Mobile customer service provider Helpshift now integrates with Salesforce.com to strengthen its customer service messaging capabilities and boost mobile app retention through better customer service experiences. Thanks to the integration, Helpshift is now embedded in Salesforce and makes use of Salesforce's case management, omnichannel routing, and knowledge base management capabilities. The move is a response to pleas from users for access to CRM data in an effort to improve customer interactions.
Helpshift once worked primarily with gaming companies, and now applies lessons from mobile gaming to its broader business strategy. "One of the biggest takeaways we have from our work with mobile game companies is the importance of retention. The cost of acquiring a new mobile game player is $10, but their lifetime value is only roughly $4. These companies are starting out with a $6 loss, so if they don’t focus on retention, they're done," says Tushar Makhija, vice president of business development at Helpshift.
Customer service has become key in boosting retention rates. According to Makhija, customers that receive good service are 34 percent more likely to become paid players, and paid players that receive good customer service are likely to spend 30 percent more. "Having help always available is critical for mobile-based companies, and any company that provides mobile support," he says.
With the Salesforce integration in place, Makhija hopes that Helpshift customers will see greater retention rates and increased customer loyalty. "The mobile focus is always acquisition, but our focus is on helping keep those customers that are so expensive to acquire," he says. Powered by CRM data, conversations will be more contextual and will flow more smoothly thanks to Salesforce's shift management solutions, which routes support inquiries to the right agents.
As for the question on everyone's mind, chatbots are on Helpshift's radar, but according to Makhija, bots are not intelligent enough to deliver customer support yet. Beyond requests for order tracking, customer support needs are all so different and "human" that artificial intelligence can't adequately deliver the service needed, Makhija says.
Plus, Makhija brings up another point: "If you think about it, across industries outside of gaming, people that actually download your app are your most loyal customers. Why not make it easy for them to ask you a question? They deserve a human interaction," he says.
As Helpshift matures, Makhija says the company will continue to implement what they learned from their gaming company customers. "We started out as a company that works with mobile-first clients, but all the insight we've gathered is enabling us to now work with all types of customers that have made mobile a priority."