In the past, every company relied on physical documents, papers, or memos, but with the rise of digital storage, more companies choose to go paperless for the many benefits. Not only will going paperless help your company, but it helps your customers too. To learn more, keep reading to see how customers benefit from digital documents.
You Find Information Faster
One of the best advantages of scanning documents into digital format is that you can use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to “read” the scanned documents. With it, you search for information as fast as searching for a term online. For example, if you need to find all documents related to John Doe, you simply use OCR software to automatically search all scanned documents for that name.
OCR technology works better with printed text, but it can read well-written handwritten documents too. However, this increases the risk of mistakes, so you may need technicians or processors to verify and correct information before it is officially entered into the system.
Being able to find information so fast will help you better serve customers. Instead of making a customer wait on hold while you gather all relevant documents by hand, you simply type their name, ID number, or birthdate into the system to automatically pull up everything you need. Plus, you can often add information to the digital documents regarding the customer interaction.
You Can Create Customer Portals
With digital documents, making customer portals is a breeze. Not only will customer portals make customers happy, but it will cut down on some customer service. Instead of having to call to check on the status of an insurance claim, for example, a patient can look online at their convenience.
Many companies also use these portals to create better interaction and communication between customers and the company. Some businesses may incorporate a forum or commonly asked questions section.
Customer portals also makes paying for products or services as simple as clicking a few buttons, which more and more customers prefer over mailing checks or calling. These online payment methods are also more secure than calling as customers have to verbally give their credit card information to someone instead of an encrypted system.
Unless you have a dedicated customer service staff 24/7, 365 days a year, you can’t be there for your customers at the drop of a hat. An online portal, however, can work nonstop, so customers can check on status, read documents, or ask questions whenever they want.
You Keep Information Better Secured
While you can lock up physical documents, they can easily be stolen if someone really wants them. Something as simple as a criminal breaking in and stealing a locked filing cabinet of private customer information can devastate your company. Any private information can’t just be tossed into any garbage; it needs to be shredded.
Online information, however, offers much better protection thanks to encryption. Encryption is like a digital lock that keeps information secure, and finding the key is incredibly difficult. For this reason, the average criminal can’t just crack into your database and steal information.
As an added benefit, all these security measures boost security within the company. An HR department needs to know the private information of every employee, but no other department needs this information. Digital data systems can block certain users from different information.
Digital information makes providing customer service much easier, which will make customers want to keep coming back. Thanks to encryption, your digital documents may be safer than having physical copies lying around your office. If you would like to know more about going paperless, or if you would like to get a quote on digital services, contact us at Indigital Digital Record Services today.