There is a hype about new technology in customer service, support, and success, but new technologies come new challenges.
FREMONT, CA: The progress of video, chatbots, real-time messaging, artificial intelligence (AI), cryptocurrencies, self-service, and even the customer success all display the potential for significant changes in the day-to-day workings of customer success practitioners. But new technology invites challenges as well. There is a sharp learning curve as far as learning to use and adapt to new technologies is concerned; they can be expensive for businesses to implement, and additionally, there is always a looming concern about some new tech.
Most of the new technologies only serve to help customer-facing professionals to do their jobs efficiently.
Here are the top three service technologies and their influence on customer service in the next decade.
Face-to-face video communication will increase
Eye contact is compelling, and the customers will increasingly look at non-video, real-time voice conversations as a thing of the past. Companies utilizing video — asynchronously, as “video voicemail” or synchronously, as “video conference” are a generation ahead.
We know that eye contact enhances relationships and facilitates openness; thus, video is not just a growing expectation of consumers, but also a viable business-improving tool for vendors. Businesses must start using video voicemails, and the scheduled meetings with customers must involve a face-to-face meeting whenever possible.
Real-time messaging will outpace email
Similar to video, customers expect businesses to be always on –and most of them prefer to interact using chat rather than phone or email. Facebook Messenger, as a channel for support, has pushed the world ahead. Now, one can converse with businesses in real-time, and Facebook will even display their average responsiveness.
This expectation of quick messaging and responsiveness seeps into other media as well. And it is a significant change from the world of asynchronous snail mail and then email.
The world operates in synchronous time now — so that means businesses need to amp up the communication technologies and strategies while still using email to share important documents and communications that the customers will want to come back to again and again.
Bots (and AI) will help professionals, not replace them
Today, most of the “bots” are not any form of artificial intelligence. They are branched, piecemeal logic presented in a conversational user interface (UI). Bots are just a different interaction mode for existing knowledge, and it’s another opportunity to engage your customers. Conversational UI is an excellent way for businesses to make themselves appear on the bleeding edge of innovation.
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