Covid-19 has changed the way we do business. Businesses are forced to come up with innovative ways to provide better service as the competition is too fierce, and there are many issues that plague them already.In this article, we are going to look at customer service trends, which we feel will hog the limelight in 2022.

Customer service trends #1 Instant Gratification:

One of the current trends in customer service that we have been noticing for quite some time is that customers want immediate results. Not only do customers expect impeccable service, but they want the delivery as fast as possible. There are even 10-minute grocery delivery startups that are operational in many cities across the world.If a brand can offer instant gratification, it will immediately catch its customers' attention. Offering fast service and convenience shouldn’t come at the cost of quality- maintaining that balance is going to be the key.

Customer service trends #2 Support Automation with AI Voice Bots:

There is no doubt that voice bots are going to be the future of customer service. The number of digital voice bots in the world is expected to be 8.4 billion by 2024- that’s more than the world’s population. The number is only going to increase, thanks to the influx and increased adoption of smart speakers such as Siri, Alexa, Cortana, etc., which act as voice bots.Voice bots reduce the customer service contact rate, thereby optimizing the resources used by the business, and it even helps cut costs. Voice bots automate customer service interactions without requiring human personnel. Conversational AI for customer support provides a 24*7 service, offers greater personalization, and provides CS metrics that are worth its weight in gold.

Customer service trends #3 Omnichannel Support:

Customers these days reach out to the customer support team through a variety of channels- email, social media, phone, live chat, etc. The purchase rate increases by 287% when customers can seamlessly switch between three or more channels, according to The Omnichannel Marketing Automation Report. If a business does not offer omnichannel support, there is a lot to lose- including customers. Your retention rate will be 90% higher if you provide omnichannel support.Thanks to multi-channel delivery offered by omnichannel support, customer care gets decentralized. It will, in turn, create a uniform experience across all customer channels. The Amazon shopping experience is a brilliant example of a seamless omnichannel strategy.

Customer service trends #4 Support Team Burnout:

The task of a customer support team is not an easy one. Handling irate customers every now and then can take a toll on one’s mental health. It is high time businesses realize this and takes cognizant steps to reduce their burden.One simple change could be adding conversational AI chatbots to the customer service team as they will take care of mundane and repeatable tasks. Juniper Research says that businesses and customers will save over 2.5 billion hours by 2023, thanks to conversational AI.

Customer service trends #5 Customer Self-Service:

Providing excellent customer service doesn’t really mean interaction with a customer support agent. It can also be achieved by the customer themselves. Customers these days expect businesses to offer a plethora of options where they could solve their issues themselves. Some of the self-service options are a comprehensive FAQ page, user guide section, knowledge base, how-to tutorials, and so on. According to Statista, 89% of customers expect companies to have an online self-service portal.

Customer Service Trends #6 Personalized Customer Service:

Hyper-personalization will be an outright expectation from customers by the end of 2022. According to research by Epsilon, 80% of customers are more likely to purchase from a brand that offers them a personalized experience. Businesses can offer personalized services by doing the following:Providing customer data at a single point so that it can be easily accessed by customer service agents.By segmenting customers based on personas and providing them with the right solutions based on the insights gathered from their personasUsing conversational AI that will provide solutions based on the latest search history, previous buying patterns, and historical data.

Wrapping Up:

The experience that you offer to your customers is more important than ever if you want to increase your retention rate. With review platforms becoming more and more powerful, even a single negative review can affect your business negatively. Businesses should invest in the right customer service technology platforms to offer the best support possible. The new trends in customer service are an indication that brands should always be on the lookout to do better.

Frequently Asked Questions

What customer service trends stand out for the year?

Six trends stand out, instant gratification driven by fast delivery expectations, support automation through AI voice bots, omnichannel support, mitigating support team burnout, customer self service options, and personalized customer service built on unified customer data and persona based segmentation.

How much does omnichannel support improve customer retention?

An Omnichannel Marketing Automation Report finds that purchase rates increase by 287 percent when customers can move smoothly across three channels, and that retention is 90 percent higher with strong omnichannel coverage across channels such as email, social media, phone and live chat.

How are AI voice bots expected to grow?

Statista data projects 8.4 billion digital voice assistants in use by 2024. This growth links to benefits such as reduced contact rates, cost optimization, round the clock availability and personalization, which together reduce workload on human support teams.

Why do customers want self service options?

Statista data shows 89 percent of customers expect online self service options such as FAQs, knowledge bases, tutorials and user guides. Self service lets customers resolve simple issues quickly without waiting for a human agent to become available.

How does personalization affect customer purchase behavior?

Epsilon research finds 80 percent of customers are more likely to purchase when service is personalized. This works best through unified access to customer data, persona based segmentation, and AI that draws on a customer's search and purchase history to tailor interactions.