Since the unforeseen turn of events brought on by COVID, the customer experience at businesses had to deal with their own set of difficulties. When you consider the pressures of increased customer demands and persistent inflation over the last few years, it’s straightforward to see why client-facing managers are feeling the pinch.
The difference between customer experience and customer service:
Customer experience is a broader concept than customer service. It is the entire journey a customer takes with the business. The experience becomes a unique proposition and brand differentiator which is important for the company’s success.
However, Customer Service is only part of the customer journey. It is usually the touch point for a client to connect with a company representative to solve a company issue. While customer experience has a more significant effect on the business, the customer service offered is a make or break move as well. In 2022, the following trends have emerged in the scope of customer service.
- The scarcity of customer service talent
Working in customer service requires designated professionals to manage clients on a daily basis. They may be handling users on live chat while juggling a flood of emails and phone calls from unsatisfied customers. This makes it vital for the team to possess the necessary skills and training to cater to these demanding needs, which, if not handled appropriately, could cost the company. With AI and ERP systems rapidly evolving, employees must be able to use them effectively without the company having to excessively exploit resources. So, in this day and age, it is hard to find the right person for a job in customer service.
- Live Chat and ChatBots are available
Based on an official survey conducted, it was found that 79% of respondents believe that a business website should have messaging services. Customers prefer chatbots because they get faster replies from internal assistance, which reduces friction and boosts sales, revenue, and loyalty.
- Self-service
Interestingly, consumers would rather address problems themselves than contact customer service. A brand adds value for its customers when it makes their lives easier and less time-consuming. Similarly, self-service helps clients to avoid waiting on hold, get faster responses, and solve their own difficulties in case a similar problem occurs in the future.
- Artificial intelligence
Just like any other industry, the use of artificial intelligence has made great strides in improving the customer experience. The state of the art technology has allowed client support to track the interests of customers, find new business opportunities, and implement value adding change into the business divisions. For example, Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa are examples of smart assistants that are powered by AI technology.
- Personalization
This should be a value of any organization to ensure the customer experience is unique to all clients and that they don’t feel generalized when making a transaction. Personalization reassures customers that the problem they’re encountering is important to the company.The reward of this individuality is enhanced customer loyalty.
Ultimately, the organization’s goal is to create an overall exceptional and memorable customer experience.