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Many things happened during these last six months, but what amazes us the most is the dramatic speed at which customer service trends are shifting. Clients opt for AI-driven platforms looking for immediate answers, but at the same time, they desire brands to carry out empathic and personalized interactions. There is also a plethora of other modern problem-solving methodologies out there and we think it is the perfect time to take a look at what customer support looks like in 2024.
Customer service plays a major role in building customer loyalty, which may convert clients into brand ambassadors, creating a domino effect that attracts more clients to the business. A Salesforce research concluded that 80% of the surveyed customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its product or service. The Zendezk CX Trends 2024 also states that 77% of business leaders in the United States recognize that offering personalized service increases customer retention, which is crucial for business success. To put it simply, customer satisfaction has a major impact on business growth strategies.
We have filtered the top customer service trends of 2024 paying attention to those major shifts that have a deep impact on the way companies generate meaningful customer experiences, and that will continue to make big waves through the rest of the year.
As a leader in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, Helpware has already implemented these customer service trends into our daily operations and witnessed positive dynamics in our partners' Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), churn rate, and other relevant CX-based metrics. Now, you'll also be able to reinforce your customer experience strategy and stay ahead of the curve. With no further due, here are the customer service trends to follow in 2024:
1. AI + Human Agents Make the Perfect Dynamic Duo.
AI took the customer experience industry by surprise. Five years ago, no customer service representative could have dreamed that a chatbot would be skilled enough to solve their clients' issues from end to end. And now, AI has become a pivotal element in pretty much all the latest customer service interactions.
A recent study conducted by McKinsey & Company found that companies are currently managing over 95% of their customer service interactions through AI and other digital automation channels.
Does it mean that human interactions are going out of fashion? Absolutely not! A Treasure Data report concluded that 65% of the interviewed respondents still prefer to work with human agents regarding complex issues or sharing personal data.
To sum things up, both next-gen automated bots and CX professionals need to join forces to achieve the ultimate goal: solving your client's needs as promptly and effortlessly as possible.
2. Multichannel Interaction Remains Essential.
Customers' desires can feel a bit too extreme sometimes. Present-day customers expect companies to be "omnipresent". Phone calls, video support, social media messaging, SMS texts, live chat, email, and in-app support, etc. are all communication channels that your target audience will rely on to ask for your help. Thankfully, omnichannel customer support strategies are here to save the day!
Companies can organize and conduct all live customer interactions through one single screen. How? With the help of a sophisticated customer relationship management (CRM) tool. The last thing customers want is to jump back and forth, from platform to platform, when their problem could be solved through the channel they used to contact the company in the first place. That is exactly what CRMs can do: seamless interactions in the channels people feel most comfortable with.
According to Monday.com, around 74% of businesses from various industries in the United States are already implementing a CRM system to manage their customer interactions. Although modern CRM software usually involves considerable expenses, plus the time and energy needed to train CSRs to make the most out of the tool, modern BPO companies are taking advantage of the most advanced CRM platforms to stay competitive in the BPO market. Otherwise, the risks of falling behind are very high.
3. Mobile Assistance Comes First.
Smartphones have become an extension of ourselves. Nearly 60% of customers prefer using their mobile devices for effective customer service interactions due to convenience and accessibility, according to an MIT Technology Review.
Phone calls, WhatsApp conversations, social media comments or direct messages, in-app interactions, video calls, you name it—the list of advantages of mobile customer service goes wide and far. And brands should use them all wisely.
There is little doubt that the mobile-centered approach will continue to be a must among customer service trends in the upcoming years, and artificial intelligence is aiming to raise that bar even higher: All Things How found that approximately 20% of the ChatGPT app users are already having conversations through the voice interaction feature displayed by the tool. So, the future is already here.
4. Speed Continues to Be a Top Priority.
All top trends of customer service in 2024 have one thing in common: prompt answers are the norm. Users involved with FinTech, HealthTech, eCommerce, and SaaS, just to name a few of the most demanding industries, often rely on technical, proactive support to handle any software malfunction. If not solved promptly, it may even cause them to look for another provider who can meet their needs more effectively.
Patience is running low these days. HubSpot’s 2024 State of Customer Service Report found that 90% of the surveyed customers believe their queries should be answered in 10 minutes or less. Forbes also states that customers would pay an average of 19% more for “always immediate service,” which means no longer waiting in line, no longer being on hold, etc. Furthermore, 27% of customers are more likely to spend money when the brand responds faster than expected.
However, high-quality customer service means so much more than just having agents picking calls at a record speed. Guidelines that cover the most frequent questions, well-tested troubleshooting methodologies, and skilled executives trained to know your product inside and out are those must-have elements that should allow your business to keep up with your clients.
5. Personalized Experiences Reign Supreme.
Personalized customer service has certainly evolved throughout the years. From using a person's first name in an email to automatizing customer data collection from every digital touchpoint, we have come a long way. McKinsey and Company found that 71% of consumers expect businesses to deliver personalized assistance according to former interactions. In other words: personalization is king.
