A transition to digital due to the last three years of volatility and unpredictability has made customer service more crucial than ever.
Customer services will remain the top priority in 2023 and the years ahead as customers and businesses face pressure from inflation, supply chain issues, global conflicts, and covid threats.
Now customers have higher expectations for personalization, 24/7 access, and omnichannel media.
Not only that, customers are ready to pay higher prices for the improved services. As they give more credence to the companies, they depend on the loyalty that excellent services develop to bear the breakneck changes.
The 2023 best customer service brands highlight the need to turn to automation to solve the customer’s problems instantly and keep a check on what can be done within the organisation to improve and manage customer services.
Here Are The Top 5 Customer Service Trends In 2023
1. Customers Want More Power
Customers want to feel empowered, when they are spending their hard-earned money. They tend to get frustrated when they feel unheard. For example, when a customer calls a customer service line, they are forced to complete an interactive voice response, which takes ages to complete, only to be met with a long line of waiting.
What Could Be Done?
A recent report suggests that people prefer being offered multiple solutions to one single solution.
There is a better opportunity to provide them with
- AI-driven chatbots
- Knowledge bases
- FAQ’s
- The ability to speak directly with service agents.
This will make your customers more empowered, and they will feel in control of their own narrative.
2. Accelerating The Digital Timeframe
No business wants to run the risk of falling behind. Big leaders reveal that the pandemic has shortened the timeline for adopting new technologies at a faster pace than ever before. New innovations and technologies are not only limited to the technically competent people but to the entire team.
What’s The Solution?
To provide the fast customer service in 2023, companies should invest more in technologies to improve their services by:
- Improving internal cooperation
- Providing more channels
- Making decisions based on data analysis
- Enhancing information security
3. Utilizing AI-Driven Chatbots
According to one report, “75% of the customers feel that it is important for the brands to provide them with fully self-service dedicated to address their queries and inquires.”
How Could It Be Achieved?
AI-driven chatbots play a key role in the customer experience. They are more effective in providing customer support. It can be deployed to provide each user with a personalised and customised experience.
There are several ways users can utilise chatbots
- Self-service chatbots that help users find information on their accounts
- A chatbot that tells website users what they are looking for
- A Facebook Messenger chatbot (social media customer service) that updates users of new goods and services
4. Data Transparency Leverage
According to a 2020 McKinsey customer service trend survey, “71% of customers would walk away if they got to know that the company disclosed their data without their consent.”
What’s The Way Out?
Customers want a personalised experience but are unwilling to give away their personal data.
- Businesses should follow GDPR policies
- They must be transparent about the data they acquire and the reasons for collecting it
5. AI In Conjunction With Real-Time Agents
In today’s new customer service trends, human agents can’t alone perform their task, and the same is the case with artificial intelligence.
What’s The Midway?
Combine both artificial intelligence and human agents. Yes! Conversational AI is the way out.
- It provides agents with immediate advice on what to say and what to do next to please the customer
- It remains with agents during voice and digital engagement.
- It also monitors behaviour patterns like empathy and active listening ability.
Final Thoughts
To live up to customers’ expectations, brands must enhance their customer experience. Customers demand to be heard, feel more empowered, and want timely service. Additionally, they expect customer service agents to be more empathetic towards them.
Finally, if you want to simplify your organizational system and improve customer support, incorporating HelpDesk software is a must. It will give a faster response time, increase overall customer satisfaction, and give valuable customer insight. So, invest in a reliable HelpDesk Software solution, and reap the rewards of improved productivity and efficiency for your organization.