Exceptional service becomes the new standard

According to Zendesk’s new CX Accelerator study, customer expectations of service are on the rise. According to this, 66 percent of customers are less patient than in 2021. And 64 percent of companies see a direct impact of customer service on business success.

Customer expectations of service continue to rise, according to new research.CX acceleratorBy Zendesk, a provider of customer service software. According to the study, companies must provide “extraordinary service” to meet their customers’ expectations. However, many companies are aware that they are still not meeting these increasing demands.

Even CX champions — companies considered the highest quality bearers in customer experience — saw a 157 percent year-over-year increase in the number of unresolved claims. But other companies — the so-called risers — are catching on and improving their CX strategy at a faster pace. 79 percent of these companies gained more customers from their competitors than they lost, making them a true contender for CX champions.

Measures to meet customer expectations

No matter where businesses are in terms of customer experience maturity level and customer expectations, here’s what to do to stay on top:

• Striking a balance between human and automated strategy
• Integrate critical data from critical applications
• Improving the role of customer experience in the organization

“Customer expectations have increased faster than those responsible for CX can keep up. In addition, the economic situation is getting tougher and global competition is increasing. Businesses must now implement smart strategies that improve their CX and provide a greater competitive advantage in the long term,” said EMEA’s Chief Operating Officer. Officer Peter Lorent said. Zendesk “Our current research shows that organizations can reduce total cost of ownership and achieve a faster return on investment by increasing operational efficiency around customers, employees and business processes. At the same time, they are strategically investing in and strengthening customer relationships to achieve long-term business stability and growth.

The right balance between human and automated support

Customers want more control over how they engage with businesses. This gives companies the opportunity to invest in AI-driven solutions to provide their customers with more choices and faster fixes. 90 percent of Zendesk surveyed companies said they use bots to direct customers to the right place on their system, freeing up their service teams to focus on more complex tasks.

Further results of the study at a glance:

• And many companies use bots and people combined – this share has increased from 52 percent to 64 percent compared to the previous year.
• For 57 percent of companies The increased productivity of their service staff is the biggest gain that can be achieved by using bots.
• CX Champions record 75 percent More mixed chatbot-human interactions. Emergers and Risers each account for 67 percent, and Starters account for 52 percent.

Businesses should focus on striking a balance between automation and the human element in customer communications. This requires a deep understanding of customer behavior to deploy automation where it is most effective and provide human support that can add the most value.

Customer expectations: Beware of (data) gaps

Those in charge in organizations are often overwhelmed by the flood of data that exists. At the same time, they still lack meaningful insight into how to create better, more personalized customer experiences that meet customer expectations. Half of companies surveyed use six to 15 apps to gain a complete view of the customer journey, and one-third (37 percent) say they are “very strong” at delivering personalized experiences.

Many decision makers recognize the need to integrate new technologies, but breaking down silos remains a challenge – champions are 3.5 times more likely to use 16+ apps and 6 times more likely to experience data fragmentation. Obligation to provide seamless customer support. Emergers also face major challenges: only 27 percent can effectively derive strategies for meaningful conversions from available data, thereby missing many opportunities to strengthen customer loyalty.

When customer service agents have the right information at the right time, support teams can better understand and predict their customers’ needs. This feedback can also help other teams act quickly to improve product or service offerings. In fact, better collaboration between sales and support teams can improve customer retention across all touchpoints and build stronger relationships and reduce customer confusion.

Customer expectations: furthering the role of customer experience

The study shows that there is a need to rethink the role of support groups and invest in training and tools. This is the only way companies can ensure that employees have the resources they need to find leads and close deals. As research data clearly shows, companies can benefit greatly from this: Champions are 62 percent more likely to find a new prospect in more than 25 percent of their customer interactions—six times more likely than beginners. However, as customer expectations increase, so does the pressure to differentiate a product or service.

Training and workload: stand up to the CX champions

All CX champions in Germany say that their service teams receive the necessary training and that they are good at assessing and distributing the workload of their employees. Champions are also very satisfied with their current customer service technology and related tools: more than 67 percent of them are “very satisfied,” which puts Germany at the top of the European comparison.

“It is pleasing that the majority of Champions in Germany are very satisfied with their customer service technology. This should be an incentive for all companies to become Champions, because in a highly competitive area excellent service can be a decisive competitive advantage,” says RVP DACH’s Tanja Hilbert. Zendesk. As consumers continue to raise their expectations, companies must ensure they have the right knowledge, skills and technology to meet those demands.

About the methodology of the study

Interviewed in second quarter of 2022 Zendesk 4,900+ business decision makers focused on solidifying and/or improving customer service, support and CX capabilities. Report”CX acceleratorExplore their best practices and identify maturity levels of customer experience and customer expectations, from early-stage startups, adopters and risers, to CX champions at the highest skill level. Decision makers range from SMBs to large enterprises and across industries such as retail, financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, education and technology companies. Besides Germany, the countries studied are Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United States. (sg)

Also Read: AI in customer service: Executives plan to spend more in future

Front Image: Egor – Adobe Stock