The basic goal of keeping customers satisfied has always been at the heart of Customer Services. Back in the day, it meant taking occasional phone calls from upset customers and assuring them of resolving their issues. Things aren’t the same in the modern days.

The biggest change in customer service is the sheer number of channels through which people can contact your business. Instead of just phone calls and emails, customers can now reach you via social media, video calls, text messages, or even live chat.

The rate at which it’s been accepted across the corporate world, you can’t simply overlook it. It’s no more an option to update your skills and use the latest crm tools and technology in order to provide the best customer service to the customers. You’ve got to stay in the game!

Here are a few customer service trends that I think will rule this year & beyond:

Real-Time Support:

What happens when a potential customer is already interested in your offering and browsing your website just before the purchase? It’s the right moment for a live chat through which they should be notified that you are there with them. Hence they can get a chance to contact you in real-time.

Even after the purchase, real-time support goes a long way in keeping the customers hooked.

Pros of Real-time Support:

• Negligible response time
• High customer conversion/retention
• Higher customer satisfaction

Personalization to the Fullest:

Personalization isn’t something new. For decades marketers have been personalizing offers in order to entice customers to buy. However, as more entrepreneurs have turned to sell their products online, the internet marketplace has become crowded. Hence, it’s needed to evolve the personalization tactics regularly in order to reach today’s time-strapped customers.

Here are some of the research stats that tell how important personalization is:

• 59% of online shoppers believe that it’s easier to find more interesting products on a personalized online retail store
• 56% are more likely to return to a site that recommends products
• 53% believe that retailers who personalize the shopping experience provide a valuable service
• 45% are more likely to shop on a site that offers personalized recommendations

Mobile CRM is Taking the Lead:

The power of smartphones is rising every day. Customers not just want to know if you’re there for them but also need a response ASAP. Mobile CRM makes it way easier for the sales folks by making the data available anytime, anywhere at their fingertips.

Here are some other benefits of using a Mobile CRM:

• Time-saving
• Increased customer engagement
• Improved data quality
• Reduced chances of missing out on sales opportunities

The Last Word:

This is pretty much everything I believe would become BIG this year in the field of customer service/support. Let me know your thoughts. I’d love to read them all.

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