Updated
March 29, 2021
Written by
Merlene Leano
A clear picture of what the future has in store for business owners keeps you aligned with the changing tides of the global market. Here are the current trends in the service industry that you should watch out for this 2022!
They say the world was never the same since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Work, school, and business agendas all had to adapt contactless communication method to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. Online transactions became more apparent. More importantly, customer service operations had to take on a major shift to accommodate all the primary shifts in industry and end-user demands.
Are you ready to take a preview of what the Year of the Tiger has up its sleeve to help businesses upgrade their operations and client assistance efforts? Read on to learn how you can gear your company for all the challenges and expectations that are to come with the latest trends in customer service this 2022!
What defines the new trends in customer service?
It is difficult to convey tone and meaning without the usual face-to-face interaction. Businesses need to show customers that they are invested and involved in their concerns, regardless of how big or small they may be. Some of the most prevailing themes in today’s customer assistance trends include the importance of accessibility, convenience, and a more humanized form of communication.
It’s time to explore what's new in customer service.
First in our list of customer care trends is the concept of contactless services. End-user safety will still be among the top priority of businesses this year. Enabling contactless payments and deliveries limited the face-to-face interaction between businesses and their customers or buyers. However, there are still several goods and services that need to be delivered, such as basic necessities or work essentials including food, hygiene products, and computer appliances.
Out of all the emerging customer service outsourcing trends in this list, contactless transactions best represent the shift and adaptation of end-users and companies to a new normal way of living. It also reflects the increasing demand for more innovative options that can accommodate a broader range of user concerns within a given location. Since people currently have the means to send emails and messages or settle their billing statements through payment gateways, it expected that businesses will focus on expanding its convenience. There lies the possibility of expanding contactless service from answering queries and confirming payments into more advanced methods to meet dynamic customer expectations.
Artificial Intelligence is a smart tool for handling customer queries in bulk; it continues to dominate the list of the major trends in customer service. When paired with handling basic customer queries, it saves support representatives more time and energy. For instance, AI’s machine learning capabilities collects a library of user data as it interacts with different customers. The data is then analyzed and used as a valuable reference for businesses to enhance customer experience.
One of the best ways to utilize machine learning for assisting users is through ‘feeding’ it with data about frequently asked questions regarding your services and products. It is proactive because it predicts and determines customer queries ahead of time and prepares the appropriate answers. By doing so, you reduce the time it takes for your agents to answer repetitive and simple queries. Businesses are expecting a dramatic influx in end-user concerns, and so combining the two will immensely help startups and SMEs.
Yes, live chat has been around a little earlier than the rest of the trends listed in this article. It is also quite powerful and effective that its contributions to big and small businesses continue to be recognized and regarded with high importance. A good number of customers are more comfortable speaking to a representative through chat than through a call.
Live chat support is universal in that you can apply it on your website, social media pages, and even on your apps (if you have one for your services). You get to answer simple queries and accommodate more customers 24/7 by activating chatbots to answer in place of your staff. It is also adaptable to sudden shifts in your operations, particularly when you need to have agents work from home to observe social distancing in your office.
There is still no telling when things will return to normal or if everything will go back to the way it was. With a convenient and real-time messaging resource, you are assured that your business remains connected with your customers no matter what may happen in the future.
Here’s yet another new customer service trend: Self-service customer assistant. Some people prefer finding solutions to their questions and issues on their own. It saves time and it also allows them to learn more about the product they have purchased. To implement this successfully on your website, create simple yet concise guidelines that people can easily follow. Self-service options pair well with guidelines on installing or setting up your software or product.
Provide detailed descriptions and specify possible hazards (if any, such as choking hazards in kids if your products contain small parts).
If you are offering intangible services, prepare a step-by-step guide on how customers can find solutions or answers to their concerns. You can base it on your FAQs and on previous interactions you’ve had with other end-users. Enumerate all possible concerns that your users could single-handedly solve without the need for a representative’s close supervision and assistance. It would be best to send confirmation emails or SMS to customers to affirm that they have successfully resolved their concerns.
