With the era of the digital native hastening massive changes in customer support, we focus on the customer support trends that can make or break your business.
The internet reshaped trade and commerce worldwide in just three decades. And now, post-pandemic, the era of the digital native is hastening massive changes in customer support.
As of January 2021, more than half the world’s population was online. Global internet traffic was up anywhere from 20% to 70%. We’re talking 4.66 billion active users worldwide. So, it’s no surprise almost every business is online.
The internet is a lively place. With everybody online all the time, it should be easy for customers to get in touch.
Great customer service improves customer satisfaction by up to 32%, retention by up to 33%, and revenue by as much as 42%. A whopping 93% of customers purchase from companies with excellent customer service.
These are hardly the kind of figures you’d blink and miss.
More than ever, your company’s success depends on its customer service.
1. Social Media as a Primary Customer Service Channel
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn have become vital elements of the customer journey. A 2019 survey revealed that 85% of contact center leaders say that social media is the simplest way to support customers.
Customers are increasingly discovering brands, browsing products, and making buying decisions on social media. As a result, they expect to be able to ask questions and get help on these same channels.
2. Abundant Self-Service Options for Customers
An excellent customer service interaction may not be a direct representative-to-customer interaction at all. Customer self-service is one of the most important trends to watch in 2022.
Harvard Business Review found that a whopping 88% of U.S. customers expect organizations to offer a self-service support portal. That might include elements such as an FAQ page, chatbots, or a comprehensive knowledge base. In addition to meeting these customer expectations, providing robust self-service tools reduces the burden on your customer support team.
3. Increased Communication and Workflow Automation
According to Salesforce, 84% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services. And two-thirds of customers say they’re willing to pay more for a better customer experience.
One way to deliver on this expectation is to use customer service automation. Automated customer service tools, powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence, are excellent for improving the speed and effectiveness of your customer service team.
4. Shorter Response Times and 24/7 Support Access
Customers are looking for lightning-fast response times now more than ever. Customer service software has made it possible for more and more companies to offer 24/7, real-time support across a variety of channels. And as these real-time interactions become common, more customers have developed an expectation for them.
Once again, automation can go a long way toward helping your company reduce its response times and provide all-hours support without the need to hire more service reps. From live chat tools to automated emails to chatbots, there are plenty of tools available today that can help your company meet these rising expectations.
5. More Utilization of Customer Service Software Integrations
As you can see from trend #3, customer service is becoming an increasingly technology-driven process, with companies utilizing software for a wide range of tasks.
There’s a growing number of customer service software solutions on the market, all suited to different industries and business sizes.
Good service tools allow teams to streamline their workflow, tap into data insights, and manage and respond to tickets across channels. But the best tools integrate with other crucial e-commerce software, such as CRM, online payment, email marketing, and text messaging platforms.
6. Better, Data-Driven Customers Service Strategies
We’re also seeing an increased emphasis on collecting and utilizing data to inform the decisions made by customer service teams. Many companies haven’t put the same focus on data for CS teams as they have for their sales and marketing teams.
This is changing in 2022. With more powerful service software and ecommerce data available, companies will be optimizing KPIs like first response time, average response time, and Net Promoter Scores. These metrics are a direct reflection of a support team’s efficiency and can be easily compared to industry benchmarks to set healthy, achievable goals.
Keep Your Customer Service Ahead of the Trends With GoCloud
At Gocloud.group, we’ve seen firsthand just how impactful exceptional customer support can be for companies. If you’re ready to improve your response times, provide customers with high-quality omnichannel support, and boost the productivity of your support team, we can help.
