We propose an intuitive test to readers of this blog: without cheating, write down the first three ideas that come to mind when you use the adjective "demanding." How do you imagine someone who is described as "demanding"? Most people probably associate the concept with terms such as "tough," "inflexible," "rigorous," "meticulous," "strict," "severe," or "upright," right? But if you have also managed to associate it with words such as "fair," "grateful," or "loyal," congratulations: you are in line with the latest trends in Customer Experience.
This is highlighted in a report recently published by Zendesk, a widely recognized specialist software company. The maininsights can be accessed online and, in greater detail, in PDF format. The document is based on data from 45,000 companies that use this software worldwide, as well as interviews with 1,850 customers, 570 support agents, and 170 support managers in six countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
According to this report, new technology that allows companies to establish direct relationships with consumers has led to an increase in customer interest in these relationships. Today's customers compare companies with "the best of the best" in customer experience. They are not satisfied with just anything, but demand that their relationships be more memorable and promising than ever before.
Being a direct-to-consumer (B2C) company is perhaps harder today than ever before. Precisely because of increasing demands, measurements show greater declines in customer satisfaction (CSAT), as well as an increase of more than 2.5 hours in the average time spent meeting customer needs. Specifically, according to data from Zendesk, CSAT has fallen from 94.6% in 2013 to 92.5% in 2018 over the last five years, and although this may seem like an insignificant decline, it should not be overlooked that this is an accelerating trend: in 2018 alone, the decline was 0.9%.
In fact, customers themselves readily admit to being more demanding than before, and this is something that agents themselves perceive. Nearly 6 out of 10 (59%) agree that their customers' expectations have increased significantly.
So, where is the good news? Well, those same customers whose demands are unprecedented are also willing to reward the most appropriate service. To such an extent that 17 out of 20 customers (84%) say it is an important factor when deciding to purchase products or services from a company, above other considerations such as convenience or even the company's reputation. That being the case, and in a scenario of higher levels of demand than ever before, both in terms of quantity and intensity, it is advisable for companies to adapt their pace to that of their markets. In this regard, the report highlights that globally there has been a 145% increase intickets, compared to only a 66% increase in the size of customer service and support teams.
Taking into account this change in attitudes and the benefits derived from investing in Customer Experience, the document identifies the following six major trends for this year:
Omnichannel is the way forward
"Customers like to switch channels and choose the one that best suits their needs. For example, baby boomers prefer telephone support, while millennials and Generation Z prefer chat and self-service." These data are not exactly consistent with reality in terms of support devices. But above all, they are inconsistent with the absence of integrated omnichannel support solutions to cover all points of contact.
The necessary investment: data platforms
A good platform is the gateway to customer data, something the authors of the report call "the secret sauce for creating a seamless experience for customers and agents." Two out of three support teams are "flying blind" because of something as basic as not collecting feedback from their own customers, which is precisely one of the areas that customers criticize the most: they don't like repeating the same information over and over again.
Being "proactive" must be demonstrated
And being proactive is as "simple" as contacting customers before they know they need help. This is something that 3 out of 10 technical support teams already do, with a positive impact on their sales and marketing. It involves informing customers about promotions, discounts, and offers, but not only that. The real benefit of proactive engagement is "reducing customer effort, preventing product issues, and minimizing support tickets."
AI is the future
Humans still like to deal with humans, but having artificial intelligence at their side improves the customer experience. "High-performing companies are twice as likely to partner with Artificial Intelligence." Although this is legitimate advertising by the company responsible for the report, the data derived from the use of AI functions is irrefutable: 225,000 agent hours saved, 2,800 years "returned" to customers, 21% faster ticket resolution, and up to six times more requests handled.
Defend your agents
Support agents need to feel supported in their work environment. Approximately 90% of customer service managers predict that customer requests will increase next year, so the flow must be more efficient and activity must be guided by metrics that provide a panoramic view ofthe customer journey.
Photo byStartaê TeamonUnsplash
