After a year into the global health crisis, people are — not surprisingly — feeling disconnected from family, friends, and society. In fact, in a December 2020 study of 2,000 adults in the U.S., Genesys found that one in six consumers have called customer service just to hear another voice. With this declining state of human connectivity and the world navigating toward the virtual world to work, live, and play, now is the time for your customer service to shine.
Launching into this hyper digitally connected era shows people spending an average of six hours per day interacting with others via social media, email, text, phone, and video at work alone, but the connection deficit has grown. The report underscores
Forrester's prediction that customer service will serve as a lifeline for consumers in 2021. As a result of COVID-19, consumers are seeking relief from anxiety and challenges — and the need for human connection everywhere is demanding a growing role for customer service.
How do businesses play a critical role in bridging the consumer connection gap? There are three ways companies must evolve their customer experience to build loyal relationships and build human connections.
- Finding empathy in the balance between people and technology — Companies have spent years optimizing for more efficient customer interactions. Yet in the rush to digitally transform, experiences have become less human. According to the Genesys survey, 67% of consumers rate empathetic customer service experiences over speedy resolutions. This finding challenges the customer service industry's widely held measurement standard that quick resolution is paramount. Additionally, characteristics of empathy were rated the highest for customer service interactions, with consumers wanting customer service representatives to: listen (88%), understand their needs (86%), and value their time (85%).
- Communicating for more successful experiences — Companies must focus on fostering the genuine feeling of human connection. Forty three percent said that they want to interact with companies that listen to their needs and avoid upselling via customer service channels. By understanding the appropriate times for sales communications, companies will provide better experiences and in turn have higher instances of customer happiness.
- Ensuring fluid experiences from start to finish — Consumers today expect their engagement with companies to be tailored to their needs and consistent across all channels and touchpoints. To do this, companies must leverage data and AI to create a fluid end-to-end experience. Almost half, 46%, of consumers would feel more connected to a company that remembers them, while 66% believe it improves their experiences.
By understanding consumer engagement expectations and enabling representatives with the right technology, businesses can deliver better overall customer service experiences and become loyalty leaders. Learn more about how your customer service can play a role in fixing this connection deficit, meet consumers’ needs, and increase brand loyalty.
