First, there were goods. Then came services. And today, it’s all about experiences.
In today’s economy, it’s all about experiences. So when it comes to customers, there’s been a shift away from ‘customer service’ towards a more holistic view — the customer experience.
Customer experience is the total journey of all a customer’s interactions with your company. It will include individual ‘service’ interactions as well as plenty of other touchpoints. Understanding the complete customer journey and how each interaction, be they traditional ‘service’ interactions or more day-to-day customer contact, creates an overall experience for customers.
Customer service is one small piece — and a vital one! — in the wider customer journey and it’s increasingly being integrated into broader customer experience programs, giving organizations the tools they need to understand how each interaction adds up to experience for their customers.
Brands that choose not to optimize their customer experience will not be able to garner enough revenue to stay afloat. Consumer frustrations with these brands cemented in the past have only catapulted technologically savvy brands forward.
The Majority of Customer Interactions Are Becoming Digital
Smartphones are growing ever more powerful, and every day their ownership increases. “Mobile is becoming not only the new digital hub, but also the bridge to the physical world. That’s why mobile will affect more than just your digital operations — it will transform your entire business.” – Thomas Husson, Vice President, and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research
Customer Support Through Social Media
Social media is a great platform for connecting with customers. These days, a social media presence is absolutely essential. Social media isn’t just for marketing – it’s for listening, responding to customer queries, managing customer relationships, and otherwise improving the customer experience.
Social media is full of people, opening and complaining and effusively praising and otherwise offering a live stream of consciousness on every possible topic of interest. Every day, your business has the opportunity to listen in on this public stream of consciousness and find out what people are saying about your brand, your products, your competitors.
Home Based Workforce
In 2020 and beyond, a marked growth in freelance workforce is on trend. Customer service jobs in particular are easily performed from home. Having this freedom may even help companies find and retain talent for these roles. Real-time support via live chat is now very much doable. Real-time support is helpful because:
- It helps solve customer’s problems quickly
- It reduces response time
- It increases conversions
- It’s convenient for customers
- It boosts customer engagement and satisfaction
Make smarter decisions with the full picture. The customer service trend continues to grow more advanced by the day. And with it growing, customer demand continues to rise. Keep up.
