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Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba
“Change or die” — Alan Deutschman
Happy New Year!
As we flip through the pages of our lives, we realise that time is fleeting and every moment is precious.
The same holds true in the world of business.
As we enter the new year, it is time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future.
Business may not have been at its best in 2023, but most companies are looking to start afresh and focus on their customers in 2024.
Today, I will explore the latest trends in customer service and how companies can leverage on them to improve their customer experience.
In recent years, customer service has become a key driver of brand loyalty.
According to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, 77 percent of customers say they are more loyal to businesses that offer top-notch service.
Thus, in 2024, companies must prioritise customer service as a competitive tool, if they want to stay relevant and competitive in the market.
Here are some of the latest trends in customer service that companies need to know:
1) Proactive customer service
The new norm in customer care is to adopt a more proactive than reactive approach to customer service.
Companies must identify and respond to customer expectations, determine potential issues and resolve them before turning them into significant complaints. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered agents can help dig into historical data and predict future customer needs.
Even the face-to-face agents must be well-trained in customer service and experience.
Customers want to be served by agents that are cheerful and knowledgeable about the companies’ offers and products.
2) Emphasis on customer experience over product
The new focus is to differentiate your brand from others by offering total customer experience over price and product.
Nearly 90 percent of customers interviewed reveal customer experience is their prime motivator when choosing the companies to do business with.
Additionally, 86 percent of buyers note that they would pay more for a better customer experience.
Thus, price is not the prime factor when customers want to make a buying decision, but how they are treated by the organisation is the number one decider.
3) Speed-up your digital timeline
With the global pandemic, the time to act is now. Companies want to invest in technologies that help them improve the customer journey.
Innovative solutions and technologies are no longer just for the digitally savvy, but for all teams.
Over half of businesses around the world expect customer experience investments to increase in the next year.
If you snooze in customer service investments, you are highly likely to lose and run out of business.
4) Security protocols
Security protocols in customer service are a set of guidelines and procedures that organisations follow to ensure the safety and privacy of their customers’ data.
With rising cases of cybercrime, security certifications and protocols are now a priority, especially with the revelation that hackers are primarily targeting organisations with rich customer data.
Measures to be taken include data localisation, privacy-enhancing computation techniques, privacy-preserving machine learning, privacy-driven design and privacy operations management.
In addition, organisations can also implement a multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorised access to customer data.
Use encryption to protect sensitive data in transit and at rest.
Train employees on security best practices and how to identify and respond to security threats.
5) Automation improves experiences for customers and agents
Automation can help companies improve customer experiences by reducing wait times, improving response times and providing personalised service.
Chat-bots, for example, can help customers get quick answers to their questions.
6) The rise of messaging
Messaging applications are becoming increasingly popular as a way for companies to communicate with their customers.
Companies can also use the same apps to provide a personalised service, send targeted promotions and provide real-time support.
7) Data transparency
Customers are becoming more aware of how their data is being used.
Companies must be transparent about how they use customer data and provide customers with control over their data.
8) Agility
Companies must be agile and adapt to changing customer needs and provide responsive customer experiences.
They must be able to pivot quickly and respond to customer feedback.
Thus, companies must understand the context of a customer’s issues and leverage with good communication skills.
Finally, customer service is no longer just a nice-to-have; it is a must-have.
Companies must prioritise customer service to stay competitive in the market.
By adopting the latest trends in customer service, companies can improve their customer experience and drive brand loyalty.
*Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing enthusiast with a strong passion for customer service. For comments, suggestions and training, she can be reached on [email protected] or on 0712 979 461, 0719 978 335
Online Reporter