Let's take a closer look at which trends to watch today.
1. Video Communication is on the Rise
The days when customers had to interact with vendors over email are slowly ending. Today, companies are taking advantage of video communication opportunities to make interaction more personal and efficient.
From shopping advice to customer support issues, the ability to establish eye contact improves the relationship tremendously.
Live video chats aren't just useful for online shopping. They are a great solution for businesses with brick-and-mortar facilities. Video communication technologies allow the client to speak with qualified company representatives without waiting for them to appear in the building.
2. Customers Expect Omni-Channel Support
Consistent interaction with the client over several channels is becoming an integral part of the experience. Since clients are actively using different digital mediums, companies need to keep up.
From social media and review websites to video chats and email, businesses need to be there to answer questions, make offers, and drive sales.
A client expects you to remember the preferences you discussed, regardless of channel when they talk to a representative.
This requires smart use of CMS (customer management software) and cloud technologies for all the information to be stored in one place and become available to representatives in real-time.
3. Apps Take a Stand
Apps used to be a nice addition to the company's digital operation. Today, they are a necessity. The Newest technologies helped turn apps into a leading customer interaction channel. Many companies are investing in applications more than they do in websites.
Apps give a customer a pre-configured channel for mobile interaction. They can take a person all the way through the buyer's journey, encourage feedback, help with retention, improve marketing efforts, and boost customer service experience.
Video chat options personalize the app function, turning it into the key channel for client-company interaction.
4. Rep-Oriented Tech Shows Promise
According to Gartner, when customer service representatives feel that the technologies they use improve their ability to handle client interaction or simplify daily tasks, their productivity can increase by 20%. Meanwhile, customer satisfaction goes up by 11%.
That's why many companies are investing in technologies that can help customer reps do their jobs better. It includes task management programs, learning software, communication programs, scheduling apps, and more.
5. Live Chat Becomes More Important than Email
While it's hard to underestimate email as a marketing tool, it's becoming obsolete for customer interaction purposes. Clients expect to contact the customer service rep immediately. Be it pressing a button in their app or clicking "video chat" on the website, they want answers fast.
Companies need to focus on improving their communication tech to provide an immediate response to customer needs.
Live communication technologies are improving at the speed of light. Companies just need to choose a suitable option and adopt it as soon as possible.
6. AI is the New Reality
Artificial Intelligence in customer service goes beyond using chatbots. Its main function is data collection and analysis. By using AI for customer service, companies are achieving higher customer satisfaction rates while reducing the number of repetitive and manual tasks done by employees. Examples of AI tech to consider are:
- Auto-summarization - As technicians and support agents resolve incidents, they don’t provide enough details on the resolution beyond “I fixed the user’s problem.” AI summarization for remote support lets AI do the boring note-taking for the agents.
- Biometrics — using the body as identification saves time, improves customer experience, and enhances data security.
- Intent predictions — using customer behavior (clicks, views, purchases) to predict further behavior and adjust the offer.
- Training — gamification, visual assistance, and self-monitoring allow the new reps to be engaged with clients from their first day on board.
Chatbots are also improving regularly, providing clients a better experience, and improving personalization efforts.
7. Virtual Reality is Worth a Glance
While virtual reality is still in its infancy, it's improving on a daily basis. With many people staying at home this year, the demand for VR headsets is likely to be on the rise.
Virtual reality allows a customer to enjoy an immersive experience, which replaces the need for a brick-and-mortar facility and helps them through the buyer's journey.
Virtual Reality does wonders for increasing brand awareness and inspiring emotional stimuli. As the number of VR fans is growing, mastering this tech is becoming a necessity.
The opportunity to visualize what the customer is looking at can revolutionize customer service.
8. Self-Service Improves Experience and Cuts Costs
The ability to solve a problem without asking for help is priceless for many people. From FAQ sections and forums to apps and bots, companies are offering an opportunity to deal with a problem without contacting a real person.
Self-service lowers the cost of doing business, putting less strain on customer service reps. While eliminating live interaction is impossible, you could minimize it by investing in self-service technologies.
9. Customer Feedback Tools Deserve an Investment
The power of customer feedback can't be underestimated. By obtaining as much as you can, it's possible to tweak your marketing campaign, improve your offering, build better customer relationships, and improve brand loyalty.
That's why customer feedback applications are becoming highly valuable. You can use them to measure such metrics as Net Promoter Score, Customer Effort Score, and agent performance.
This can help you gain valuable insights into how well your business is doing. Meanwhile, such software can help you react to feedback timely and train your reps to adjust their tactics.
Take Advantage of the Latest Customer Service Technologies Today
To improve customer experience and stay ahead of the competition, you need to look into the future. While following all the above customer service technology trends may mean considerable investment, it's important to take advantage of at least a few of them.
At ScreenMeet, we are offering you a revolutionary approach to face-to-face video chat options. These technologies can help you improve customer experience, build high-quality customer-vendor relationships, and improve brand awareness. For more information, please contact us at any convenient time.
