When companies began using digital channels for customer service, they needed a way of keeping track of every incoming query so that they could ensure that they were handled effectively and responses dispatched in a timely manner. To achieve this they adopted a service/help desk concept - but this is no longer enough for consumers...
Christmas is a stressful time. It is stressful for consumers buying last minute presents or chasing up a missing delivery, but it is also stressful for the staff in stores and contact centers with the many customer enquiries that follow the season. The number of queries companies receive is enormous, and every single one matters to the consumer that sent it
Often when describing the customer relationship, companies talk about beating competitors to win and retain consumers. This is obviously true at a basic level – after all, you will be judged against rivals in terms of factors such as speed of service, helpfulness of staff and price of products. However, it can only take you so far....
When it comes to service, customers today demand the highest standards from every organization that they deal with, in every industry and across every channel. Ensuring your company meets their expectations can appear daunting, particularly in highly competitive markets. Here are five key trends driving customer service strategy....
Companies understand that meeting customer needs is central to business success. But it can be more difficult to find out what consumers value most when it comes to the overall experience – and what drives them to switch to rivals. New research from the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) therefore provides some vital insight - read on to find out more...
We hear a lot about the impact of millennials on customer service, and how they are driving change in customer service. We asked guest author and millennial Chloe Hacquard for her perspective.Millennials expect five things as standard from customer service:1. Being on social media and responding as fast as possibleIf there is an issue, the company concerned is already in a bad position. And, if at...
Delivering the right customer experience isn’t just about systems and processes – it is also about how the consumer feels during, and at the end of, the journey. For example, it is quite possible that a company could solve a consumer’s issue, but that the customer needs to expend so much effort to achieve it, or that the process feels so complex, that they are...
Technology has the power to transform how we communicate with each other, and has made huge advances over the last twenty years. We’ve seen the growth of email, the rise of social media and the emergence of web chat all provide new ways to interact with friends, families and organizations. In turn, this has revolutionized customer service, adding new channels an...
For the majority of us, buying something that we really want gives us an emotional buzz. Whether it is a car, TV, clothes or even something as small as a book or new headphones, getting our hands on a new purchase makes us happy. Consequently, companies across all industries try extremely hard to make the buying process as simple, straightforward and engaging as possible. As we know...
At heart, humans are social beings. This has a major impact on every interaction we have with the people around us. Think of the most basic transactions – the ones you remember most are those where you either had an extremely positive or negative emotional experience. Take visiting the grocery store, if the cashier was extremely helpful, asked about your day and took time to show that...