Did you know that 77% of customers become more loyal to businesses that consistently provide top-notch services? No wonder businesses prioritize customer service.
But, how have customer service trends evolved over the years? How does the situation in today’s market shape the way organizations provide customer service? Read on to find out the customer service trends you need to watch out for the year 2022.
Post-pandemic approach to customer service
Customer expectations increase every year. With 2022 being the year of post-pandemic trends and challenges, customer expectations are expected to be even higher. Businesses that open themselves for revamping how they deliver customer support are expected to thrive.
Further, those who are stuck in doing the same processes might need to do some rethinking to remain competitive.
2020 and 2021 have been volatile for consumers and for every business. It’s the year where business owners have to generate new methods of delivering a better customer experience.
The past years during a pandemic have challenged a lot of businesses to go the extra mile in placing greater emphasis on customer support. This 2022, we encourage businesses to watch out for these customer service trends to come to be better prepared ahead.
Customer service trends for 2022
After a very challenging year of quarantine, paranoia on health measures, changes in work setting, and learning, one thing is certain: Customer service trends matter today more than ever.
In relation to keeping up with this demand, here are the customer service trends that can boost your support game through 2022:
Prioritizing omnichannel support
Customers seek convenience whenever they need to contact a company. Upon reaching out to a brand, they should be able to choose the channel they prefer in contacting you.
This could be in the means of social media, instant messaging, phone calls, or emails. If you have omnichannel support that will integrate all of these channels, a seamless customer experience is possible.
If a customer sent you a message on Facebook then called in the next day, they would probably have to repeat explaining their issue. This could lead to poor customer service.
However, if you have a unified messaging system that can gather all of their inquiries from various communication channels, it will be easier to resolve them.
Reliance on customer service software
Apart from having omnichannel support, customer service support tools can help you a lot more when it comes to personalization.
Increased reliance on customer service software gives managers a bird’s eye perspective of what matters the most. If you have customer service software that can collect all your customers’ data, it’ll be easier to update them and contextualize their future concerns.
This helps you in making informed decisions when it comes to improving your overall business operations. This also opens a lot of doors for you to uncover the best opportunities in delivering better customer service.
Increased interaction with automated chatbots
As instant messaging becomes even more demanding in today’s market, the availability of artificial intelligence and automated chatbots has risen too.
The usage of automated chatbots increased to 81% in 2020, and they’ve quickly become a vital part of any instant messaging strategy. Automated chatbots make 24/7 support available to consumers.
Considering how chatbots are helpful in simplifying complex requests by developing basic questions and having fast response rates, this makes a positive impact on customer service.
If you can respond to your customer needs quickly even after normal business hours, this could increase their customer satisfaction too.
Personalization is a must
Personalization is no longer an option in the year 2022, but a necessary factor in providing each customer the best customer service.
Customers become more invested in having personalized customer service due to the continued complexity of their shopping experience. Therefore, ensuring that you are targeting the right data and making it accessible to your agents is very important.
Keeping accurate customer data and analyzing them doesn’t only allow you to better personalize your service. It lets you anticipate and meet customer expectations at scale as well.
Drive towards success by delivering the exceptional customer service
Over the past year, companies had to adapt and reshape the way they follow customer service trends. Generating best practices in a changing environment could be one of the most difficult things to overcome as a brand.
Driving towards success by delivering exceptional customer service might be a high bar, especially at a very challenging time. But with the right planning and a set of dedicated teams ready to deliver the best customer service, trends are easy to apply and personalize.
As an organization, companies that invest in solutions to help them strategize better and adapt quickly to evolving customer preferences are key in developing the best customer service.
