4 Customer Service Trends to Stay on Top of in the New Year

If your company is going to grow in 2020, one thing is certain ⁠— you’ll need to innovate. But what does that mean in the digital age when trends seem to come and go in the time it takes to get on board with them?

Even though it seems like change is the only thing you can count on, here are some 2020 trends that are on the rise and likely to develop in the new year.

1. Customers Still Want Demos — Even Online

Just because customers are making more and more of their purchases online doesn’t mean they don’t want to see how your product works. And if they can’t do that easily on your site, they’re only a few clicks away from your competitors.

Screen sharing and co-browsing tools can help your customer service agents assist customers in real time, even online.

2. Social Media Is Critical for Customer Service

According to a recent Microsoft customer survey, 90% of customers expect businesses to offer online portals for customer service. Fortunately, with consumers increasingly using mobile devices to get online, there’s a convenient one-stop shop to reach many brands and businesses: social media.

Fifty-five percent of customers from ages 18 to 34 report that they use social media for customer service. In the coming years, these younger generations will probably be the biggest demographic your business is focused on — if they aren’t already.

With the growing importance of social media as a customer service channel, your business should make sure your best customer service representatives are on it.

3. Cyberattacks Are a Risk

For all of the convenience of conducting business online, it comes with a set of unique problems that every business needs to address — and one of the most pressing concerns is the risk of cyberattacks.

A cyberattack can lead to data leaks — and whether the target is internal data like accounting and personnel records or information about your customers, your business needs to have a plan in place to prevent major fallout.

Make sure your company is encrypting data and monitoring for cybersecurity threats. In the event that a cyberattack does occur and customer data is compromised, make sure your customer service team has a plan to deal with an influx of concerns.

4. Customers Will Have More Options

Put your business aside for a moment and think about your own experience as a consumer. When you want to buy a product or service, do you do research first? Most customers do — they compare products, but they look at customer service as well.

A customer who has a bad experience with customer service is not likely to return to that business. Further, customers are more likely to post about a poor customer service experience than one they enjoy — so you need to make sure every customer service interaction counts.

Your business has incredible potential to grow and reach new customers online — but that means customers have endless options too. Keep that in mind when it comes to customer service.

Ready to Jump Into the New Year?

Setting goals for your company in the new year can be an exciting time, and if you have a good idea of trends to look out for, your company should be able to stay on track and grow along with new technology.

What customer service trends have you noticed on the rise? Leave a comment below to share it with us, and follow our blog here at Global Electronic Services to keep up with manufacturing trends and advice in the new year.