As we prepare to leave 2020 behind, it would be helpful to focus on a key lesson that businesses of all sizes have learned throughout this year. Retaining clients means we should adopt more buyer-centric strategies by employing omnichannel platforms, such as the ones offered by live chat services for e-commerce.
In truth, we are already starting to see that some of the key pointers gained this year are likely to be similar to the ones that will be learned for the coming year. It is possible that some of these new discoveries include customer support industry trends for 2021. It is not too early to be ahead of the game in terms of providing customers with top-notch customer care, so read on to find out what these 2021 customer support trends are.
But first off, let’s talk about what exactly is end-user support.
What is Customer Support?
It is the lineup of services provided by a business to help people get the best out of the products and services offered and attain a viable solution to brand-related concerns that they encounter. One example of customer support is IT services provided by big tech companies. It covers answering customer inquiries, offering onboarding help, troubleshooting, and updating a new product or service to end-users.
5 Customer Support Trends in 2021
Teamwork and Coordination amid Remote Work
Due to the surge of the pandemic, more businesses have now resorted to remote work for their employees. With the rise of remote work also comes a specific set of new challenges.
One of the challenges that businesses face has to do with agent performance. In work-from-home settings, the individual performances of support representatives are typically influenced by the pressure of trying to balance work and home life. The trend now lies in supporting employees and guiding them on how they can strike a balance between their jobs and their well-being. Doing so will ensure that their mental health is always in check.
The capability of businesses to support their employees’ well-being through employing means that empower them as they adjust in a home-based work environment is a must. It guarantees better teamwork and more consistent coordination. By making sure that the tasks are evenly distributed at all times, the management can focus on providing an optimized experience for its clients by administering customer success KPIs.
Self-Service Support Portals
The fact that 88% of US customers prefer self-service support for quick resolutions on simple issues they know they can resolve themselves, businesses should strive to highlight it for user convenience.
Self-service portals come as FAQ and SEO-friendly content. In simpler terms, these contents include video tutorials, how-to articles, and other comprehensive posts that provide opportunities for customers to deal with basic inquiries independently. Having an option also mitigates customer tickets that would help your team in the long run.
Real-Time Support Through Live Chat
Live chat remains as one of the top choices of most online customers. As more businesses have resorted to digital support strategies, the present is a significant time for e-commerce websites to consider live messaging because of its real-time support.
It allows companies to establish trust and loyalty with their customers by showcasing their capacity to own the moment with their followers and end-users. How can they do that? By simply reviewing chat history and identifying the common customer issues, a business can have a head start on what they can do for their customers. They are presented with an opportunity to offer proactive help that prevents potential churn and burn.
Even better, a live chat software enables agents to personalize their conversations in a way that would foster a meaningful customer-agent connection. On the other hand, chatbots are also useful in dealing with customers past your office hours. You get increased efficiency even without hiring additional employees.
Social Media as a New Avenue
The majority of end-users these days are using social media platforms. It is especially true during these trying times wherein virtually the global population is made to stay indoors. Businesses should take that as an opportunity to build an excellent reputation all over social media, whether it be on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,or even YouTube and LinkedIn.
Having a social media presence for your business also supports the idea of an omnichannel strategy which aims for businesses to be more accessible and present to their customers.
Personalized Customer Experience
Nothing beats a personalized customer experience. Making this possible remains a challenge for bigger businesses, but it should never be disregarded. Humans as they are, shoppers still thrive in empathy.
Go for employees who are good at exhibiting empathy, and those who know how to make customers feel that they are understood. Give them opportunities for feedback, so they would feel that their voices are acknowledged.
Finally, provide a customer experience that makes customers feel that the assistance you’re giving them is unique to their needs. One tool to provide a personalized customer experience is multilingual support. It shows how concerned you are with your end-users’ experience with your company. Livechatfairies is one of the many live chat providers that offer multilingual chat support.
Conclusion
The advantages of excellent client support experience should not be undervalued in a world where the subsistence of businesses rely on the trust and loyalty of their customers. In 2021, providing exceptional end-user assistance brings a different meaning, and so it prevails as one of the most relevant trends in customer support.
Businesses should continue to go above and beyond by delivering a satisfactory experience to retain their customers and not just concentrate on attracting new ones. The above-mentioned customer support trends should help and guide you so you can jump-start in 2021 with a bang.
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