Global pandemic caused customers to modify their purchase habits. Fundamental changes to their expectations soon followed. To achieve these expectations, businesses should focus on improving the customer experience.
Like it or not, your customers already have an idea of how each interaction with your company should go. From how long they wait to what channels they can use, this holds true for any part of the customer journey.
So, what are customers expecting?
1. 65% of customers prefer using companies that provide easy and rapid online transactions.
As everything shifted online, smaller companies and non-digital natives suddenly faced a very high bar set by digitally savvy leaders that drive customer expectations and engagement online. And from product availability, to the ease of buying and speed of shipping, matching these expectations is no easy feat.
2. Customers seek companies that prioritize the things they care about.
It’s not enough for companies to simply provide fast, friendly customer support. In a world marked by uncertainty, customers are seeking empathy and want to buy from companies that reflect their values.
49 percent are seeking more empathy from customer support agents
54 percent want to buy from companies that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in their communities and workplaces
63 percent want to buy from companies that are socially responsible
3. They prefer to use the same channels that they use to connect with family and friends.
64 percent of customers say they tried a new channel to engage with customer support teams during the pandemic and 75 percent plan to keep using it. Put simply, customers want more options when they need to reach out. And many now prefer to use the same communication channels that they use to connect with family and friends.
Then, how to meet customer expectations?
1. Provide a variety of customer service channels.
76 percent of customers want phone support but customers appreciate email, live chat, SMS/text, and social media for other purposes.
2. Adopt omnichannel which integrates everything into one streamlined workspace.
from social media to live chat. It’s one thing to have different service channels, but customers should also be able to switch between them for a seamless experience. You would need to invest in omnichannel to perform faster response times and higher customer satisfaction rates.
3. Boost self-service resources.
72 percent of customers say they try self-service first before contacting the support team. If people can solve their own problems without waiting for a customer service representative, they’re happy to do it.
Customers want the very best, and if you don’t give it to them, they’re happy to look elsewhere. Keep up your customer service team agile and adaptable with Zendesk.