Strategies to Enhance Customer Service in 2021

    Strategies to Enhance Customer Service in 2021-01

    Integrating technology in customer support for improving and supplementing customer experiences will be critical to a successful 2021 and beyond.

    As a result of extended lockdowns due to the COVID 19 pandemic, customers today crave human connection in their service interactions more than ever before. . With social distancing still in place, human interaction has become essential, particularly for customers service.

    According to Gartner, when consumer service representatives sense the tools or systems they utilize to boost their capability to manage consumer problems and ease their day-to-day chores, their productivity can grow by up to 20%, customer satisfaction improves by 11%, and customer effort reduces by 9%

    Also Read: Digital Trends Taking Businesses by Storm

    Now, organizations are getting creative to leverage resources such as shifting employees to new positions, outsourcing support, and focusing on what is fundamental to their market differentiation. Contextual outsourcing tasks intensify the demand to provide exceptional customer experiences through a mixture of human interaction and technology. Moreover, offering more technology would facilitate better human connection.

    To prepare for the new business environment in 2021, brands must strengthen current requirements, build from the lessons learned during the crisis, and raise those efforts to ensure customer support is well-armed and ready for all the new challenges forecasted to ensure long-term success.

    Enhancing automation

    Pre-COVID times, businesses had used technology in their customer service activities and call centers to boost productivity and minimize obstacles in the way of their employees’ daily tasks. This tech adoption has helped improve everything from the speed of delivery to reducing errors. Though automation has been around for a long time, it has started to support organizations of every size across industries to support customer service over the last few years.

    Digital advancements within the supply chain are anticipated to continue in 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic has kept many employees and vulnerable citizens from meeting face-to-face.

    Also Read: Community-Based Marketing Is Gaining Acceptance Across the B2B Marketplace in 2021

    According to CGS, 91% of executives said augmented reality helped improve service operations amid the pandemic. Also, 95% stated that AR solutions would aid businesses to keep pace with rising consumer expectations.

    Customers crave human connection.

    With social distancing and quarantine, customers have started reaching out to customer service representatives for assistance. The pandemic has intensified security and health concerns, leading to customer support needing to lend an empathetic ear to customers.

    As per a CGS survey, over 50% of U.S. and U.K. surveyed, getting a chance to speak to a human agent is a make-or-break factor in a good customer service interaction. More than one-quarter of these respondents were not satisfied by a brand as they were unable to reach a human agent.

    According to recent research by Twilio, an overwhelming 92% of executives said digital communication is critical amid current business challenges. People are working, shopping, and connecting with others, either personally or professionally, from a distance – mostly via phone or the internet.

    To further elevate the customer experience, utilizing technology should enhance the scenario in which customers can seamlessly access information and assistance through emerging tech such as AR/MR