The year goes by fast, doesn’t it? In some ways it feels as though 2016 just started, yet here we are, one week from Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season. Hopefully your company is ready to handle Black Friday and Cyber Monday! In the spirit of the retail holiday season and the fast-approaching the new year, a recent article by Fred Chua discusses the biggest customer service trends of 2016. Some may be surprising, but many companies are well aware of some of these trends and already investing time and money into supporting these trends. Not only are these trends occurring in 2016, but also these 5 customer service trends could carry over into 2017, so it’s important to keep your eye on them for future consideration.
Omnichannel Customer Support: With the internet and social media in nearly everybody’s hands these days, companies need to offer online channels in addition to the traditional phone service. These channels include live chat, email, and social media channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. Customers expect service on all these channels and also consistency across the channels on branding and information.
Mobile: Is your website optimized for mobile platforms like smartphones and tablets? Many consumers use mobile devices as their main tool for web surfing, so being able to communicate effectively via mobile platforms is essential in the modern age.
Conversational Commerce: In addition to telephone and live chat support, consider using instant messaging apps. Using apps such as Facebook Messenger can lend a whole new dimension to your customer experience and it enables customers to see if their questions are being heard.
Customer Service Battleground: Companies compete against each other as always, but customer experience is now and will continue to be the main determining factor in whether consumers select your company or your competitors. While product quality and marketing are still important, customer service is the ultimate factor in making or breaking your company.
Customers are More Selective: Because of the ease of research online and the ease with which customers can voice their opinion and read others’ opinions on companies and their customer service, customers can now be more selective in which companies they choose to support. Customers have no problem cancelling their transaction with your company if they feel your service isn’t up to their standards and they have no problem going to your competitors if they offer a better experience or deal.
These customer service trends have been very influential in companies’ successes and failures this year, and they only seem to be getting stronger going into next year. Is your company able to handle the expectations of the modern customer?
This blog post was based on an article from CustomerThink. To read the original article, please click the link below:
Customer service trends you should be paying attention to – Fred Chua
If you’re interested in outsourcing with a call center, we can help at no charge!
Outsource Consultants are call center experts with over 25 years of outsourcing industry experience that have spent thousands of hours vetting and analyzing the strengths and specializations of the industry-leading outsource call center vendors. If you’re considering call center outsourcing, simply call 888-766-4482 or request a free call center cost proposal today and we’ll help you find the solution that best fits your exact requirements.
