Customer support is undergoing significant transformation. From the days of in-house support availability, to present day use of AI for support processes, customer support is being revolutionised by the infusion of various technological innovations, which in turn advances customer expectations.
To remain inline with this revolution, brands and support teams are expected to continually adopt trending and innovative strategies to enhance the support experience, maintaining user expectations while maximising the use of recent innovations. In today’s article, we shall delve into the latest trends shaping the realm of customer support, and discuss how they’re being used in various sectors.
Modern Customer Support Trends and their Application
In the support world, trends are used as guides and indicators to show where an industry is headed, based on user feedback and opinions gathered through support system reviews and feedback mechanisms. As a service, customer support is centred around improving the dynamics of operations to suit customers needs. Therefore, support teams must be well positioned and able to attract, interact with, and engage customers in further discussions regarding product and service quality.
To achieve this level of efficiency and effectiveness in operations, support teams adopt various innovations designed to improve their operations and boost their performance. Let us look at five major trends reshaping the customer support industry.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration into Support Services.
AI is a transformative tool in modern customer support. It is used in facilitating the operations of technologies like chatbots, natural language processing, and machine learning. According to Forbes, 64% of businesses rely on AI to improve their productivity. AI powered chatbots offer instant responses and handle routine tasks, ensuring the availability of 24/7 support. AI-driven ticketing and routing systems automate the handling of customer inquiries, reducing response times and enhancing efficiency. Predictive analytics also relies on AI to enable proactive issue resolution by analysing customer data, while insights from AI-driven sentiment analysis contribute to more empathetic responses. For users, voice and speech recognition enhance accessibility features, while virtual assistants require AI integration to operate optimally. From handling complex queries, to providing a sophisticated level of support, AI's role extends into various stages of the customer's journey, ensuring cross-channel consistency, and continuous learning and improvement of customer interactions.
Furthermore, AI contributes to customer support by automating repetitive tasks, allowing human agents to focus on more complex issues. The technology also ensures the creation and maintenance of accurate FAQs, reducing the volume of repetitive queries. Guided by AI, process automations are improved by 42%, leading to increased efficiency and a reduction in manual workloads. And with the ability to analyse the customer journey and provide insights, AI plays a crucial role in optimising processes and enhancing the overall customer experience.
Omnichannel Support Accessibility.
Statistically, businesses with multiple support media are 89% more likely to retain their customers than those with one. The ability for users to request and receive support through various communication channels is a trend critical for maintaining continuity in customer patronage and support. To achieve this, support teams must efficiently leverage omni-channel communication systems as customer support tools to facilitate a strategy for impressive support performance. Such tools are unified platforms that integrate diverse communication channels into them, offering a centralised view of customer interactions.
Cross-channel data integration is another pivotal feature of omnichannel support accessibility that enables businesses to understand and respond to customer needs more comprehensively, improving support by 48%. By collating data on user feedback accurately, brands can possess valuable insight into what customers want expect of them, especially in terms of communication and transparency.
The key emphasis remains on providing customers with the flexibility to choose their preferred channels for interaction, ensuring a consistent and accessible experience across diverse touchpoints. This strategic shift recognizes the dynamic nature of customer expectations, acknowledging users' desires for personalised, efficient, and accessible support in line with their references.
Self-Service Portals.
40% of customers globally prefer to resolve their issues themselves. This highlights the growing trend of self-service portals in customer support, indicating a shift in preference towards empowering customers with greater autonomy and convenience to perform DIY issues resolution. These online self-service portals enable users to find solutions, information, and perform tasks independently without direct assistance from human reps. This empowerment not only leaves a positive impact on customer satisfaction, but also contributes to improved time and cost efficiency for both customers and businesses.
The self-service trend also offers scalable solutions that align with the evolving needs of growing user bases. Their service as tools to accommodate increased customer demands helps by reducing support ticket volumes, addressing routine inquiries, and helping businesses streamline support processes to focus on more complex issues.
Augmented Reality (AR) for Remote Assistance.
AR is making its way into customer support as a trend in technical assistance. And the commonisation of VR/AR kits, augmented reality has gradually become a household term as its prominence continues to grow. Especially for companies in the blockchain world, providing support through AR has become critical for proving ability in operations. For instance, a blockchain based staking platform providing an alternative for its users to access support in VR environments shows the platform's dedication to, and proficiency in blockchain technology.
As for support medium, AI bots can be integrated into a program console to engage with, and guide users through their support requirements. Human agents can also help to guide customers through troubleshooting processes by overlaying information on the real world through AR applications.
While these novel trends seek to elevate the quality of support services available to users, human agents remain at the centre to maintain operational efficiency, ensuring these trends remain beneficial to the ecosystem and its users.
Customer Support Agents: Key for Effective Application of Trends
Support agents play a pivotal role in the successful adoption and implementation of trends within the customer support industry. Their involvement is crucial in ensuring a seamless transition and maximising the benefits of emerging trends.
Here's how support agents contribute to the adoption of these trends:
Training and adaptation are primary responsibilities of support agents in the mission of incorporating new trends into use. For example, the introduction of AI models into the support process for users requires their knowledge for it to be usable. By adequately training support reps, they will be able to provide better support and guide customers through the use of the AI tools integrated into their request platforms. This form of education helps to address the common challenge of inexperience in usage, ensuring that the educational materials, as well as supervisory support needed to boost product knowledge is available to the users.
Feedback collection remains a core responsibility of customer support teams. Support agents are valuable sources of customer feedback regarding the effectiveness and challenges associated with new trends. Their insights contribute to the continuous improvement of processes and the refinement of strategies. Regular feedback loops ensure that customer preferences and concerns are considered for ongoing enhancements.
Despite the interest in simplification of processes through automation, human support agents remain relevant for maintaining the essential human touch in customer interactions. They provide empathy, understanding, and personalised assistance when needed, ensuring a balance between technological efficiency and human connection. Statistics from “support.com” shows that 75% of customers prefer human presence during support interaction. Thus, the introduction of new products, services and trends will require more attention from support reps, to ensure that users remain on the positive side of the trend.
Product troubleshooting, issue resolution, and community engagement are other responsibilities of support agents that facilitate the adoption and integration of tech trends into support systems. Their expertise allows them to address complex problems, guide users through unfamiliar processes, and ensure a positive customer experience during the transition period.
In conclusion, everything changes. For the evolving trends in the customer support sector, they are not just random innovations. They represent a fundamental shift in how businesses should engage with and cater to their customers. The relevance of these trends lies in their capacity to enhance efficiency, adaptability, and customer satisfaction. Embracing technologies like AI, omnichannel support, and self-service portals reflects a commitment to meeting the evolving expectations of modern consumers. As the customer support landscape continues to evolve, businesses that actively integrate and champion these trends are poised to create a future where support is not just a service but a dynamic and seamless experience that adds significant value to the overall customer journey. The future of customer support sectors hinges on the willingness to embrace change, leverage technology, and prioritise customer-centric approaches for sustained success in a rapidly evolving business environment.