Don’t forget to send a quick feedback form where end-users can rate the usefulness of your self-service feature.
Omnichannel assistance guarantees full coverage of all possible channels that existing customers and potential leads could use to contact your business. It entails using email, your business website, social media, and mobile applications to ensure your customer support services remain accessible regardless of the tools and platforms people choose to send an inquiry or message.
Surely, you’ve heard or watched the news about the discovery of new Covid strains from different parts of the globe. These new strains mean that social distancing practices will still be enforced. There will still be a limit in terms of the capacity of people that business establishments can accommodate.
Taking advantage of omnichannel assistance’s flexibility sends the message to your existing followers and potential customers that you are always ready to entertain them and adhere to their needs.
Outdated marketing and client assistance practices rarely gave customer-generated data much thought. It was often a basis for sales metrics. As client outreach demanded higher convenience and genuine interactions, it became more apparent that every interaction between a customer and a support representative is essential. It provides a deeper insight into what needs to be enhanced or changed in their help desk operations.
Now, concentrating on the value of customer-generated means stripping off layers and layers of communication barriers that could have been the source of misunderstandings between you and your customers.
It gives you a valuable resource for understanding and defining their pain points. The more accurately you can determine the factors affecting your end-users, the more you can boost the quality of your services accordingly.
For some concerns, speaking to a representative is a necessity. An effective solution for this is the use of video chat. Videos used to be limited to marketing trends. Customer support through video chat is practical and it also maintains physical distancing between the customer and the agent.
Videos also put a face to the representative, thereby adding a human element to the conversation. It effortlessly improves customer experience. At times, customers feel as though they are talking to a robot, or are underwhelmed by the lack of warmth and rigidness of a contactless conversation.
Not only that, you can exude a friendlier service since people get to see your staff. They can exchange smiles as they greet each other, and they can also see the sincerity on their faces as they walk through every client concern and assist them throughout the entire process.
There is no stopping social media from becoming a hotspot for startups and emerging businesses. Its user count increases by the second, and so it serves as a gateway for businesses to reach more leads.
Ever since it became more than just a medium for online social networking, it continued to expand and deliver an impressive performance among digital customer service trends. You can use your Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook page to learn more about your customers. Through their comments, reviews, and DMs, you are establishing a solid network of supporters that will back your business up and stay loyal to your brand.
At times, consistency in communication is what most people go for. You don’t always have to exude a formal persona to earn the respect and trust of your target customers. Keeping things casual yet authentic and direct, as is the nature of using social media for your customer service efforts, is sure to resonate better with your followers.
Have a team of social media moderators and managers keep track of your followers and the issues they often raise about your products. Use them as an extension of your business, and train them to identify genuine and constructive user feedback from fabricated negative reviews meant to tarnish your reputation. Make your social media channels one of the certified go-to places for customers when they want to learn more about your service. Use your online presence to clarify any issue being associated with your business. The more present and involved you are in your customers through social media, the more likely they feel encouraged to speak up and support your growth.
Don’t let your guard down, even after the pandemic is over. Make preparedness your company’s key characteristic. Use these customer service trends as your reference for how you will traverse the new adventure that is the year 2022. Make no mistake, this is just a glimpse of modern trends in customer service for ther are bound to be more discoveries in the months to follow.
If you ever find yourself overwhelmed or needing assistance incorporating any of the current trends in customer service enumerated in this blog, check out our lineup of multilingual and multi-channel customer support services at NMS. Our services cover escalations, email support, customer ticket, and call center solutions. Send us a message or email us at info@newmediservices.com.au to learn more about tailor-made solutions!
Help us devise custom-fit solutions specifically for your business needs and objectives! We help strengthen the grey areas on your customer support and content moderation practices.
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