Whether big or small, every business needs happy customers to thrive. Customer service is an integral part of your business because it builds customer loyalty and generates positive word-of-mouth about your products and services.
Technology has transformed the commercial interaction between consumers and producers. Live chat and other software are changing standard communication channels in the customer service industry. Chatbots have proven to be able to interact and help humans online.
These communication channels have transformed the daily life of support companies and the work of customer service agents. In this article, we explore the various ways technology is shaping the future of customer service for the better.
How will the evolution of technology affect the future of customer service?
The current evolution of technology affects the future of customer service, as it creates alternative communication channels to answer customer questions. This means that phone queues for customer service will decrease significantly, since more options are now available.
On the cost side, the adoption and implementation of new technologies such as customer relationship management (CRM) tools or chatbots is a significant investment. Modern technology will shape the future of the customer service industry due to its convenience and changing customer habits.
Here are 9 ways technology will transform customer service:
1. Online Community
You can be sure that if your product or service sells, there is a virtual community that discusses it in depth and shares feedback. Whether it’s a Twitter page, a YouTube tutorial, or a forum like Reddit, these online resources often have the answer to any issues customers may have with your product.
Thanks to text mining tools, it is now possible to find all the comments concerning your product and to follow the online community of your company. By analyzing customer feedback, you can identify recurring issues and proactively resolve them.
2. Social Media Awareness
The advent of social media has radically revolutionized our world. With an increasing number of people accessing online services around the world, businesses can now approach more potential customers. When it comes to customer service, social media is a communication channel that can be used to answer customer questions.
If your online community has found an innovative way to use your product or service, be sure to share it on your business page! This promotes the activity of your online community and demonstrates to virtual visitors that there is a real back and forth between your company and its customers.
3. Chatbots
Customer services are increasingly using automated chatbots . A large number of companies are eagerly waiting to deploy chatbots to meet the expectations of customers who want real-time answers to their questions or problems.
Chatbots are used to answer customer questions and if a situation is beyond their capabilities, a customer service agent is notified to take it on. In the coming years, bots will use natural language processing (NLP) to interpret the nuances of different languages and better understand the intent of a question.
4. Omnichannel Service Experience
The Internet has created new communication channels and new opportunities to sell products and services. This means that customer service is essential in store, online as well as on different platforms. The idea behind an omnichannel service experience is to deliver personalized service regardless of the customer’s entry point.
An example might be a customer’s request to buy something online and choose whether to receive it in the mail or pick it up in store the same day. This improved experience requires better logistics and service at all levels of omnichannel to facilitate the customer journey.
5. Normalize remote work
The future of the customer service industry will not only push customers online, but it will also move many reps to computers. Rather than being confined to call centers, customer service representatives will have more tools to work from home.
This practice has already been on the rise since the start of the pandemic, and has been shown to significantly reduce business operating costs, while simultaneously increasing productivity. Customer service agents will soon be answering more emails and messages on various communication channels than calls.
6. Voice of the Customer (VoC)
Nowadays, with the rise of connectivity, customer reviews and experiences with different businesses are spreading faster than ever. To meet their expectations, companies are increasingly investing in customer-centric strategies such as Voice of the Customer (VoC) to better understand the customer experience they provide.
7. Personalized training
Customer service training has traditionally been generic. However, as sentiment analysis tools make it convenient and easier to identify each rep’s weaknesses and strengths, training will become more tailored to the needs of each employee.
Those who need more time to familiarize themselves with a product will master its features, while technically gifted employees will receive training that will strengthen their communication skills. To personalize your training, you will need to survey your team before, during and after each task.
8. Real-time messaging
There will always be customers contacting you via email, but a larger percentage of people prefer real-time support. Facebook Messenger has been a true pioneer in this regard. In addition to establishing communication between agents and customers, the platform offers specific support measures, such as the evaluation of the average response time.
9. Data analysis to guide decision-making
Each time customers approach the customer service team, the interaction can be quantitatively measured for its effectiveness. This can be done through surveys once the issue has been resolved. Surveys and other types of customer feedback tools help the support team understand their audience. If employees notice a trend in survey responses, they can suggest service and product changes. They can also guide the content development team to improve the FAQ section of the website.