Moreover, Forbes claims that 46% of customers are more likely to increase their purchases when provided with tailored experiences. This means that, by correctly processing the data trail of every touchpoint, brands are able to understand their customer's behavior, delivering precise predictions about their preferences at a major scale.
Then again, personalized customer experience is currently undergoing a deep transformation, all thanks to AI. According to HubSpot, 42% of customer service professionals who deploy AI tools see great potential in training chatbots to offer hyper-tailored responses, recommendations, and solutions to their customers.
6. Knowledge Bases Are on the Rise
Millennials are those lone rangers who prefer to do things on their own. Even concerning complex tech problems or researching or comparing products or services that are called to make their lives better, they feel more comfortable walking down their buyer journey by themselves.
The reason? They just grew up as independent users, relying on search engines, blogs, videos, and other resources to collect and apply information. According to DHL research, around 60% of present-time B2B tech buyers belong to this demographic (aged from 28 to 43), which is a significant number of self-motivated decision-makers. That's exactly where knowledge bases come in handy.
By enabling high-quality knowledge bases inside websites, support sections, FAQ tabs, and other self-service portals, customer satisfaction can be achieved even without a direct conversation with an agent.
7. Collaborative Insights.
Collaboration between business sectors is bringing information silos down. This might be one of the most interesting customer service trends in 2024. The intent is to collect and compare customer-derived data from all different departments: legal, product development, IT, analytics, sales, marketing, and finance. The resulting product? A crystal-clear view of the full spectrum of your clients' needs.
A business model where divisions operate independently is a thing of the past. This customer service trend invites companies to open their inner communication channels, and allow all collaborators to share their insights on how to improve the current customer experience.
It is by understanding your client's needs through all these different perspectives that your CX agents can come up with out-of-the-box solutions that will make your clients feel more understood and valued than ever before.
8. Protect Your Customers Data at All Costs.
There is a saying that goes: “Data is the new oil”, and both users and businesses grow warier about its value by the minute. With so many cybercrime cases harming both large companies and individual user profiles, it's no wonder that clients are having a tough time trusting brands with their personal information.
In a study conducted by Ketch, 74% of the interviewed customers claimed that they highly value the concept of data privacy. Furthermore, Cisco’s 2024 Data Privacy Benchmark Study shared that 94% of the surveyed companies believe that their customers won’t buy from them if their data isn’t properly protected.
Through the implementation of a strict regime of security filters and padlocks, customers can rest assured that their information is safe and sound at all times. Data encryption, regular security audits, and the implementation of security information and event management (SIEM) systems are just a few of the features that help feel safer about sharing sensitive data.
9. Emotional Intelligence on Demand.
It's not like your call center agents are obliged to possess a psychology degree to serve your clients. Not for now, at least. Idiomatic has found that 40% of the interviewed customers are more likely to refer a company based on the “emotional intelligence” level displayed by its CX representatives.
While people skills are not easy to measure, as it all comes down to the client's subjective opinion of how the interaction went, the following examples can give you a good idea of what attributes are expected from your customer service:
- Self-awareness of the tone of voice means sounding like your brand.
- Self-regulation is about adapting quickly and calmly to any situation.
- Internal motivation refers to the attitude your customer support agents bring to the table.
- Empathy means understanding and responding to the feelings of others.
People want to be treated as people. As long as your agents keep that in mind throughout every single conversation, having good relationships with your clients should not be a problem.
10. Outsourcing Customer Support is Key.
Outsourcing customer service will continue to be a leading factor for business development tactics. Fortunly calculated that the global outsourced customer experience market is projected to reach $80.7 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 3.42%.
Customer support trends in 2024 are all about choosing cost-effective solutions for companies that aim to focus on growing their revenue while taking proper care of their most important assets: their customers.
More importantly, customer service delivered by a third-party vendor is not only about cutting costs. Outsourced customer support professionals become real experts in your brand, product, and processes. Such knowledge enables them to design the most enjoyable resolution journey for your customers, which makes them feel heard and valued.
Other benefits of outsourcing customer support include:
- You have access to cutting-edge technology.
- Outsourced customer service experts are data-enabled.
- 24/7 problem-resolution service is available.
- You can offer great customer service in multiple languages.
- Agents can personalize interactions according to each industry.
- Effortless execution of omnichannel support.
Integrate the Top Customer Support Trends with Helpware
Whether we like it or not, customer service trends will remain in a constant state of change. While it's true that preparing for such a wide range of outcomes is impossible, companies can make one straightforward yet important move: invest in establishing solid customer relationships today.
No one knows for certain what the future of customer service will be like. However, the essence of CX has been and will continue to be the same: providing the efficient and prompt resolution of any arising problems and maintaining trusting relationships with customers. Customer service trends come and go, but the bonds you create with your customers are here to stay. And Helpware knows well how to make them even stronger.
We design teams of amazing people, train them to know your product inside and out, and gear them up with the latest tech to meet your customers’ expectations. No matter the time zone, language, or complexity of the issue, we will always be there for your customers.
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