solve the problem ?

Data protection problems with external messenger services

• It is not uncommon to fall backon classic instant messengers as they are used in the private sphere. The use of messengers such as WhatsApp in a professional environment raises data protection issues, as data is often not stored in a GDPR-compliant manner. In addition, the information remains locally ontheusers ' end devices .

Digital solutions: Service communication with the bitnamic CONNECT service chats

To meet these challenges, bitnamic CONNECToffers a digital communication platform specifically for technical service. This solution combines various functions that enablefaster, more secure and more effective collaboration:

• Establishment of a service chat communication channel in just a few seconds

• Real-time communication via a secure platform in the customer 's own design

• Live translations of text messages for international teams

• Familiar usability as with conventional chats

Everything at a glance - the Service Chats whitepaper with screenshots from the solution - Download now

• Multimedia support for sharing images, videos, audio recordings and documents directly in the chat

• Platform-independent use, without additional software installations

• Visual support sessions via live video and augmented reality can be started from a service chat to provide even more accurate remote support

• Chats are stored within cases. If no ticket system is in use, this is your new ticketing approach (sort by customer, cases, machine, tags, problem )

• Alternatively, you can connect the cases to your existing (ticket) systems such as Salesforce or Servicenow

• SSL-encrypted data exchange and GDPR-compliant storage of all data on secure servers
• Problem reporting via chat: fast routing to the right contact person via ChatBot

Application cases (use cases)

The platform is used successfully in various scenarios

• More efficient support hotline: Technicians receive a text message or email from the hotline with a link to the chat room. There they can clarify problems with experts and share visual information from the site, such as images or videos, in real time.

• Chatbots for initial analysis: An AI-supported assistant takes over the recording of service cases and pre-filters simple inquiries.

• Access via QR code or NFC tag: By scanning a QR code on the machine, technicians can immediately access relevant documentation on a service page or in the digital machine file, for example, and can start a service request directly via service chat if required.

The challenges in technical customer service require modern solutions. Digital communication and service platforms such as bitnamic CONNECT Service Chats enable companies to make service processes more efficient, reduce costs and improve collaboration between technicians and experts. Seamless integration into existing systems and compliance with high data protection standards make this solution a valuable addition to traditional communication channels.

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