Customer Service Trends For The New Year

John Krautzel
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Businesses must keep up with current trends to provide the best customer service. The service you provide significantly impacts profitability and customer retention. Know how to stay on top of trends that can help your company thrive in the new year.

It's no secret that customers are smarter than ever and spend ample time researching products and services to make an educated choice, explains Shep Hyken with Forbes. Revamp your customer service strategies by providing this knowledge to potential and existing clients. This trend requires businesses to utilize big data to communicate with prospective and current customers. Allocate forums for direct feedback and monitor buying patterns, trends and analytics to improve how you service customers. Build client relationships by offering instant messaging on your website, question forums online and instructional blog posts to fuel your clients with the information they crave.

Mobile is a trend that has gained momentum in recent years and continues to thrive. Analyze how your clients can access your products and services, and launch convenient avenues that are mobile-friendly. Designate customer service representatives to reach out to customers via social media, launch YouTube videos that display your products and services, and stay connected with past and current clients to foster relationships. Customers need to feel appreciated, and personal interaction lets companies retain quality business. Building client relationships is a trend that is here to stay.

Your analytics are the backbone of your business. Know what your clients want and need so you can provide it in a timely manner. Invest in software that tracks how long your customers are reviewing products, blog posts and reviews. You have the ability to know what time of day your customers are buying and which products are often purchased together. Identify the demographics of your customers, and appeal to this audience with advertising that leads them to additional products and services that meet their needs. Customer service should be tailored to each client's preferences. Technology provides the means to make this practice a reality.

Customer service needs to be personalized, but your clients also want to help themselves. Provide self-help options that simplify the process of troubleshooting and product searches for your customers. Self-help does not remove your representatives from the process of assisting clients. Instead, it provides clients with a faster and more efficient method to find the answers they need. Even a simple FAQ page on your website or how-to videos on YouTube can provide service that your clients desire.

Keep up with customer service trends to maintain and improve your client base. Businesses that focus on how to meet the client's needs are able to attract and retain valuable customers who ultimately impact the company's productivity and profitability.


Photo Courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

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